General Discussion

customerserviceguy

(25,406 posts)

87. I wouldn't know

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 07:18 AM

Apr 2014

I have two smartphones, and I never text. In fact, I've disabled texting on one of the phones, I just haven't figured out how to do it on the other one (a Windows phone that I'm about ready to get rid of). It might come in handy someday to prove that I wasn't texting if I have an accident.

Ok, then maybe the telecom industry can pay victims of text-and-driving incidents. But it's never going to bring people back to life.

What are your suggestions for dealing with the fact that this addictive behavior is causing so much death and mayhem? Or, do we just accept it as collateral damage, as we're in effect doing right now?

Maybe the auto insurance industry can fight this. Provide proof that you don't text on your phone plan, and get a huge discount, refuse to provide it, and get a massive surcharge. They already have devices that you can hook into your car to prove that you don't drive like a jackass.

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130 replies

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Highlight:

U.S.'s Amazing New 'Don't Text and Drive' Ad Will Leave You Shaking [View all] Unknown Beatle Apr 2014 OP

We need more ads like that. NutmegYankee Apr 2014 #1

Every day when I drive to work, I see at least one person texting and driving, bulloney Apr 2014 #2

I barely made it through an intersection yesterday- callous taoboy Apr 2014 #3

Several months ago I was rear ended by a girl texting while driving. argyl Apr 2014 #4

I drove 18 wheelers all my life. Looking down I've seen it all, B Calm Apr 2014 #5

I saw an idiot riding his bicycle and texting once. hobbit709 Apr 2014 #6

They do that all the time here in Japan Art_from_Ark Apr 2014 #127

We need to ban texting, period customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #7

Good luck with that. Why not just ban cellphones altogether while you're at it? morningfog Apr 2014 #10

Actually there is a way to do it nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #47

My GPS is through my phone and I hear it through my Bluetooth headset. WillowTree Apr 2014 #93

The phone can have SMS disabled and phone disabled nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #95

I just love it when people respond to my posts....... WillowTree Apr 2014 #99

Funny, I read your post and I responded to your post, nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #100

You can actually talk on a cellphone customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #58

Yes, we should base all our laws on the one percent that are idiots. CBGLuthier Apr 2014 #13

"at least one percent of those operating cars are incompetent"? I'd say more like at least 25%. Gidney N Cloyd Apr 2014 #42

You make a good point customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #59

TOO MUCH MONEY to be made...TRUST ME. HUbby works for the BIGGEST Ecumenist Apr 2014 #76

And they don't make scads of money customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #79

Customer. you know that you charged MUCH MORE for DATA than talk Ecumenist Apr 2014 #85

I wouldn't know customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #87

Customer, we get a concession and we pretty much have free service BUT guess what.. Ecumenist Apr 2014 #89

Thank you customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #108

SMS is old school, we are moving forward with IM&P on a new product snooper2 Apr 2014 #91

Sounds invasive customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #109

What the hell you talking about, I'm GenX baby! snooper2 Apr 2014 #116

Well, then you should know customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #119

It depends on the plan malokvale77 Apr 2014 #126

THEN, MALOKVALE, if you only have 200MB DATA.... Ecumenist Apr 2014 #128

I genuinely can't tell if you're joking, or just insane. Donald Ian Rankin Apr 2014 #96

Why do you think I'm joking? customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #106

Because it's such an absurd (and illiberal) suggestion. Donald Ian Rankin Apr 2014 #111

The video in the OP customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #114

It's not one percent Warpy Apr 2014 #101

Lol, and take those darn new fangled radios out of cars too they distract people!!! Nt Logical Apr 2014 #20

Why do you think customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #60

The obliviots are the ones who use a post-hoc-ergo-prompter-hoc fallacy to validate their low-grade LanternWaste Apr 2014 #29

And the pretentious customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #61

Here is where SMS will be invaluable nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #97

True customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #105

I frankly don't think it is that addictive nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #110

We should ban people too! IronLionZion Apr 2014 #31

How about if we just pipi_k Apr 2014 #32

You'll pry my thumbs from my cold, dead hands kcr Apr 2014 #37

Or just require that the smartphone disable all ..... oldhippie Apr 2014 #33

There could be a manual override with a password. Kablooie Apr 2014 #39

You don't know many teenagers/twenty-somethings, do you? WillowTree Apr 2014 #94

I sure do. Kablooie Apr 2014 #104

Remove the vanity mirrors now! L0oniX Apr 2014 #35

Having them on the driver's side customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #62

With gps phones could sense when they are moving. Kablooie Apr 2014 #38

The technology to do this nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #48

The ultimate would be for the phone to sense ... Kablooie Apr 2014 #52

Very true, but what do you do with british cars? nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #65

My phone already knows when I am driving Egnever Apr 2014 #129

What about the passengers Boom Sound 416 Apr 2014 #40

see my reply to Nadin above. Kablooie Apr 2014 #53

The driver sensor? Boom Sound 416 Apr 2014 #57

Let's ban radios and mirrors too. Vashta Nerada Apr 2014 #41

See my reply above customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #63

no frylock Apr 2014 #44

It's just a matter of time customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #64

79 people die every day as a result of prescription drug overdose.. frylock Apr 2014 #70

False comparison customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #71

i don't text and drive.. frylock Apr 2014 #75

And one other thing customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #78

you seem to presume a lot.. frylock Apr 2014 #81

Well, we'll communicate again customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #83

A better option obxhead Apr 2014 #112

That would take a long time to fully implement customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #115

I'm sure some people said the very same thing when the phone was invented. obxhead Apr 2014 #117

I find that a poor comparison customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #118

If we take away everything people misuse that cause injury or death obxhead Apr 2014 #120

It's a balance between risk and reward customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #121

people also crash while sending emails and driving. obxhead Apr 2014 #122

Very true customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #123

Well that's exactly in line with what I original ally proposed. obxhead Apr 2014 #124

it goes beyond texting - putting on make-up/shaving, eating, reading, pets in the driver's lap DrDan Apr 2014 #8

Smoking! nt Logical Apr 2014 #18

Actually you CAN smoke and drive... Whiskeytide Apr 2014 #30

Long long ago... pipi_k Apr 2014 #34

! dionysus Apr 2014 #45

Anything like The Dude smoking weed and drink beer in the car while driving neverforget Apr 2014 #80

Big danger... Eleanors38 Apr 2014 #113

practice the trumpet with the notes on one's knees ... MisterP Apr 2014 #43

While all of that is true customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #66

How to fix it! Uben Apr 2014 #9

Is that even possible? I would also worry about the inability to make emergency calls. morningfog Apr 2014 #12

Ever heard of passengers? CBGLuthier Apr 2014 #14

If a passenger customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #67

better solution: if you don't like to text then don't text frylock Apr 2014 #72

I don't text customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #77

apparently you don't read either.. frylock Apr 2014 #82

I did not see that post customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #84

Pulling over and parking in the emergency lane is a terrible suggestion. If B Calm Apr 2014 #16

Terrible idea. Nt Logical Apr 2014 #17

problem; it's legal to talk on the phone whiledriving if you use a headset or bluetooth. dionysus Apr 2014 #46

Yeah, what about passengers Politicalboi Apr 2014 #54

Warning: SevenSixtyTwo Apr 2014 #11

that is a powerful ad .. this is one that really got to me. littlewolf Apr 2014 #15

Interesting VWolf Apr 2014 #21

That is a british add nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #49

I don't think it's a stereotype. Glassunion Apr 2014 #55

Thanks n/t VWolf Apr 2014 #90

THAT one is devastating. Holy crap. FailureToCommunicate Apr 2014 #26

One of the best PSAs on the subject ever made nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #50

I was waiting for her to Politicalboi Apr 2014 #56

This does no good... RoccoR5955 Apr 2014 #19

Oh I disagree .. the police will enforce the law if for no other reason littlewolf Apr 2014 #22

But the police are highly trained driving experts. They can handle distractions... Glassunion Apr 2014 #36

It is against poiicy for local officers to drive and text nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #51

From what I've observed customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #68

K&R n/t Feral Child Apr 2014 #23

I drive my daughter to school and often drive to work on surface streets in Chicago alcibiades_mystery Apr 2014 #24

Here in MA law say no texting while engine in gear...so that applies to stopped at a red FailureToCommunicate Apr 2014 #27

That's the law here, too alcibiades_mystery Apr 2014 #28

That's nice customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #69

Good idea. Under 18 does lose their licence in MA, and have to complete a course on consequences FailureToCommunicate Apr 2014 #73

Good for you customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #74

Powerful ad all right. But the policeman should have said "It just might have saved FailureToCommunicate Apr 2014 #25

This is as much an ad for police pulling over people they think might have been texting as it is Taitertots Apr 2014 #86

And why would a cop suspect that? customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #88

I see where you are coming from, however that would lead to Glassunion Apr 2014 #92

This is distracted driving month nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #98

I was run off the freeway by a guy talking on his cellphone. lob1 Apr 2014 #102

The app rwork Apr 2014 #103

OK, so you think texting customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #107

I have enough trouble texting when I'm just sitting at home Rhiannon12866 Apr 2014 #125

I see people driving on the intertate highways glancing from road to phone and back. Skip Intro Apr 2014 #130