M1 Minibus "Accident"

[ancient]

Insanity, how would you feel if you threw that phone down and started forward (all clear ahead through the windscreen) and then heard the screams from the mother who's child had taken three steps from her and under your bonnet?.

I'd think the mother had learned an important lesson about, well, actually looking after their bloody offspring. The roads are not a playground.

Ahh yes, offspring should be attached on reins, so that car drivers can be inattentive. If you ran over a child, would that really be your reaction?

That’s not what he said at all, as well you know. What is it with the abdication of responsibility apologetics round here?

It looks to me like exactly what he said. Abdication of his responsibility and blaming the victim, because the child is expected by any decent society to have less responsibility than an adult. In any other situation the responsibility is primarily with the operator of heavy machinery (particularly around potentially untrained public) to operate safely. Somehow with car drivers, it's the untrained public's responsibility?

[TheInsanity1234]

Also, why is it every time I admit to having bad habits people have a go at me for doing it, when frankly I'm willing to bet you all have bad habits and you all have done offensively stupid shit in your driving careers. You should be pleased that I'm AWARE these are bad habits and that I'm DOING SOMETHING about them.

Will you forgive the ageist generalisation if I say that you are very unusual amongst your generation in the care and responsibility you take towards driving?

And I can tell you that many over 50's share an addiction to phones.

I will quite happily forgive the ageist generalisation if you agree that it's not "my generation" that's the problem. Mobile phone use while driving is at an all time high. When I'm sat in queues, there's always at least 3 or 4 cars I can see around me with the driver texting away or internetting away, and there doesn't appear to be a fixed demographic that's the worst. I see people of all ages etc using phones.
I agree it's a terrible habit to have, and I am actively takig steps to reduce the opportunities for me to pick up my phone, such as switching on do not disturb, hiding the phone somewhere inaccessible etc, but there are still occasions when I slip up and I hear the buzz buzz of a text, and I subconsciously reach for the phone when I next am stationary.

I fully understand people's anger towards facetwattube obsessed people, and I despise people who use phones while they drive, despite being an enormous hypocrite as I do it too. But I would say I'm unusual in the sense that I KNOW it's a bad habit and I try to do what i can to prevent myself from doing it.

I got upset, because it just felt like I was being totally disrespected, and that nobody was appreciating the fact I am aware of the stupidity of said habit etc. Plus, sorry, but I may be a stupid 20 year old but i'd appreciate some damn respect thank you.

[Strangely Brown]

Plus, sorry, but I may be a stupid 20 year old but i'd appreciate some damn respect thank you.

Why do you presume that you are entitled to respect when you admit openly that you are a hypocrite who texts and drives? Respect is earned, not given.

Here's a great big juicy tip for you. It's free, gratis and for nothing and I guarantee absolutely that it will stop you feeling that tell-tale bzz,bzz,bzz that tempts you to reach into your pocket to check the phone.

TURN THE BLOODY THING OFF!!!

Is that really so difficult? If you are incapable of controlling the urge then remove the temptation. Easy.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Edit: That split infinitive was really bugging me. ]

[akirk]

I may be a stupid 20 year old

that you are not - well you might be 20 but you know what I mean
however, as above - respect is heard-earned - and esp. in the AD community - I think there has been a lot of respect on here over the years for your attitude and approach, but can understand why there would be a frustration for others with this - it isn't difficult - my phone lives on silent anyway (I prefer to be in control of when I use it, not having it control me...) so in the car, it is placed down in a convenient space - face down, I then pick it up again at the end of the journey - easy, and no temptation...

so, I hear what you are saying about trying to do something about it - but it is a choice - part of your routine for getting in a car can simply be to turn it off / put it on silent and then out of reach - temptation gone...

Alasdair

[Gareth]

As to the "your generation" comment, I think it's rather rude of you to generalise like that.

He extrapolated from the idea that the actions you admitted are typical of your age range. I'm not sure why you should be upset for being taken to task for behaviour that you admitted, and I'm not sure why you should be especially upset at the slur on others of approximately the same age that they behave as you.

[Triquet]

Peace be with you my brethren, and congratulations on one of the most spectacular bits of thread drift we've had in a long time.

One of the interesting by-products of the current edict regarding mobile phone use is that people now feel entitled to slam on the anchors, turn on the hazards, and pull in to answer the wretched thing anywhere. Over the last few weeks I've seen splendid examples of this including stopping half way down a slip road and stopping on a roundabout. Talk about unintended consequences ...

[TheInsanity1234]

Plus, sorry, but I may be a stupid 20 year old but i'd appreciate some damn respect thank you.

Why do you presume that you are entitled to respect when you admit openly that you are a hypocrite who texts and drives? Respect is earned, not given.

Here's a great big juicy tip for you. It's free, gratis and for nothing and I guarantee absolutely that it will stop you feeling that tell-tale bzz,bzz,bzz that tempts you to reach into your pocket to check the phone.

TURN THE BLOODY THING OFF!!!

Is that really so difficult? If you are incapable of controlling the urge then remove the temptation. Easy.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Edit: That split infinitive was really bugging me. ]

(Insert eye roll) - Please read my posts, sir. I already said I put the phone on do not disturb almost as a part of my routine, it's just on the occasions I forget to do it.

Also, the irony here is if I told you to fuck off, you'd moan about how us youngsters don't respect you older people. If you're not going to give me some kind of minimum level of respect, I'm most certainly not going to give any back.

I may be a stupid 20 year old

that you are not - well you might be 20 but you know what I mean
however, as above - respect is heard-earned - and esp. in the AD community - I think there has been a lot of respect on here over the years for your attitude and approach, but can understand why there would be a frustration for others with this - it isn't difficult - my phone lives on silent anyway (I prefer to be in control of when I use it, not having it control me...) so in the car, it is placed down in a convenient space - face down, I then pick it up again at the end of the journey - easy, and no temptation...

so, I hear what you are saying about trying to do something about it - but it is a choice - part of your routine for getting in a car can simply be to turn it off / put it on silent and then out of reach - temptation gone...

Alasdair

Is nobody reading what I say? I try to integrate it into my routine, but occasionally slip up and it doesn't happen.

As to the "your generation" comment, I think it's rather rude of you to generalise like that.

He extrapolated from the idea that the actions you admitted are typical of your age range. I'm not sure why you should be upset for being taken to task for behaviour that you admitted, and I'm not sure why you should be especially upset at the slur on others of approximately the same age that they behave as you.

I'm not particularly upset at being taken to task, but I am upset at how older people seem to constantly blame younger people for all that is wrong with the world, when the older generations aren't perfect themselves.

ANYWAY, to shut you all the fuck up, I will continue with trying to make it a habit to always put my phone on Do Not Disturb and pop it in the glovebox, and never ever admit to being anything less than a perfect driving god, to avoid you all putting me through the wringer for being capable of putting my hands up and saying "I am not perfect, because I do things like this, but I am trying to improve myself"



(I do respect the amount of experience behind these opinions on this forum, and debates like these where you all pick on me always do provide me with amusement after the case, I just get hot headed in the midst of it all )

[Strangely Brown]

Please read my posts, sir. I already said I put the phone on do not disturb almost as a part of my routine, it's just on the occasions I forget to do it.

OK, let's read your posts. And you'll have to excuse me if I say "bollocks" to your suggestion that you are making the effort.

- If I see something that's actually important and requires a very quick response, I will then look for the next safe place to pull over to respond, unless it's something like typing a 3 word text. [my bold - SB]

So you're quite happy to send short text replies without pulling over. What could possibly go wrong with that, after all its only three words. It's very quick. So that makes it OK. Oh, and what about the next one that's only three words, or the next one...

Why don't you stop trying to defend your behaviour and just turn the bloody phone OFF when you get in the car, or maybe leave it in your bag and put the bag in the boot. There are any number of ways that you could avoid the problem but you have to *want* to do it, and I don't think that you do.

Also, the irony here is if I told you to fuck off, you'd moan about how us youngsters don't respect you older people. If you're not going to give me some kind of minimum level of respect, I'm most certainly not going to give any back.

If you told me to fuck off I'd simply think that you lacked the vocabulary and articulation to come up with anything better. I expect no respect or deference purely because I happen to be considerably older than you. If the arguments presented and their validity are not sufficient for you then you have a much bigger problem than I thought. That you may or may not respect me personally? If it were possible to care less, I would.

[TheInsanity1234]

You're giving me a headache.

I won't turn my phone off, it takes 40 years to turn back on.

But beginning from now, I will ensure my phone is always hidden away so I can't get to it.

Happy?

[Strangely Brown]

You're giving me a headache.

I won't turn my phone off, it takes 40 years to turn back on.

But beginning from now, I will ensure my phone is always hidden away so I can't get to it.

Happy?

I don't know. Words are cheap so it depends what "hidden away" actually means in practice. It sounds to me like you need to make sure that you place it somewhere that is inaccessible from the driver's seat. e.g. the boot. How well you succeed in breaking your "habit" depends entirely on how much you *want* to succeed. If you don't make it, then you didn't really want to do it in the first place. Like I said, words are cheap.

FTAOD, I genuinely hope that you do make it. If not, then I hope you get caught before you do any serious damage. Ultimately, it's down to you.