I Can Be So Juvenile at Times...

[speeder]

Roflmao.

[Jeff Higgins]

Here are a few studies on handheld vs. hands free cell use. I know most of you can find this stuff on your own, so this is for Denis' benefit. Not that he will care any more about these studies than he does about anyone (or their families) when he's out on the road - he is, after all, some kind of superhero who can safely carry this off. If only the rest of us were as skilled and good looking as Denis...

Drivers on Cell Phones Are as Bad as Drunks - University of Utah News Release: June 29th, 2006

June 29, 2006 -- Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.

Mobile phones and driving safety - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Handsfree device[edit]
Hands-free car kitDriving while using a handsfree cellular device is not safer than using a hand held cell phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies,[20][21] epidemiological,[1][2] simulation,[9] and meta-analysis.[11][12] The increased cognitive workload involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk.[22][23][24] For example, a Carnegie Mellon University study found that merely listening to somebody speak on a phone caused a 37% drop in activity in the parietal lobe, where spatial tasks are managed.[25] The consistency of increased crash risk between hands-free and hand held cell phone use is at odds with legislation in many locations that prohibits hand held cell phone use but allows hands-free.

Again, I could go on and on, posting links to studies and quotes from those studies, but most of you would find that insulting. It would make Denis' head hurt, too, so I'll leave it at these two.

[motion]

Jeff, you seem like a very pissed off individual who likes to call people you don't know all manner of derogatory terms and likes to ride a Harley with straight pipes and a Honda with a loud pipe. I think you need some stress management in your life, dude. I feel badly for the people around you, doing things you don't like.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Funny thing is, why didn't hipster boy just use the bluetooth like he's supposed to?

Not like the car doesn't have that...

there is this

Originally Posted by speeder

There is something wrong with that guy.

Ironically hilarious.

Originally Posted by lane912

thank you Jeff
I can only lay on the horn-

Me too, and it is not nearly loud enough.

Originally Posted by craigster59

Since we're speculating, I'm going to pretend the guy was on the phone calling in a bomb threat to the local grammar school, which was averted by him hanging up in frustration thanks to Higgy's loud pipes.

There, I feel much better now. Thanks Jeff for stepping up to the plate and being a concerned citizen and taking action. I owe you a beer.

No kidding, about time someone thought about the children.

Originally Posted by speeder

I respect anyone's decision to turn off their phone while driving, (or any other time), but the assertion that anyone talking on a phone while driving is so distracted that they are a de facto murderer is absurd. Why is it perfectly legal when texting is not?

The real question is why I get sucked into asinine debates online with some really strange people.

So is drunk driving okay too? Similar level of impairment, in every study I have seen on it.

You get into these debates because you are one of those really strange people.

Originally Posted by Noah930

I also call BS on the neurosurgeon premise. No self-respecting neurosurgeon would drive a measly 3-series.

No kidding, ought to be something more along the lines of one of these. Well, not the one on the left, stupid Miata parking in the doctor's lot.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by motion

Jeff, you seem like a very pissed off individual who likes to call people you don't know all manner of derogatory terms and likes to ride a Harley with straight pipes and a Honda with a loud pipe. I think you need some stress management in your life, dude. I feel badly for the people around you, doing things you don't like.

In other words, having chimed in on the "cell phones are not dangerous while driving" side of the debate (clearly without having done any research whatsoever), you now have to fall back on painting me as some stressed out, pissed off biker with straight pipes on his Harleys (both actually have stock mufflers, as I've stated and shown many times on this forum). Typical tactic, unfortunately, here on PPOT.

"Anger", of course, never entered into this encounter - go back and read my first post. I was chuckling to myself, bordering on laughing my ass off. The "pissed off" part is purely your construct. Yes, it does piss me off when they actually almost hit me, but I suspect that holds true for you as well. Two different things - having some harmless fun with some dick head yammering on his phone vs. dealing with some dick head who just about hit me. Try not to confuse the two.

Back to the latest topic at hand - the dangers of cell phone use. I see now that information has been presented that thoroughly contradicts your stated position, you are shying away from the topic and attempting to distract with your accusations. Boy, I wish I had a dime for every time a conversation on PPOT takes this turn. You guys all read from the same playbook.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by motion

Jeff, you seem like a very pissed off individual ...
I feel badly for the people around you, doing things you don't like.

.
Lou Grant: "You know how you are, Ted?"
.
Ted Baxter (Proudly): "Yeah, Lou."
.
Lou Grant: "Don't be that way."
.

.
Sometimes when we have an uncomfortable inner experience, instead of being there with that experience and learning the lesson from it, we ask the universe (and those around us) to change so that we don't have that uncomfortable inner experience.
That was a hard lesson for me to learn.
Thank you, EST & Werner Erhard.

[Seahawk]

I enjoyed the juvenile, pace the BMW with loud pipes, story. I get it. Nothing illegal.

But, and this is from someone who has done it, regrets it and won't do it again, I don't get the chase them down and damage their property schtick. There are way too many variables and, frankly, putting others at risk in any scenario I can come up with.

I get it, Jeff, I really do. I lost my pristine 1994 Targa to a lady who ran me off the road, blithely unaware that her Chevy Suburban was taking up half my lane as she rambled on to her BFF: I can still she her as she rumbled by giving me the cell phone salute.

I was fine, car was totaled.

Where we'll part ways is in the chase. I've done it. Not no mo'.

[speeder]

From the beginning of this thread, I was thinking about a recent incident on the highway. I was driving up to the Bay Area on the 5 last month in a PU truck. While passing two tractor trailers using the left lane, one of them started moving over into my lane as if I wasn't there. I could not believe it was happening. I was forced onto left shoulder, standing on brakes and leaning on the horn. This was a Fed Ex truck pulling two trailers.

At the last possible moment, the truck driver noticed me and pulled back into his lane. Of course I was shook-up and pissed, I pulled up next to him and just stared at him with an incredulous look on my face. The driver looked like he was about 16 years old, his dad must have been sleeping in the back. He made all kinds of apologetic gestures and I just shook my head and continued passing him.

Never once did it occur to me to catch up with him at the next fuel stop and punch him or call him some choice names. Road rage is stupid and people who do it are stupid.

[Jeff Higgins]

Paul, I respect your opinion, so please let me clarify.

"Chase" is probably too strong of a word - I have never actually "chased" anyone, unless recovering into traffic and falling in behind them could be construed as "chasing". When I do catch up, like at the next intersection, most get away with a verbal tongue lashing.

The actual property damage, the busting off of mirrors, has universally been "real time" - when I am next to them (with horn blaring most of the time) and they are merging into me. The smashing of something on their car has been a last resort, "hey!!!! I'm here!!" desperation move. Admittedly fueled by a lot of anger, some fear, and lots of adrenaline. I've never actually chased and caught up to anyone and damaged anything after the heat of the moment.

Of course, none of that matters to the cell phone jockies justifying their behavior, and demonizing mine in their efforts to do so. They are convinced by their own egos that they are right, and have every right to endanger the rest of us. I kind of feel an obligation to remind them that they don't.

[mikesride]

The next time some D-Bag with loud pipes comes roaring past.....I'm gonna catch up and throw my cell phone at his head just to even things out!!!

[Don Ro]

Truck driver etiquette is not what it used to be. Remember those days?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by speeder

blah blah blah...

In other words, you are finished addressing the "dangers of the cell phone while driving" issue as well. Boy, right on que, you drop it altogether. Like I said, if I had a dime...

[ForBell]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

.
Lou Grant: "You know how you are, Ted?"
.
Ted Baxter (Proudly): "Yeah, Lou."
.
Lou Grant: "Don't be that way."
.

.
Sometimes when we have an uncomfortable inner experience, instead of being there with that experience and learning the lesson from it, we ask the universe (and those around us) to change so that we don't have that uncomfortable inner experience.
That was a hard lesson for me to learn.
Thank you, EST & Werner Erhard.

now that is just too sensible and has no place in this thread.

[EMJ]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

--snip--

So, maybe I'll see some of you cell phone yammering morons out on the road someday. I'm sure you will recognize me - I'll be the guy effing up your car. Oh, and by all means - I'm always more than ready to pull over and "discuss" the situation with you.

Nice back peddle.

[Jeff Higgins]

Nice out of context quote. Another well established PPOT tradition.

[motion]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The smashing of something on their car has been a last resort, "hey!!!! I'm here!!" desperation move. Admittedly fueled by a lot of anger, some fear, and lots of adrenaline.

Thankful you live on the opposite coast from me.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by turbocarrera

Try steering, braking, or accelerating next time.

Thanks for the tip. Never would have thought of that. I always knew, given time, the collective wisdom of the PPOT brain trust would come up with a workable solution.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Of course, none of that matters to the cell phone jockies justifying their behavior, and demonizing mine in their efforts to do so. They are convinced by their own egos that they are right, and have every right to endanger the rest of us. I kind of feel an obligation to remind them that they don't.

I agree. And I get the in situ confrontations. Just be careful.

As a pilot, I am always wary of those that defend the use of cell phones in a car. I will use Bluetooth but it is completely weather, road condition and traffic related. I never talk on a hand held device while driving, let alone text.

Aviate, navigate, communicate applies to cars as well.

I am street riding again so my pledge not to chase down an idiot may be premature.

Best.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by motion

Thankful you live on the opposite coast from me.

Full-on avoidance mode.

Unfortunately for me (and other motorcyclists in my area), it does not matter where you live. There are far too many of your kind around here, who see no problems with yammering away on the cell while driving. As a motorcyclist, you should be ashamed of yourself for putting your fellow riders at risk. You are clearly just to self centered for that, however. That's really a shame.

[island911]

Originally Posted by motion

Jeff, you seem like a very pissed off individual who likes to call people you don't know all manner of derogatory terms and likes to ride a Harley with straight pipes and a Honda with a loud pipe. I think you need some stress management in your life, dude. I feel badly for the people around you, doing things you don't like.

fwiw, I run into Jeff fairly often - a few time a year. Never by arrangement, always by chance. Anyway You couldn't be more wrong. He's one of those soft-spoken guys who is keenly aware - more than most, and often chuckles quietly at the idiots.

But otoh, if you think that your leaning on him with social pressure will keep him from leaning on others with social pressure-and annoying pipes, then ... I dunno.