LOL - Today kind of drove it all home for me (and cell phones in cars...)

[The Straight Story]

Not that I didn't get it before, but today I just had to say 'damn'.

Back in Feb I think it was I posted a thread about getting pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, I was turning right and no one was there, and I did not stop completely. Ended up paying a $236 fine.

Today as I was coming home I saw two cop cars doing exactly what I did at the same stop sign. No sirens, lights on, etc (they were finishing up a call here in our hood - and I know that because I have police scanners at work and I pay attention to what they do in my area). As they pulled up to the stop sign they didn't slow down as there was no one else in sight and they just kept on going.

But hey, they work for the government (which used to mean US) and so it was ok if they did it.

Now we have laws about using a cell phone in a car, something else I thought about today. If I hold a banana up to my ear as I drive will I get pulled over? Probably not, as the law relates to using a cell phone while driving. So even if I use one that is turned off and pretend to talk to someone I will get a ticket. Hold something else to your ear and you are ok (maybe....)

Overall what I learned today is that if you work for the government what you do is justified and ok, but if you don't then you are breaking the law and should be punished.

Something about it all seems a little off to me.

[Psephos]

1. Some animals are more equal than other animals

Ouch on that $236.

[JohnnK]

7. lol

better than death tho

[tularetom]

2. You should have done what Gomer did when Barney made an illegal u-turn in his cop car

"Citizen's Arrest! Citizen's Arrest!"

[Selatius]

3. What it simply means is some people are above the law, like the president of the US.

If you killed as many people as GWB has killed, you'd get the death penalty, but if you're the president, well, it's another story. If you defrauded as many people as Bush has with these no-bid contracts, you'd be doing hard time in prison, but if you're the president, you get to retire, and you get a pension plan for the rest of your life, or you can get a six or seven figure job working for some of the same guys you steered war contracts towards.

That's the American dream.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Here is a little secret about that cell phone on your ear

not that many complainers get it

(by the way it also applies to the cops and other emergency workers, even if trained to do it)

Driving and talking on the cell, (or using your emergency vehicle mike to talk back to base) is kind of like driving drunk... or while seventy years old.

Yes, it is that distracting

and no, I am not justifying the cops running a stop sign... just pointing this out to you

By the way I AM TRAINED to drive and talk on that damn mike, while holding down a siren... and I STILL CHOOSE NOT TO talk on the cell

In fact, mine is TURNED OFF when I drive.

You figure it out.

Perhaps because I don't want to end in the back of an Ambulance, while strapped to a board with a cervical collar, best case... for a precautionary measure best case, or the coroner's table worst case.

Seen in ten years way too much of THAT CRAP.

[The Straight Story]

5. I work for an Ambulance company

and they have a ton of things going on while driving and can handle it quite well IMHO.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. That is the TRAINING, you have to have in order to do this

by the way,,, POLICY for us was as follows

The person driving DRIVES, His or her partner, handles the radio and the other duties on the way to the Call

When you leave the call, you report to station that you are rolling

Medical control is done by the Medic riding in the BACK using the BACK radio, which is on another frequency

Rarely you use that radio and drive at the same time

Did this for ten years... and we were trained, but POLICY told us that it was not the safest of things to do, to use that radio and ahem drive

There is a reason, do you want me to direct you to all the literature on the subject?

[Selatius]

6. Then you find out your HMO has denied paying for your ambulance ride, like in the movie Sicko.

It's like when you fall down, someone is there to jam it up your ass.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Fortunately I don't think that will happen with my HMO

which is not an HMO and IMHO should be the model for a federal national single payer health care system for this country

But as I said, mine health insurance is not an HMO

That said, I am not going to risk getting into an accident just because I have this incredible need to talk to my pal across town

That call can wait until I PARK

[MercutioATC]

9. For some people, yes. For others, no.

I'm an air traffic controller. I multitask for a living.

Me talking on a cellphone while driving is a lot less dangerous than most people telling "TomTom" that they want to find the nearest Italian restaurant. It's a lot less dangerous than reading a map, shaving, putting on makeup, or any number of things I've seen drivers doing.

MOST people are idiot drivers when they're on a cellphone, but some of us do just fine.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I'd love to put you on a track and do the test usually done

that said, all those idiots shaving, putting make up et al, should be fined as well

Oh and TomTom, don't get me started. That thing, at least IMHO, should be taken off vehicles. And if we did the SAME tests done with people on phones, I am betting we will get similar results

[MercutioATC]

14. I'd really be interested in doing it.

Partly because of my job, I multitask but I prioritize.

I sometimes don't respond on my phone while driving because I have to concentrate on a traffic issue.


My point is that we allow...even encourage...drivers to use things like GPSs while driving but we vilify cellphone users. I think it should be less to do with reducing us all to the lowest common denominator than about encouraging people to know their limitations.

Speed limits...to a degree...should be handled the same way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I like the German Approach to this, draconian yes

but their stats are better


Aka less accidents, though when they have one, it is a duzzy

When you drive, you DRIVE... no soda, no GPS, no phone, I guess the only thing they allow is a radio

Your job is to drive...

Hell, my dad's 23 year old 325I has no drink place, anywhere, and only the cars meant for the American market have them... German cars still don't

Me.. I'd love to get on the track to see how well the training helps me to defeat it, but I still know the stats

why I refuse to do any of these things while driving.

[MercutioATC]

18. Let me drive my car at 155MPH and I won't talk on the phone.

I don't answer my phone above 110 anyway...

[Thothmes]

23. You may not, but there will be many, many people

that would go zipping around at + 100 mph and talk on cell phones, adjust make up, eat, drink etc.

[TheMadMonk]

20. So bloody what? It matters not how good you are.

(Or think you are.) The law applies equally to everyone. In theory at least. It does not contain special exceptions for Mercutio.

[Skittles]

21. I don't understand why people NEED to talk on the phone while driving

why???? Can't most stuff wait?

[Marrah_G]

24. I agree completely

I bought my first cell phone 2 weeks ago and ONLY because I got a flat on the highway and was almost stranded. It scared me enough to go out and buy one for emergencies.

Lately it seems as though every time I am almost hit (especially in parking lots) it is some stupid ass on a cell phone not paying attention.

What the hell is so damn important that you have to chat on the fucking phone while driving.

I personally despise cell phones and cannot stand people who have them stuck on their ear every second of the damn day. Like I want to spend my time listening to your one-sided lameass conversation.

It's fucking rude.

/rant off

[Speck Tater]

12. Keep a video camera handy.

Film every example you see of a cop breaking some traffic law.
Then if you are ever ticketed for breaking that same law, take it to court, and show your video as proof that the police set the example.

Probably won't work, but hey, it might be fun watching the judge try to make excuses for the cop.

[flvegan]

13. If you used a cell phone that wasn't operating, then you're not using one.

I'd think your cellphone records would be enough to prove that you're just a nutty bloke driving about with a cellphone to his ear.

Now, the banana...

Your take on working for the govt is justified, though I think.

Know what they call a govt worker talking into a banana? George W. Bush.

Thanks, I'll be here all week.

[trusty elf]

22. Calling shrub a worker is a bit of a stretch...

[Jed Dilligan]

15. Don't conflate cops with all government workers

Most are under more legal scrutiny than the average citizen.

[EFerrari]

16. Now you know why people want government jobs.

:)

[Wiley50]

19. Time to get rich making cell phones that look like bananas

of course they might pull you over to do a sanity check