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Shut Your Cell Phone

By Frederick Corrigan

Alas, alas, well kiss my ------nose! The state senate has voted to almost make you close ---your cell phone while you’re driving.

Why can’t the elected state officials get it right?

You go to the Registry of Motor Vehicles and take your driving test to obtain your driver’s license. The state policeman who is riding with you will give you a failing grade if you break the law while taking your test. Knowing this, you keep both hands on the steering wheel, obey the speed limit and give proper turning signals. You also don’t eat, drink or smoke, if you want to get your license!!!!!

Now, from this moment on, you can drive with one hand on the steering wheel, drive over the speed limit and turn without signaling because you are talking into a cell phone held in one hand, steering with the other. Also, the state policeman isn’t riding with you.

One state senator commented on a TV interview that he didn’t want to make people spend $100 for a ‘hands-free’ devise because we are in ‘hard times’. If you can afford a cell phone, a car and gas, you can afford a ‘hands-free’ devise ---- or don’t answer the phone.

Also, $100 is a lot less money than your cost for killing someone while you’re dialing a number on your cell phone.
What is this state senator thinking?

So they pass a law that allows ‘hand-held’ cell phones, but you can’t text while driving. What do you call dialing your friend’s number while driving?

The new law also prohibits teenagers from using any cell phones while driving. Hopefully, they will also ban the use of game pods while driving.

One has to wonder why it’s taken so long and cost so many lives before we get a ‘common sense’ law.

You can bet that you will see a driver talking on a ‘hand-held’ cell phone, smoking a cigarette and a large coffee sitting in the vehicle console drink holder, while they change lanes at 70 miles per hour on the freeway. I hope that they don’t forget to take a bite of the donut before the coffee gets cold.

Stupid, half donkey, Law!!!

Contributor's Note

Please tell me what laws that you have in your state or country. I appreciate your comments. Thank you!

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Yes that law seems a little stupid. Where I come from you are not allowed to use a cell phone while driving without a hands-free. You are not allowed to smoke or eat while driving either.

Thank you for your visit and your comments, Tony. Your not allowed to smoke while driving? Where do you live? It's not listed on your profile page.
Best to you.
Frederick

You are so darn right with all the points made which speak against this latest cellphone law. Also, your humor to look at cellular phoning while driving topped it up. The freedom of granting laws means great responsibility. May the people who voted for this law carry the consequences. If not now, then in their after-life.

Your visit and comments are appreciated, Gabriele. Let's hope that the final law will include the use of hands-free phones only.
Best wishes.
Frederick

In Spain, if you fail your driving test or become unable to pass it for physical reasons (I banned myself because I am going blind but I fall into this category) you can go out and buy a car which, because it has a 50cc engine, is treated as a motor scooter.

The ones that have been on the road for a month or two usually show distress if not actual parts missing.

I suppose our drivers will crash while reading the instruction book for their mobile phone - use of which, while driving, is illegal (but few people take any notice).

Thank you for stopping by and for your great comments, Arthur. Scooters and golf carts are both problems here in our state.
Best to you.
Frederick

All kidding aside, there have been a few instances (never on a freeway) where I have answered my cell phone while driving. In all except one instance, I pulled into the first available parking lot to finish my conversation. I don't like doing it. I'll never do it casually.

Does it show, Jim. This is a war for me and I have no problem yelling at drivers on their cell phones. Especially an adult driving with children in the vehicle. My wife expects that I'll get shot in a road rage, one of these days.
Thank for your comments.
Best wishes.
Frederick

All Cell phones should have a special colored "freeway button".
You push it and a recording comes on saying: Sorry driving on freeway, leave a message before the accident. HO! Ho!Ho!

I love your humor, Gabriele.
Thanks again for your support.
Best to you.
Frederick

I believe people who break the law with this regard ought by law do some classes on Common Sense.

They definitely need training, Paul. I'm not sure if there is any place that teaches "commom Sense".
Thank you for your comments.
Best wishes.
Frederick

I am laughing so hard, even though the topic is not really funny at all. Since the law here is that we are supposed be in control of the vehicle one would think that would in itself exclude hand held phones, coffee, donuts and perhaps especially game pods. But I have heard it said in my community that the "crime" they are most likely to enforce hereabouts is not having the seat belt secured "properly."

My cell phone is paired with my GPS device so in theory I could do all sorts of things hands-free while driving, but I prefer to keep 100% of my attention on the roading because so many of the other drivers do not. It is like driving for them and for me too as you never know what the other guy is going to do.

Thank the Lord that there are some of us that have the sense to drive defensively, Janet. I saw a local policeman, driving down the road, talking of his hand-held cell phone. I can't print my thoughts.
Thank you for your support and your comments.
Best to you.
Frederick

Now if they could just pass a law where the passengers can't talk while I am driving I would be all set.

Hopefully you don't need to hand-hold those talkers, Franklyn.
Thank for the support.
Best wishes.
Frederick

It's a worldwide issue that will not go away simply because the general public believe they can use a mobile device while driving because no one is there to enforce the law, I make a point of observing poor driving skills to see if it was because the driver concerned was indeed on a mobile device. and more often than not, they were using a mobile device.

Killing someone or causing accidents are not on their minds when chatting away or arguing instead of concentrating on handling a tonne or more of metal killing machine.

Most drivers don't realize the stopping distance of the vehicle, at what speed and in what conditions, Anthony.
Thank you for visiting and for you comments.
Best wishes.
Frederick

I had this friend in Tenerife, actually my temp. handyman.
He loved his beers too much.
He told me that he was often hanging out with police guys to get stoned. His cell was always with him. Then they drove home in kind of a convoy and all other police left them alone. I do believe him...
However much has changed lately. May be the police is part of it.

It's amazing what goes on, Gabriele. You wonder what the police are thinking. They certainly aren't helping to cure the problem.
Thank you for your support.
Best to you.
Frederick

They did some interesting tests (in the UK I think it was) in past few days. They compared drivers under different situations, having had a drink of alcohol, and then later driving using a mobile phone. Whilst both impaired driving, the people who used the phone had less concentration on the road than those who had had a drink.

We don't know when some driver has had a drink, but we do know when their being distracted by their hand-held cell phone. Maybe we need to take their vehicle away and keep it in storage for 30 days, at their expense. Radical???
Thank you for you comments, Geoff.
Best wishes.
Frederick

I certainly agree with you Frederick. Now a days it is a rarity to pass by another motorist without them being on the cell phone. I have no idea what they could all be talking about that is more important than driving safely.

Thank you for your support, Mike. One of the disturbing things is seeing senior citizens, who are old enough to have common sense, doing this stupid cell phone mania.
Best wishes.
Frederick

Distracted driving in general is a problem. Cell phones are the worst. Some studies say that even the hands-free version isn't so good. But eating, shaving, reading, etc. can have the same effect. People really need to learn that they can't multi task when driving.

Thank you for visiting and for your comments, Christina. Unfortunately, people won't learn in our "ME" generation, unless the penalty is worse than the crime. Any multi-tasking should be a $500.00 fine Nationwide, not decided by States.
Best wishes.
Frederick

My wife fixed it so I can't use my cell phone even when I am not driving. She accidentally (I Think) ran it through the washing machine and very thoughtfully then through the dryer.

Thanks for stopping by, Franklyn. I can't believe that your wife thinks your conversations need that much of a cleaning. Cheer up, now you can buy a NEW phone.
Best wishes.
Frederick

Your intel has a familiar ring to it, however I couldn't agree more on the format of this both serious and dangerous subject that should have been addressed many years ago to completely ban mobile phone use while driving. well written Frederick.

Thank you for visiting and for your valuable comments, Anthony. I'll be writing more on this subject, as each generation is becoming more "electronic stupid"!
Best wishes.
Frederick

It's always sad and frustrating to see law makers fail to make the right moves. I know they are all bound up in politics and competing interests and it's difficult to do what's right within the system, but still I wish it were different and they could just have the courage to stand up for what is right.

Thank you for visiting and for your comments, Craig.
It would also be better if each bill addressed one subject, and wasn't loaded down with additions when they come out of committee. It's the add-ons, that add to the lack of transparency.
Best wishes.
Frederick

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