General Discussion

Stuckinthebush

(11,203 posts)

57. I contend that any distraction is a distraction

Wed Sep 19, 2012, 12:36 PM

Sep 2012

Some people are foolish enough to look down and text for many seconds at a time only to glance now and then at the road. I equate these with the people who look down for many seconds at a time to change their radio or MP3 tunes.

Sure it is dumb. But I'm saying that we are all dumb on any number of driving issues. Texting being one.

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How dumb do you have to be to text while driving? [View all] Philosoraptor Sep 2012 OP

Or smoke a cig, or put on makeup, etc. Logical Sep 2012 #1

Want to explain the smoking one to me? harmonicon Sep 2012 #39

I have seen people nearly oldbanjo Sep 2012 #43

I haven't. harmonicon Sep 2012 #114

If you have to fumble around to get a cig out of a pack, then somehow light it while driving, Arugula Latte Sep 2012 #70

Yup. I've been in the car when the entire cigarette fell and caused absolute chaos... Drunken Irishman Sep 2012 #103

I've never found it to be a distraction. harmonicon Sep 2012 #115

Texting on a motorcycle in traffic - Look ma, no hands Submariner Sep 2012 #41

That's not a motorcycle, that's a donorcycle. progressoid Sep 2012 #110

And yet we see it all the time. Here's what could happen (hopefully not) CurtEastPoint Sep 2012 #2

My adult daughter does occasionally left is right Sep 2012 #23

Yo, that is wicked awesome! WinkyDink Sep 2012 #99

About one in three American teenagers dumb. n/t porphyrian Sep 2012 #3

How dumb do you have to be to drink while driving? Blue_Tires Sep 2012 #4

Alcoholism is a serious addiction. Texting is not. Major Nikon Sep 2012 #30

Alcoholics aren't the only ones who drink and drive. lapislzi Sep 2012 #81

Dumb, but at least they are looking at the road we can do it Sep 2012 #95

Except texting must perforce remove hands from wheel and eyes from road. WinkyDink Sep 2012 #101

When I first heard this being discussed as a problem I was floored. drm604 Sep 2012 #5

Hundreds of people are killed each year due to drunk driving. Selatius Sep 2012 #11

Yes, but drinking impairs your reasoning so that you don't realize that you shouldn't be driving. drm604 Sep 2012 #73

Yep. They "misjudge" ... 99Forever Sep 2012 #91

Yep. drm604 Sep 2012 #96

Absolutely agree. n/t susanna Sep 2012 #118

I saw a man driving to work with a newspaper laying across oldbanjo Sep 2012 #46

I was going to say the same thing deutsey Sep 2012 #65

Sure, but it's not a common thing, is it? Only a small number of fools do such a thing. drm604 Sep 2012 #74

I'm posting on DU while driv.....aaaarggghh! (crash) scheming daemons Sep 2012 #6

ROTFLMAO.........aaaAAARRRGGGHHH! Philosoraptor Sep 2012 #7

No kidding jsr Sep 2012 #8

There's a roadside memorial cross near me. trof Sep 2012 #9

I see it all the time, some fool looking down at his/her lap joeybee12 Sep 2012 #10

It's hard. You have to be pretty smart. n/t cherokeeprogressive Sep 2012 #12

No, you have to be pretty stupid. drm604 Sep 2012 #77

Gee, did I forget the sarcasm thingy again? cherokeeprogressive Sep 2012 #88

... petronius Sep 2012 #116

About a month ago, me and a friend were driving our children to the zoo. Butterbean Sep 2012 #13

I have done it, sorta unc70 Sep 2012 #14

I don't have Siri, maybe that could be the solution? treestar Sep 2012 #21

Siri only partial solution unc70 Sep 2012 #72

The solution is not trying to use a phone when you're driving. drm604 Sep 2012 #78

The Bluetooth seems to work all right treestar Sep 2012 #98

Studies have shown that even handsfree is too distracting and interferes with your ability to drive. drm604 Sep 2012 #100

Texting while driving is twice as dangerous as driving drunk KurtNYC Sep 2012 #15

Texting while "drunk af" and driving at 120 mph is ??? as dangerous: Five dead in one crash: Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2012 #27

Large amounts. Iggo Sep 2012 #16

Add those crossing pedestrian crossing and texting at the same time malaise Sep 2012 #17

In the past year or so, 3 ppl have stepped out in front of me kenny blankenship Sep 2012 #61

What troubles me is that one of them will hit my car malaise Sep 2012 #111

The other day I saw this girl walking in the Walmart parking lot, texting laundry_queen Sep 2012 #93

It's freaking crazy malaise Sep 2012 #112

I see it all the time on the way home from work. Javaman Sep 2012 #18

Teens for some reason believe in texting rather than using the phone treestar Sep 2012 #19

The inability to ignore a phone message is not cultural conditioning. enlightenment Sep 2012 #56

Maybe I am old-fashioned, I have always been a slow adopter and I'm not even that old. smirkymonkey Sep 2012 #113

The really sad thing is that... Whiskeytide Sep 2012 #20

It's not hard to tell though. laundry_queen Sep 2012 #94

If innocents didn't die, I'd think of it as evolution in action. n/t GoneOffShore Sep 2012 #22

That's why those who want to text while driving should be limited to bikes and mopeds Major Nikon Sep 2012 #35

About as dumb as you have to be to vote Republican. Nt nichomachus Sep 2012 #24

I bet that most people have done that Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #25

I agree with that! randome Sep 2012 #31

Distractions are not all equal Silent3 Sep 2012 #34

I contend that any distraction is a distraction Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #57

I contend that any fine is a fine... Silent3 Sep 2012 #80

They. Are. Dumb. For. Doing. It. Iggo Sep 2012 #36

Cute Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #58

Texting while driving is dumb to do, yes. Iggo Sep 2012 #64

I pull off the road to dial a number oldbanjo Sep 2012 #50

Indeed Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #59

0 tolerance for people doing something that stupid while I'm riding. EnviroBat Sep 2012 #26

When I was younger, I'd ride my bicycle straight into a car that cut me off and stopped. Iggo Sep 2012 #37

I saw a guy in a BMW texting while doing 85 on the NJ Turnpike Patiod Sep 2012 #28

I think soon there will a nationwide campaign to encourage drivers to call 911 KurtNYC Sep 2012 #33

Texting while driving while smoking a cigarette liberal N proud Sep 2012 #29

I've been driving for 3 decades LittleGirl Sep 2012 #32

That's why some of the newer smart phones let glowing Sep 2012 #38

It's possible to not respond marions ghost Sep 2012 #44

+1. People know I won't pick up while I'm driving, and adjust their expectations accordingly. n/t gkhouston Sep 2012 #62

Sure and they can always leave a message so you can marions ghost Sep 2012 #119

I think of it about like listening to music and singing along to it. glowing Sep 2012 #108

I think it's a big mistake to cater to expectations of IMMEDIATE responses... Silent3 Sep 2012 #109

Dumb is not the word, it's more like stupidity. demosincebirth Sep 2012 #40

Dumb enough to think you're indestructible. Tierra_y_Libertad Sep 2012 #42

Now when I see slowing or slight swerving I stay back or get away flamingdem Sep 2012 #45

I am so old fashioned Smilo Sep 2012 #47

Somewhere between Sack of Hammers dumb and Box of Rocks dumb slackmaster Sep 2012 #48

We ain't seen nothing yet Hutzpa Sep 2012 #49

Palin stupid. hifiguy Sep 2012 #51

IMHO it's not about being "dumb". It's about not giving a damn about anyone but yourself. These kestrel91316 Sep 2012 #52

+1,000,000^^^^^ catchnrelease Sep 2012 #117

It's not just texting. bigwillq Sep 2012 #53

Somebody told me once, "Everybody thinks they're the exception." And raccoon Sep 2012 #54

I see people doing it CONSTANTLY.... mike_c Sep 2012 #55

Watched a truck/horse trailer constantly veering off the left side of the road on the highway TwilightGardener Sep 2012 #60

I see people doing it all the time guardian Sep 2012 #63

I see people texting, reading while driving Liberal_in_LA Sep 2012 #66

A long time ago, in a different life... randome Sep 2012 #79

I see shaving sometimes, guys running electrical shavers over their faces Liberal_in_LA Sep 2012 #86

to be fair, is it really that much different than garybeck Sep 2012 #67

Or thinking very deeply about something. randome Sep 2012 #68

Then heaven forfend we try to prevent ANY accidents. WinkyDink Sep 2012 #105

Not my point at all. I just don't think calling people 'dumb' is productive. randome Sep 2012 #106

I think it's a whole lot different. Robb Sep 2012 #71

That first time could have been the last time. randome Sep 2012 #75

I'm willing to compromise and call it a dumb mistake. Robb Sep 2012 #90

GPS/stereo are placed to enable the viewing of the road. The last is plain WinkyDink Sep 2012 #104

Dumb enough to have a fair percentage of qualifying for a Darwin. hobbit709 Sep 2012 #69

Bumper Sticker I've seen... maveric56 Sep 2012 #76

What the hell is it with constant texting anyway? drm604 Sep 2012 #82

I think texting is worse than other distractions people have mentioned gollygee Sep 2012 #83

+100 librechik Sep 2012 #85

As a parent of 3 teens Sheepshank Sep 2012 #84

Driving my 18 wheeler I've seen it all! Hell I B Calm Sep 2012 #87

Who u calin dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm;okg;fgkfge'rgl'g benld74 Sep 2012 #89

About as dumb enough to vote for Mitt Romney LynneSin Sep 2012 #92

True drm604 Sep 2012 #97

As a Boston commuter... Rider3 Sep 2012 #102

My uncle used to haul petroleum out of White Fuel in Revere Mopar151 Sep 2012 #121

I'm tired of this hysteria over texting. Daemonaquila Sep 2012 #107

What age group do you think dies the most while texting? WinkyDink Sep 2012 #120

Dumb enough to think you can handle it, no problem. n./t Mopar151 Sep 2012 #122