blackvans1234

Do you say anything to drivers that are using their phone while driving?
(you know, you pull up next to them, look over and they're busy texting or chatting it up)

rebel1916

That's a great way to get punched in the mouth. And kinda deserve it.

genec

Roll by and shake my head. Hard to get punched in the mouth through a car window.

It is a $150 fine here just to hold a cell phone.

dynodonn 

Only if they narrowly miss hitting me with their car due to such actions, and if I happen to catch up with them without much effort.

spare_wheel

I agree. The yapping motorist deserves to get punched in the mouth by a family member of one of the many daughters, sons, fathers, or mothers killed by this kind of illegal and narcissistic behavior.

When I see a motorist talking on their phone I hold an imaginary phone to my head and make strange exaggerated faces.

mconlonx

I'll yell at them if their window is open and they are on the phone. That way, their party on the other end of the line knows that someone thinks the person on the phone sucks.

If it really bothered me that much, I'd be running an illegal-in-my-country cell phone jammer.

Jimi77

Why bother saying anything? Obviously these people are incredibly self-absorbed and don't care if others are endangered by their actions. The way I see it, you can only do more damage by adding to their distraction or make yourself a target for them. I treat them like I do drunk drivers and steer clear.

Pedaleur

:facepalm:

B. Carfree

I was nearly hit by a passing motorist who was on his cell phone. At the next signal, I caught up to him and shook my head at him in a scolding-schoolmarm manner. He immediately ended his call, rolled down his window and apologized. He was so sincere that I believe he is less likely to repeat his offense.

Perhaps some of the narcissists among us are not beyond redemption.

FBinNY 

Only if it's an issue, and their inattentive driving causes some kind of an immediate problem.

The whole cell phone issue is a bit (only a bit) overblown, mainly because of the numbers. It's just part of the bigger problem of distracted driving. Texting is far worse than speaking on a non-hands free phone, but people do all sorts of things in their cars these days while driving and it's hard to say what's worse, cell phones, reading the newspaper, or some other work paper, putting on makeup, eating or drinking, trying to manage children or pets, tuning radios, and so on.

Also, the place I'm most likely to roll up on a cell phone user is at a red light, and as far as I'm concerned, it's OK to text there as long as they only do it while stopped (many actually do). The irony is that it's far easier to get a cell phone citation while stopped than while actually driving.

Chris516

I might shake my head, but that is it. Because sadly, the police don't go looking for cell phone violators.

blackvans1234

The NYS Police are pushing towards targetting such drivers, giving 5 points I believe?

https://www.facebook.com/nyspolice?fref=ts

blackvans1234

P. 2

https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...HCbIE.facebook

Chris516

There is an additional problem, regardless of locale. A couple days ago, my friend in Canada IM'ed me from her IPhone while driving. I told her to stop the car, before she killed herself. While she didn't get killed, she is a perfect example of the belligerent ignorance of some motorists' who insist on talking on the phone, texting, or sending an IM while driving. So NY needs to include sending IM in the language of the law. Otherwise, If there is a fatal accident and a motorist kills someone as a result of sending an IM message, they could easily get off, because of instant messaging not being covered in the language of the law.

FBinNY 

I don't know the wording of the bill, but can't see how sending an IM is different that texting. As far as sending a text or IM to someone who'se driving, the sender can't be responsible since they have no way of knowing what the receiver is doing at the time. Of course the receiver needs to delay checking the phone until later.

This problem, like so many societal problems will not magically be solved by laws, They may help drive a point home, and establish a framework of liability, but people have to decide to obey the spirit and intent of the law rather than the letter.

Free societies only work if the vast bulk of people voluntarily do the right thing. The alternatives are either anarchy or a police state.

plustax

Nowadays my rides are generally on country roads with no stoplights or separated bike facilities. I used to, but never did get much beyond nervous laughter.

I will say though that I have had plenty of great conversations with motorists after catching up to them at the next light.

spare_wheel

https://www.opb.org/news/article/npr-...ell-phone-use/

Fine for cell phone use in motorvehicle now tops off at $500 in OR. There is still support for a bill that would increase this to $2000.

rebel1916

Handling your phone at all, I believe, is a violation. Which, of course, is a slight problem, as most people use their phones for navigation these days.

genec

Oh would it be so nice if that were true... I've had too many close calls by cell phone yackers and when I have tried to signal that they should hang up, I usually get a single digit response.

I still shake my head at them none the less.

genec

At $150 a pop, they do around there... but it doesn't seem to dent the activity. Something like 19,000 tickets were written over a 15 month period here, but drivers persist.
https://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...city-offenses/

JoeyBike

Phone use in cars is one of the BEST things to ever happen to me riding my bike in the city. All of the gaps in traffic are much larger now. Cars take forever to get rolling at a new green light, lines of cars generally leave a ton of room to the next car, phone users are driving slower and mostly safer. I actually have more room to maneuver in traffic and almost never have to stop for anything. I LOVE phones in cars!

I did add a 300 watt flashing tail light and a 500 watt flashing headlight to grab their attention to my cycling - not a bad idea cell phones or not.

When I am driving a car, it is a little more annoying to be sitting behind three texters when a light goes green fo sho. On a bike I just split past all of them. But lane changes in a car are much easier now. My wife is constantly telling me I am in the wrong lane to make a turn because I have become accustomed to passing fifty cars in the turning lane knowing FOR CERTAIN that every phone user is going to let five car lengths proceed before they budge - I roll right into that gap nearest the head of the line and make my turn with absolutely no harm done to the texter who "let me in".

I started an entire thread (I think in A&S) six months ago with all the details. I am too lazy to dredge it up right now.

Did I say that I LOVE CELL PHONES in cars? My life has changed so much for the better in traffic. So if I said anything it would be a hearty "Thank You!" to all of them.

(Cell phone use on the Interstate does freak me out, but I rarely use the Interstate and never on my bike - so they are good to go kill each other there for my use. They have my blessing)

genec

In a way I tend to agree...

Red light use doesn't really bother me... but the clowns driving down the road using two hands to text... that HAS got to STOP! And yes, I do see that.

Jimi77

That's the problem - light punishments. From what I've seen texting and driving is as bad if not worse than drunk driving, but we don't have the Fed pushing for stricter state laws, we're not taking licenses away, forcing people into driving classes, etc. TBH, I'd rather be on the roads at midnight when the majority of drivers are drunk than during the day when they're texting, applying make-up and doing whatever else they think is more important than driving.

FBinNY 

I hope that's the case, but I suspect it won't be.

It's said of alcoholics and drug addicts that they have to hit bottom before they begin a serious recovery. I doubt that a close call is bottom enough for most cell phoners. It'll probably take a serious accident with injury or death or a few nights in jail for people to have sunk low enough to change.

Sorry for the pessimism, but that's how I see it.

BTW- New Jersey is considering another approach. It's proposed that police investigating accidents get the right to take cell phones and read out the activity log. This will show whether they were in use at the time of the accident.

Of course it there are two people in the car they can always claim the passenger was on the phone.

This points to a possible technical solution. Along with all the other nonsense, they might build in G-meters (needs to be mandatory) which would record the time and activity status at the time of an impact. Along with legislation raising ones deductable and/or imposing a serious fine or suspension of license if on the cell when crashing, this could shift the burden where it belongs.

cuzzinit

Saying something to someone texting and driving is much like talking thru a wall. They won't get it....
Punchin them in the face won't help either, they will text about that too. And maybe you'll get shot and "kinda deserve it"