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Old 12-16-2011, 01:03 PM
 
Location: Spring Hill Florida
12,135 posts, read 16,015,781 times
Reputation: 6085

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That is the problem, people have lost their common sense. If someone thinks texting and driving is safe they need to wake up. It's not safe. However, people do it every day. If a law banning texting is needed to keep the other citizens safe, then let it be so. Civil Liberties only go so far. reckless behavior is not a civil liberty.

The sensible law to enact is "a person shall not operate a moving motor vehicle while reading, manually writing or typing, or sending a message on an electronic wireless communications device."


What Latvala said is: "You know the NRA saying that if they want my gun they'll pry it from my cold dead hands? That's what I think about banning cellphones and driving,"

Banning cell phones and banning texting are not the same thing.




Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
Here it is:

"You know the NRA saying that if they want my gun they'll pry it from my cold dead hands? That's what I think about banning cellphones and driving," said Latvala, R-Clearwater, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. "Absolutely no chance."

He made the comments Wednesday while driving and talking on his cellphone."


My guess is that this guy had never had an accident in his family, cause if he did, he wouldn't be talking so lightly about this!

Sorry for the name calling, but I absolutely hate people who are allergic to common sense.
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Old 12-16-2011, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Clearwater, FL
108 posts, read 307,038 times
Reputation: 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
Please do pick up the Florida driving manual and show me where it teaches about texting and driving!? and what specifically it says to do! same goes for putting make up on etc. Do show me where in that manual does it say to do any of these "extra" activities. YOU need to learn that manual before buying a car and drive, and I don't remember when I took my driving test having questions about texting.
Right, there is nothing in the driving manual about cell phones. Or make-up for that matter. Therefore it is not illegal. Anything that is not expressly illegal is legal. At least that's how things work in America.

Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
In that case, then why do we wear seat belts? isn't that a civil liberty taken away too?
It is, absolutely. Some states (such as New Hampshire) don't require seatbelts and motorcycle helmets because the people there view these laws as too oppressive. Who exactly are you hurtning by not wearing a seatbelt? It isn't the duty of the government to protect you from yourself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
why do we stop at stop lights? why do we pay rent? I can go on and on. I think these politicians have mixed things to the point where people have forgotten about "common sense" all together. Should I even mention the sign that means "Yield"! half the people have no idea what it is for. Or turning signals on! do you think that too is a matter of "civil liberties"??? cause I think it is a matter of RESPECTING traffic laws, and tell people behind you what you're about to do!
Well, the difference is that if you ignore a red light or a stop sign you are putting other drivers at risk. That's why there are traffic rules. Same with drunk driving. Those things leave very little room for debate. If you go through a red light, you severely increase the chance of an accident, that's pretty much a given. On the other hand, talking on the phone is pretty arbitrary. Some people do it all the time and it does not distract them. Which is why it should be up to the driver. You know, part of being a responsible adult is making those kinds of decisions. I don't text and drive because I know that I can't do it safely. But I talk and drive all the time because it really doesn't distract me. It varies from one person to another and therefore shouldn't be something that government has to regulate.

Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
Do New Yorkers move to Florida because their "civil liberty" of talking on a cell phone while driving was revoked?? cause usually the reasons are taxes and the cold!

I don't understand why or how do traffic rules have anything to do with civil liberties!? Traffic kills people...this entitlement that is thrown at us under the "civil liberty" umbrella is not productive. It is stupid. I don't think about driving as a "civil liberty", I take it as a privilege, and follow the traffic laws I studied before I took the exam. I also don't use my car as a bathroom, or office, as I have both a bathroom and an office to make/take calls, check email etc etc etc. and with all that, I don't feel like my "civil liberties" have been infringed in ANY WAY!
I can't speak for New Yorkers but Florida laws are among the many reasons that I moved here from Pennsylvania. And once again, what you do inside your car is up to you, as long as you obey the traffic rules and are not intoxicated. Some people have the attention span of a small squirrel and cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Should government then make a law that you cannot chew gum while driving? What about having radios in cars? Surely loud music can be distracting to some drivers, right? So where do you draw the line?
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Old 12-16-2011, 01:05 PM
 
Location: Clearwater, FL
108 posts, read 307,038 times
Reputation: 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
When are they going to start banning the things that should be banned is the question!?


Thing is, that with so many law breakers in this Gov...of course they'll ban things for fun, and not for use to protect citizens.


Half the stuff in this list is useless, and it is only there so the masses think the law makers actually "work"!

I had to roll on the floor laughing at this one:

"Calling someone "honey" if you are not Southern or a waitress. Instant or feigned intimacy is too much for some people to bear, and may result in friction or even violence. The issuing of a DYHM (Don't you honey ME!) ticket might do much to cool the fires of sudden or false ardor. Repeat offenders would be sent to work at large, nameless corporations, or be required to move to Tupelo."

HONEY!? really??? OMG!
That article was meant to be sarcastic. That's kindof the whole point......
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Old 12-16-2011, 05:32 PM
 
5,453 posts, read 9,247,251 times
Reputation: 2141
Since it has caused, and it is still causing accidents and traffic jams, it should be deemed illegal. Take things by casualties, how many have died of chewing gum, versus texting then, if we are THAT D**B!

I highly doubt that because this is not in traffic manuals it is deemed "legal", that is a reckless assumption. I would think that whomever wrote those manuals all those years ago, never expected that people are actually going to use their cars as bathrooms and offices! That's why its not there, not because it was deemed: "safe"! and YES it IS because people are reckless than we need these laws, YOU for example do not have the "civil liberty" to kill me with you car because you were texting instead of PAYING ATTENTION to the traffic! You texting is not my problem, and you don't have the right to kill me! Simple as that. Traffic laws are for EVERYONE, not just a few. It's not optional.

Look, the point is that the Gov should step in since people seem to have lost any shred of common sense. Yeah, some idiot doesn't want to wear a helmet when driving a motorcycle? cool, when his brains are littering the highway who is coming to do the clean up? let's see...the firetrucks...Gov workers...hospitals...(are they all private? I don't remember right now)...POLICE...hmm Another Gov body... so the Gov has to do the clean up...after these ppl!? and waste money doing that, when they could MAKE money by fining these people who are not respecting/obeying traffic laws? why should them have to clean up? why isn't that guy's family coming with their own car to pick up his brains then it is their "civil liberty"!?

If we don't want seat belts, why are car manufactures still installing them? why are they still installing head lights and turning signals? since it is a "civil liberty" now to not use any of them anymore! (pouring rain, the guy's lights are off...why?)

In this case then I propose we no longer take an exam to be allowed to drive! how about that? would that work FOR preserving civil liberties? "I" believe that I am a fantastic driver, therefore I don't need an exam to tell me that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LoganFL View Post
Right, there is nothing in the driving manual about cell phones. Or make-up for that matter. Therefore it is not illegal. Anything that is not expressly illegal is legal. At least that's how things work in America.


It is, absolutely. Some states (such as New Hampshire) don't require seatbelts and motorcycle helmets because the people there view these laws as too oppressive. Who exactly are you hurtning by not wearing a seatbelt? It isn't the duty of the government to protect you from yourself.


Well, the difference is that if you ignore a red light or a stop sign you are putting other drivers at risk. That's why there are traffic rules. Same with drunk driving. Those things leave very little room for debate. If you go through a red light, you severely increase the chance of an accident, that's pretty much a given. On the other hand, talking on the phone is pretty arbitrary. Some people do it all the time and it does not distract them. Which is why it should be up to the driver. You know, part of being a responsible adult is making those kinds of decisions. I don't text and drive because I know that I can't do it safely. But I talk and drive all the time because it really doesn't distract me. It varies from one person to another and therefore shouldn't be something that government has to regulate.


I can't speak for New Yorkers but Florida laws are among the many reasons that I moved here from Pennsylvania. And once again, what you do inside your car is up to you, as long as you obey the traffic rules and are not intoxicated. Some people have the attention span of a small squirrel and cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Should government then make a law that you cannot chew gum while driving? What about having radios in cars? Surely loud music can be distracting to some drivers, right? So where do you draw the line?
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Old 12-16-2011, 10:24 PM
 
Location: The woods of Central Florida
324 posts, read 437,008 times
Reputation: 846
Just like they test to see if you are drunk, they should test to see if you were on the Phone when the Accident occurred. If you were.....your fault! Even if the guy behind you hit you, you should bear SOME responsibility because if you were Using the Device, you were NOT paying Full Attention to Driving.
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Old 12-19-2011, 11:24 PM
 
Location: Imaginary Figment
11,449 posts, read 14,415,617 times
Reputation: 4777
Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
Florida texting and driving ban one year away, lawmaker says | 10connects.com | Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater (http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=114467&provider=rss - broken link)
Sounds good to me. I ran off into a ditch about a month ago as the moron who was texting came right over the lane towards me. If I had not gone off the road he would have hit me head on.
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Old 12-20-2011, 05:41 AM
 
Location: Sunny Florida
7,136 posts, read 12,626,332 times
Reputation: 9547
Traffic was backing up on the Howard Frankland Bridge Friday, due to one car in the center lane driving too slowly. People were passing this car on both sides to get around, me included. When I looked over to see who the idiot was that was causing this mess I see a woman texting and completely oblivious to the traffic around her. WTH? Texting and driving is not safe and I see people doing it all the time. It scares me because of the inattention to the road and catastrophic possibilities.
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Old 12-20-2011, 05:57 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
27,798 posts, read 32,221,189 times
Reputation: 14611
I can see enforcement problems. It's seems hard enough for police to get DUI convictions - how can they show in court that someone was texting? Is it financially feasible to go for phone records to prove the case?
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Old 12-21-2011, 06:05 AM
 
5,453 posts, read 9,247,251 times
Reputation: 2141
They have laser gadgets at Home Depot that tell you where the studs are in walls, they have speed guns, have you never saw a cop on the median pointing something at traffic?

I hardly believe "technology" will not help figure out who's texting and who's not.


They also have gadgets that see through walls.........
MIT Tech Helps U.S. Soldiers See Through Concrete Walls | Fox News

It should be called the "Text Traps"!


Nah, going through call records would be a waste of time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BucFan View Post
I can see enforcement problems. It's seems hard enough for police to get DUI convictions - how can they show in court that someone was texting? Is it financially feasible to go for phone records to prove the case?
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Old 12-21-2011, 06:10 AM
 
5,453 posts, read 9,247,251 times
Reputation: 2141
"I" absolutely LOVE to horn at these morons! LOVE IT! You should see them all startled! it is PRICELESS!

Just yesterday some idiot started sliding in my lane, and I hit my horn and all of the sudden he realized he was still driving and started moving back in his lane!

IF you're handy with a camera, you can take photos of them too! But I still prefer to horn.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunnydee View Post
Traffic was backing up on the Howard Frankland Bridge Friday, due to one car in the center lane driving too slowly. People were passing this car on both sides to get around, me included. When I looked over to see who the idiot was that was causing this mess I see a woman texting and completely oblivious to the traffic around her. WTH? Texting and driving is not safe and I see people doing it all the time. It scares me because of the inattention to the road and catastrophic possibilities.
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