To the teen cruising Rockawalkin Road Thursday evening, June 10. You were driving a light green Taurus. My husband was driving a motorcycle and you forced him completely off the road in to a field. You never bothered to stop. I hope your parents read this and take your license and cell phone. Shame on you!
Debi Wilkins
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
37 comments:
cell phone are a terrable distraction. as someone that rides a bike i have noticed that the little bit of attention people pay to us is further minimized by them.
Thank God youe husband is OK but its not just teens with cell phones. I almost got hit by a grown women on a cell driving a Lexus SUV.
I really wish these kids would think for just one second & realize they can NOT multi task with only 2 hands. I've seen one with a cell phone, cigarette, food & drink, talking with friends in the car AND driving all over the road. Line in the road..what line, what red light? Scary!!
I'm glad that you both are ok. That could have ended in tragic consequences. I do agree with you about teens and phones. I also agree with the other comments here about the adults with cell phones. What is with everyone that you have to be yacking on the phone every minute of the day? I don't get it. Do I have a cell phone? Yes I do. Do I answer calls while driving? Yes I do. I try to make it as brief as possible and if in traffic I don't answer. I really miss the days of when you left home and when you returned you checked your answering machine to see who had called. Then you used your rotary dial phone to talk to someone.
What's funny to me is, When I was passing through delmar at the light beside the new wa-wa... An older women in her 30's to 50's range (big jump I know) Was driving a van and was looking directly down texting someone, And had on neck braces from what could have been from an accident by doing what she was at the time I saw...
P.s.
It's not just young people, I see older women who drive down 13 and talking on a cell phone and drinking coffee and putting make-up on and reading a book at the same time...
Honestly wtf are you reading books for on your way to work?
Its annoying in general. People are not all equal when it comes to multitasking. i've been nearly hit / forced to move out of my lane many times buy teens, middle aged folk and senior citizens as well. it not so much as age and the individual. most people allow things like talking on the cell phone, eating, sightseeing, etc. to take the main focus and driving gets put on the back burner and thats where the problem arrives. its just a lack of self control / discipline. if you are unable to talk on the phone and drive, then put the phone down or get off the road. its just stupid and selfish to willingly endanger others because u choose not to focus on driving. Glad your husband is ok
Unless you have bluetooth in your vehicle you should not be talking while you are driving. period. too many distractions are out there already.
i'm really glad your husband is ok.
I'm glad you and your husband were ok. And a side note on cell phones... if you are in the grocery store, hang up the phone!! I am so sick of hearing about somebody's uncle, cousin, husband, boyfriend, wife, sister, blah, blah, blah. I have actually had people run into me with the cart because they were running their mouth on the phone. Don't think they weren't told. If you can't drive a grocery cart without hitting somebody while on the phone, then maybe you need to be stay home. I can only imagine what you would do with a car.
I almost traded paint with some girl in a Maxima on Beaglin Park the other day. I looked over and she was texting in her lap. She came over the line 3 times. Real cute.
It's not just "kids". Some of the worse offenders are men in service trucks...carpet cleaning, electricians, plumbers, contractors, HVAC, etc. running to the next service call
Pulse,
I would have to disagree with you on the bluetooth. It does not matter what kind of device you are using, The distraction is the actual conversation not so much the device used to hold the conversation. I have seen just as many meatheads with bluetooths talking and swerving everywhere as I have with hand held phones.
Sounds like someone needs a good spanking. You are never too old.
What someone needs to do is:
1. follow the person
2. when they get out of the vehicle
make a citizens arrest.
3. If the police don't show up in 10 minutes , smack the $hit out of him or her.
Poor cell phone etiquette is a pet peeve of mine,especially when people are in a public place and feel the need to talk loud enough that we know all their business,sometimes being very profane.I have overheard tawdry stuff.I stopped at Wine Rack for gas yesterday and sure enough,theres a woman pumping gas and yacking away on a phone,despite the prominent signage on the pumps asking people NOT to use them at the pump.Theres even a pic of a phone with a slash thru it for people who cant read.The rudest people will talk on a cell phone while they are being waited on in a store,and the whole time the clerk is serving them they are gabbing.Etiquette, people!
they say that cell phones can cause an explosion from the radiowaves activity or something i seen it on mythbusters but they deemed it to not be true if i remember correctly,but if there is a sign posted people should obey it,keyword SHOULD!!
12:51 - REALLY? ... I MEAN REALLY.
Im not trying to become senseless murder # 8,903,476,895
11:56
Im right there with you with the people on the cell phones while in the store. It irks me when Im trying to get my shopping done and you have someone on the phone yapping away and poking down the isles. Most will even stop right in the middle so they can talk. In general people in store pay NO attention to their surroundings. These are the same people that drive cars. The same ones that pull out in front of you with the idea that you have brakes you will stop. grrrrrr now I dont want to go shopping lol
Mythbusters did "bust" that theory. They had a phone in an enclosed area with gas fumes, and NOTHING happened when called and answered. They actually had to create a spark in the enclosure to get the fumes to ignite.
What someone needs to do is:
1. follow the person
2. when they get out of the vehicle
make a citizens arrest.
3. If the police don't show up in 10 minutes , smack the $hit out of him or her.
LOL..if ANYONE would try to put their hands on me after I'm driving somewhere (regardless if I have done something wrong or not) They're getting the shit beat out of them so bad they won't even be able to drive again.
Blu - They can't read the sign because they are DISTRACTED by being on the phone!
What gets me even more than the calls on the phones are the ones texting while driving.
Just this morning, I met a young kid who crossed the center line towards me. There was plenty of room at that time, however, once he got close to me, he was looking down.
Now who in their right mind would look down AS they are meeting the other car?!
Phones have turned people into IDIOTS! I love to drive - or at least I used to - but anymore, it's nerve wrecking just watching out for all these idiots - and there are A LOT of them on the road!
Yes, I have a cell phone but only a few people even have my #. That's because I didn't want people calling me all day and night on my cell phone!
If you call and I don't answer, I'm either not near my phone or I am driving. I refuse to answer my phone while driving...always have!
The same idiots who shout into their phones when out in public, are the same ones who can't seem to live without their phone, period!
They're SO stupid, they don't realize the cell phone has a amplifier in it so you don't NEED to talk loud.
You can almost whisper and the person on the other end will be able to hear you!
I for one can't multi task while driving. If my phone rings I either pull over or call them later. If it is important the person will keep calling continuously,then I know I need to pull over. Some need to take Oprah's advice. Put the phone in the back of the car where if you need to answer it you have to actually get out of your car. Take the pledge people.I assure this I will go to jail if someone hits my kids while they are on the phone talking.
Frankly, around Salisbury, the biggest offenders are middle age women, driving a huge suv they can barely see over, talking on their phone.
I take pictures of people that are reading while driving. I make sure that the flash is on. Works better in the early morning dimness, they put the paper down then, LOL. On the subject of Bluetooth, I disagree that it is a distraction, other than putting the thing in your ear. It is no different than having a conversation with someone else in the car. As long as woman are driving, THERE ARE GOING TO BE CONVERSATIONS IN CARS. Back to talking and driving now, I love the idiots that are holdiong the phone in their right hands, but have it on their left ear, and are trying to look to the left to see if anyone is coming. Then they pull out in front of them anyway. Peace out.
"Pulse,
I would have to disagree with you on the bluetooth. It does not matter what kind of device you are using, The distraction is the actual conversation not so much the device used to hold the conversation. I have seen just as many meatheads with bluetooths talking and swerving everywhere as I have with hand held phones."
Really??? I mean, I just don't get it- I have had more intense conversations with people actually IN the car than on the cell phone. And a crying baby can be one of the most distracting things when you are trying to drive. Following your logic, we should totally outlaw talking while driving. And, next, we should outlaw eating while driving, and listening to the radio while driving, and eventually, thinking while driving. I have driven home some nights after work so focused on everything I still need to do, that I can't remember ANY of the drive home- that's pretty distracted, but you'd never know it to see me in my car.
And, should we put all of our law enforcement efforts into policing this kind of thing? Crime is already rampant in this area...
This isn't an issue that can be legislated away, in my opinion.
Oh- and I don't get bothered by people standing in line and talking. The cashier's job is to ring me up, not hold a conversation with me. I greet the cashier with a "Hi", and at the end, I say "Thank you" and "Bye".
What I find utterly rude is when people (strangers) try to engage my children in conversation or smiling games, or ask questions about them. It's none of your business how old my toddler is, how big/tall my toddler is, or how long (or if) I breastfed. But alas, that's a subject for another post.
If you keep a tally of the drivers you come in contact with who are on a cell phone, you'll see that's on most days, it is over 50%. I don't know enough people to be on the phone so much. Have you ever seen someone trying to park and talk at the same time--scary. When I leave work the majority of people immediately make a call before leaving the parking lot!!!!
2:55
hope you didnt mean JOHN LAW hehehehehe if so I would want to be around to see it
4:28 i'd hate to be married to you. BTW how long did you breastfeed?
there is nothing more addictive to a teenager NOTHING than a cell phone They can not have one without talking or texting 24/7 just put one in their hands and watch
No 428 what I am saying is that some people can multitask with anything and be able to handle it whether it is a hand held or a blue tooth. Some people cant drive period and still try to talk on the phone. It is not a cut and dry issue cause everyone does not handle it the same. I am not saying to outlaw anything other than maybe stupid drivers (LOL) You can pass laws till ur blue in the face but people will still do what they want. All these laws do is up the money coming in tho the state for fines, same as the seatbelt law. If it was truly imperative that I have a seatbelt on at all times then they need to outlaw motorcycles too Hahahaha Then I will be doing something else illegal.
12:15
Gee...brilliant and worthwhile comment.
ok... i'm not saying that bluetooth is the best solution either. but it is better than trying to drink a drink, look at the kids in the backseat, giving the guy who just passed you the finger, eating that donut, brushing your hair, putting on makeup, texting... i think you get the idea. All these things actually occur while people are driving... and other things that may be much worse... bottom line really is... people need to realize a car is a very deadly weapon. you need to pay more attention to what is at hand... when you are driving that should be your number one priority. How would anyone be able to live with themselves for doing any of the above mentioned things and running over a child, another car, or even an family pet... just b/c they were not being responsible.
People need to use common sense. 1) If you lose your train of thought in a conversation because you are paying attention to the road life goes on; if you lose your concentration on the road because you were preoccupied with your phone conversation life very well might not go on.
2) When you are in a public setting talking on your cell about the fungus growing on your thighs, are complaining about your children not obeying you, or the tramp at work flirting with the boss keep in mind most people (with a life) do not want to hear it! When you are in the check out line have enough respect to say hey I will call you right back.
3) When out to eat take your call outside or later because other patrons are not paying good money to sit and listen to you rant and/or rave.
4:28, smiling games?? Wow I feel for your sheltered child(ren)! I will smile and even play peek a boo with a child in the cart in front of me if the child is fixated on me. What the heck might as well make a child laugh or at least crack a smile while waiting. Good grief Charlie Brown, if I should happen to end up behind you and I make your kid laugh...sorry that I am more fun than you but I am sure it is hard to be a fun loving person with that stick wedged so tight between your cheeks!
Let's get back on track - the real issue is the teen ran someone off the road and did not stop. That is not acceptable. I hope the parents recognize their child by the light green taurus on Rockawalkin.
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BE A PRIMARY OFFENSE, but talking on the phone isn't any worse than smokers getting their cigarette lit or someone eating while driving. If you cause an accident while doing ANY of these things, you should be charged with INATTENTIVE DRIVING, which is exactly what you'd be doing.
12:51 PM
You better research what citizens arrest means and the proper ways you are allowed to do it, or you might be the one charged with a crime.
It's not as simple as many think. That's why it's hardly ever done.
The fact of the matter is simply not just teens and their phones, but the lagrer public as a whole. NOBODY should even be ona phone while driving - there is just no good reason for it and I speak from experience. About a year ago my oldest boy and I were T-boned crossing civic ave. Several people were around, including a middle aged woman who noted to me that she saw the man with a cell phone in his hand prior to the collision. However, when the trooper arrived to take statements, she would not speak up. This guy could have killed us, over what? I just hope that everyone can control themselves and save the chatting, no matter how important during a time they are not driving.
Post a Comment