Do You Use A Cell Phone....While Driving??

[dutchinterceptor]

I was just wondering how many of us use a cell phone while driving.
I'm guilty of using my phone while driving but I do pull over when I can. Talking has never been an issue but keying a number what gets people in trouble.

[Tourmeister]

I have Beth key in the number for me if I am driving. Then I keep the conversation as short and to the point as possible. I am not a big phone talker. When I get paged, I usually wait until I get where I am going if possible and then make the call. Personally, I like life a lot more before cell phones and pagers...

[dutchinterceptor]

Makes you wonder how we survived??

[bushwhacker]

Only with a hands free kit.

-

[Photojojo]

Yep

[kurt]

Yes, but with a Bluetooth earpiece and voice dial.

[stevenspring]

Its always on... always with me I do find it to a distraction at times. only in the cage

[budzrex]

Nature of my Job but I try to only use it with the bluetooth or wait until I
can stop, I know most customers well enough to recognize the number and
know if it is a quick call or if I will be sitting on the side of the road for a while.

[bec6389]

It is connected throught my comm system and I only recieve calls and keep them short. If longer, I will pull over to use the phone usually at a rest stop.

[SirWilhelm]

Cell phones are a real convenience, but ....
I have watched more cagers try to run into each other, or a bike because they were talking on the phone. Even in drive-ups. I was in line for Mexical Food take out, and watched the twit in front, keep easing forward, easing forward, until she actually hit the guy stopped at the speaker in front of her. All the while yapping on the phone. He was a gentleman, and just got out looked at his car, shook his head and then drove forward.
Even with the wireless, that is one more distraction when we know that our "cloking device" is impenetrable and they will run over you unless 100% focused.
Mine stays off unless I pull over to use it. The world will evolve without that one call.
Bill
SJT

[WoodButcher]

Didn't see my option in the poll. I'll answer if someone calls and I will make calls if a) I'm on an open stretch of road with little traffic or b) stopped at a light.

I also have the common people I call on voice dial so I don't have to punch in numbers.

[fallendown]

I have a built in speaker phone and voice dial, I keep the phone in my shirt pocket and set it to auto answer in the open position. Not distracting in the least, it's no worse than talking to a passenger in your car, in fact it may be safer, as I have no inclination to glance over and see who I am speaking to. I have on occasion used velcro straps inside my helmet using the same arrangement for really long trips, but most of my time riding is recreational, and I dont wanna talk to anybody unless they are riding with me!


Jason

[buck000]

Yes, but with a Bluetooth earpiece and voice dial.

I just got a new cell phone with this, and it's sweet.

IIRC, studies have shown that talking on a cell phone, even this way, increases the chances of an accident, but so then, it seems, would talking to a passenger while driving.

My sister's ex-husband was German, and would adamantly not speak with ANYone while driving, as it took away from his (Autobahn-trained) concentration. :-P

[Steve O Chap]

I'll only use mine if I'm called... even then I try to get off the phone as soon as possible. I hate seeing people on the phone while they are driving, so I try to practice what I preach.

[Jesse H]

I don't make calls unless my gf is in the car with me. Then usually I'll just have her make the call and talk. I pretty much don't answer unless I'm on the freeway in light traffic. Heck, even if my passenger is talking to me I'll tune them out much of the time while I'm driving. I like to devote near 100% of my attention to driving.

[DaveC]

I certianly not a "Chatty Cathy" (this is a doll from long ago) but I do use it, mostly for quick information, I don't use it to pass the time from point a to Point B as so many seem to do.:shock:

[bear]

I don't use one when I am driving. I expect others to be attentative when I drive and especially when I am on my bike. I feel it is a matter of courtesy and respect to not use one while driving.

[CycleCat]

I have NEVER owned a cell phone. It's easy to get by without something you've never had. And the more I see people become a slave to them, the easier it is for me to resist ever getting one.

[buck000]

I have NEVER owned a cell phone. It's easy to get by without something you've never had. And the more I see people become a slave to them, the easier it is for me to resist ever getting one.

Nonsense, it's very easy to avoid becoming a slave to your cell ph-...hold on, I need to take this....


;-)

[Tourmeister]

:tab It amuses me how some people are about phones in general. While in college, I used to have some guys over and we'd do homework all evening, exciting stuff like Calculus and Thermodynamics, stuff I don't really want to be interrupted while doing. The bulk of the class would call my place knowing that our small group usually managed to solve the problems and they'd want us to basically tell them how to do it :roll: So I would just go unplug my phone from the wall. The callers were outraged when they later found out this was what I was doing, and even a few people in my group were uncomfortable about me doing it, like perhaps the phone cops were going to do a raid on us or something :lol2: Some people act like if they miss a call the world will come crashing down around them :roll: I pretty much never turn on my cell phone. If someone really needs to reach me, they usually know my pager number and I will call them back when it is convenient (for me :-P ).

[bear]

:roll: At home I usually don't answer the phone, we have an answering machine and caller ID. If I don't feel like talking, I let the machine get it. My unwillingness to answer the phone drives my wife crazy.

[dutchinterceptor]

bear, I agree with you, I do that too.
What always gets me is the number of people in executive positions that will not turn off their phone or at least put it on vibrate during important meetings. The meeting would come to a crashing halt as Mr./Mrs. Soandso fumbles for their phone while everyone else just stares at them. I always thought that was what voicemail was for.

[Cadaver]

I agree with dutch and bear. I will answer while driving, but usually to make sure its not an emergency and then tell'em I'll call back after I get where I'm going. Very rarely actually dial in the cage, its not safe. Most of the close calls I've had on the bike have been because of cell phone using cagers and I don't want to contribute to the problem.

[Squeaky]

Some people act like if they miss a call the world will come crashing down around them :roll:

While I certainly understand where you're coming from, I've been in situations where I needed someone to answer their phone and they either had it turned off or in the kitchen while they slept. I have since been able to convince people close to me that I won't wake them up in the middle of the night unless it's an emergency, but to PLEASE have the phone around for such an occasion.

Oh, and I talk on the phone in my car all the time. I have tried to do it on speakerphone (cell clipped to the visor), but most of the time I hold it to my ear to hear better. No close calls, I've had occasion to drop the phone in my lap if traffic gets hairy, and I know which is the more important of the two.

I text message while driving too. Does that make me a bad person?

[Texas T]

Similar topic - cell phones at the movies...
http://www.skiicon.com/

Click on the trailer in the lower left. ;-)

[DANNYROTH]

Need to add to your poll, 'Have you ever wanted to shoot someone that was driving while talking on their cell phone?"

I take calls on mine while I'm in the cage. I have had some "Oh, [expletive removed]!" :shame: moments that truly were disconcerting because of how much my mind was distracted from the important task at hand. I have asked people to wait for me to call them back when I could pull over.

[dutchinterceptor]

I text message while driving too. Does that make me a bad person?


If you can text and drive then it just means you have exceptional hand-eye coordination. Are you good at video games too??:clap:
It amazes me, My 20 yo niece can text on her cell phone faster than I can type 65 wpm on a keyboard. She can't drive very well though with or without a phone.

[Squeaky]

If you can text and drive then it just means you have exceptional hand-eye coordination. Are you good at video games too??:clap:

Not too big on video games, but I think it has to do with how frequently I text message on my phone. I can usually type on it without looking at the keys. :mrgreen:

[Plane Dr]

Mine is a leash for work I have to answer. I hate the stupid cell phone talkin no signal cage driving.... okay I took a deep breath.

I did see one lady drinking coffee and talking on her cell on SH121.... Hopefully natural selection will win out and not take an innocent with it.

[Mr Ed]

It's the nature of my job as well. Mostly I only answer. If I need to make a call, I'll pull over first unless I'm on the interstate with a LOT of room around me.

I can't speak for anyone else, but for some odd reason, carrying on a coversation on a cell phone is far more distracting to me than carrying on a conversation with a passenger. For that reason, I don't think hands-free would help me other than for dialing, and I don't usually dial while moving anyway.

[thestudent]

I use the phone as seldom as possible while in the cage. Not much at all really. And when I do, it is as short as possible. I'll even cut someone off and tell them I'm driving.

I don't have a home phone anymore.

[Tourmeister]

:tab I totally agree about the phone vs passenger thing. The phone is far more distracting. I think it is a matter of where I am mentally. With the passenger next to me, my mind is still on/in the car and what is going on around me. On the phone, I am mentally somewhere else. Of course, there are some who might tell you I am mentally somewhere else all the time :mrgreen:

[leekellerking]

:tab I totally agree about the phone vs passenger thing. The phone is far more distracting. I think it is a matter of where I am mentally. With the passenger next to me, my mind is still on/in the car and what is going on around me. On the phone, I am mentally somewhere else. Of course, there are some who might tell you I am mentally somewhere else all the time :mrgreen:


I don't think the phone is that distracting for me, but then I'm probably not paying that much attention to my calls! I generally only place a call if I have it on voice dial or one-button dialing. I will pull over if I have to write something down.

Having said that, I would support a traffic law that granted a non-rebuttable presumption that someone talking on a cell phone while driving, who has a wreck. It would make MY job easier! ;-)


Lee

[Jesse H]

Oh, and I talk on the phone in my car all the time. I have tried to do it on speakerphone (cell clipped to the visor), but most of the time I hold it to my ear to hear better. No close calls, I've had occasion to drop the phone in my lap if traffic gets hairy, and I know which is the more important of the two.

I text message while driving too. Does that make me a bad person?

I yell at my GF all the time for doing that. I've been known to say,

"love you, bye!" -click

whenever she calls me and I can tell she's in the car.

[dutchinterceptor]

I worked as an outside sales rep for a while and had to ride with the guy I was replacing for a week. One morning we were headed down a busy three-lane road and he gets a call. As he's talking on his Star-Tac he tells the other person, "hang on a sec and I'll grab my phone book." He then proceeds to reach behind my seat, grabs the SWBYPs and starts thumbing through it to find a phone number. Meanwhile somebody cuts him off and he locks up his brakes just long enough to swerve into the other lane. I thought I was in a bad dream. Bottom line.....my training session with him ended that morning.

[DaveC]

Can't get it to my ear through the helmet:rofl:

[The Big Spank Daddy]

A lot of good pros and cons. Myself, I have committed to steer clear of things like the cell phone. I refuse to let it rule my life. I made it through some pretty tough times and never had a cell phone, pager or the internet.

To me, a cell phone is used as an excuse to “break” appointments and or schedules. Generally it goes like this, “Oh crap, I’m running late. No biggie, I’ll just buzz my friend and let them know.” Like calling makes it okay to be late.

The cell phone has become a crutch in many peoples lives. Rather than take the time to meet someone face to face it seems always more convenient to just “call”. Yes, it has its place and is truly a great resource and tool to have.

Ever been at work and had someone helping you on a hot project? You look for your help and they’re around the corner on their cell phone when they should be helping you. You try to carry on a conversation and they have to keep stopping to answer their phone. It all just makes me want to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek2:

Don’t even get me started on the ones driving with the thing clued to the left side of their face, while writing with the right had and their elbows doing the steering………..:doh:

I admit that I do occasionally talk on the phone while driving the cage. However, I keep it short and only answer the phone, not call while driving.

[Tx Rider]

I remember being taught in drivers ed back in the 70's that just simple conversation with your passengers is really too much of a distraction and unsafe, and to hold that to a minimum.

I'll still use a phone sometimes in the car, maybe 2-3 times in the last 4 years?

[dennis]

Had a cell phone once…..no, make that a mobile phone……one of those phones in a bag……..yes, that’s it, a Motorola bag phone…..3.5 watts, never dropped calls…..I could carry on a conversation underwater with that thing……kinda miss it………looked like a real telephone…not some little hunk of plastic with a bunch of dopey sounding ring tones and cute graphics….that’s not a telephone.....that’s a toy.

I used a cell phone in a car once….my wife’s cell phone….I was in the back seat….one of the kids (40 years old) called…needed some money….”Sorry son, your fading out…I can’t hear you………”. Haven’t used a cell phone since.

I think I’ll resurrect that old bag phone and mount it on my bike…..maybe with some duct tape, or a bungee…use it for 911 calls……now, that’s a telephone….3.5 watts…no waiting. But, if I get another call for money I’m sure the reception will get very poor very quick!

[dennis]

Only with a hands free kit.

-

Hands free.....sounds like what I used to do as a kid on my bike....."Look ma, no hands".

Using a cell phone on a motorcycle? You might as well be reading a newspaper....

Motorcycling takes concentration….using a cell phone reduces that concentration and exposes you to more danger.

[guanajagirl]

I uses a cell phone while driving. Usually talking is no problem. I have my frequently used numbers on voice dial. A story to tell you kids though. Was driving back from a friends house about 10 pm on a narrow country road. Got a txt from a friend and was typing a response and looked up to see a mail box right in frount of me. Swerved to avoid and lost control of my car and rolled it into a ditch. :eek2: After crawing out the passenger window I was kinda supprised find that I was still clutching my cell phone in my hand. Then the stupid thing became useful to call for some help. This was about 6 months ago and it still burns me up how stupid i was and how much trouble it was to fix what i did just because I wasnt paying attention to what I was doing. :doh: Edit:So lesson here ( and this is a little bit DUH!) Your situation can change really quickly, I went from having a great afternoon wakebording to sitting in a ditch in the dark trying to figure out how to rewind time. So i came up with this little reminder...Driving+Txting=Devil. Seriously it made me relieze iam not impervious to stuff like that happening(DUH again) Also made me relieze that I might not have the concentration for driving a bike and made me put of that choice for a long while. And the experence provided a scare story for all the parents in my church with children of driving age. Always happy to be of some service ;)

[scratch]

So what's the lesson you took away from that accident, guanajagirl?

Not trying to be disrespectful or sarcastic here, but there seems
to be a logical conclusion that's missing in your account.
Maybe I'm just misreading this? :shrug:

[guanajagirl]

Opps sorry see the edit
hopes it makes sense..

[scratch]

Got it! :thumb:

I tend to be a little dense sometimes and require more details to see the picture. ;-)

[guanajagirl]

Np;-)

[seanpublic]

I'm hoping to get a portable DVD player, so I can watch movie while I'm driving too. :duck:

[Mr Ed]

I'm hoping to get a portable DVD player, so I can watch movie while I'm driving too. :duck:I don't need a TV; I enjoy watching people too much. For instance, today I was following a guy with a cell phone on his ear while eating a hamburger and reading the newspaper, and . . . . . . oh, never mind :mrgreen:

[Jack Giesecke]

Not sure how I got into this fix, but it's hard to do business without a cell. I tell customers to call my cell 'cause I always have it with me and can get the message at any rate. Of course, I can't always here it, if I'm on the bike or like today testing a tractor I'd complete, danged noisy diesel!:mrgreen: I always pull over if I'm in the van or on the bike and actually hear the thing, though.

Hey, I did use my TV in the van the weekend I was driving to Henderson. It was 6pm and I wanted to catch the weather on Lufkin's station. Hey, don't laugh, it's more professional than this hokey TV station we have in Victoria. :rolleyes: I don't make a habit of watching TV on the road, was special circumstances and I was listening more than actually looking.

[dennis]

I uses a cell phone while driving. Usually talking is no problem. I have my frequently used numbers on voice dial. A story to tell you kids though. Was driving back from a friends house about 10 pm on a narrow country road. Got a txt from a friend and was typing a response and looked up to see a mail box right in frount of me. Swerved to avoid and lost control of my car and rolled it into a ditch. :eek2: After crawing out the passenger window I was kinda supprised find that I was still clutching my cell phone in my hand. Then the stupid thing became useful to call for some help. This was about 6 months ago and it still burns me up how stupid i was and how much trouble it was to fix what i did just because I wasnt paying attention to what I was doing. :doh: Edit:So lesson here ( and this is a little bit DUH!) Your situation can change really quickly, I went from having a great afternoon wakebording to sitting in a ditch in the dark trying to figure out how to rewind time. So i came up with this little reminder...Driving+Txting=Devil. Seriously it made me relieze iam not impervious to stuff like that happening(DUH again) Also made me relieze that I might not have the concentration for driving a bike and made me put of that choice for a long while. And the experence provided a scare story for all the parents in my church with children of driving age. Always happy to be of some service ;)

Cell phone use while driving should be illegal and enforced as such and stringently. I rest my case.