Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers • Hacker News Board

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#291

Post by arprocter » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:36 PM UTC

checkyoursudo wrote: post #275

arprocter wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>undertaking. I know it's not illegal here I believe it varies state to state. Agree that the US test is laughably easy to pass compared to the UK, though. It wouldn't be possible to undertake if folks had proper lane discipline in the first place, although the UK also has it's fair share of Middle Lane Morons I've heard speak of 'the orbit game' - legally pass the MLM on the left, then pull across into the right lan…

I was in a car where the driver was stopped for prolonged driving in the passing lane in a US midwestern or plains state. This was maybe 25 years ago, but this has been a violation in at least one state at some point.

Same thing happened to my SO in MA a few months ago - I told her she deserved it

No ticket though. They probably use it as an excuse to pull people over to try and ding them for other stuff

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#292

Post by milkytron » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 10:25 PM UTC

colejohnson66 wrote: post #218

e40 wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is proving it. What a DUI perp says: I'm not drunk! Cops check blood alcohol level. What a phone user says: I wasn't on my phone! Cops can't/won't check anything, and even if they could, how could the accident time be exactly (for proof) correlated? My wife was rear ended by an SUV and has health effects to this day (it was over 10 years ago). There was no way to prove, or not, the other drive was on the…

If they’re texting, you can ask the phone company if their phone sent a text

True, but that requires more effort on the officer's behalf, and isn't an on the spot check like blood alcohol level is.

Maybe if phone companies allowed officers to see timestamps of texts for a number this would work.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#293

Post by coleifer » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 11:24 PM UTC

wcarron wrote: post #280

coleifer wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Motorcyclist as well, and yes, I watch for the characteristic head-bob and try to take extra care around people on their phone. I've once or twice made a "hang-up" gesture but who am I kidding, it doesn't make a difference. Now, the worst part: about a month ago I got pulled over for texting and driving. I wasn't even thinking about it. The cop said, "were you texting?" And I said, "I don't think so, let me check"...…

Good on you for admitting your mistakes and making a change to avoid making the same one again. Sometimes I'll get so fed up with people that, at a stoplight, I'll actually get off my bike and knock on their windows and tell them to put the phone down. All black visor and gear makes one intimidating enough for them to stop for a few hundred yards. Better than nothing, I suppose.

You do what you want, but I don't think that's a helpful way to act. It might give you a rush, a little feeling of control, but if you come at someone aggressively like that and they think theyre just minding their own business, now you've just riled them up for no reason. Just adding more anger into the world.