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I cannot believe the lack of pragmatism in this text. Voice to text technology is far from perfect, and much more awkward to use.
As far as your sanctimonious and smug comment about leaving early, there are many times in my area where a 10 minute trip turns into a one hour drive. Is everyone supposed to build in a one-hour cushion for a 10 minute drive to guard against a situation (happened this past Monday) where a truck slammed into the Mamaroneck Road bridge of the Hutchinson River Parkway, turning a fouir mile stretch of 55 mph highway into a parking lot.
I cannot believe the selfishness of endangering the lives of other people because you are late. Happened to me this morning. A bad wreck on I-24 essentially shut down all commuters coming from the east side of town (including me). It happened early enough in rush hour that the two main secondary routes were fully jammed by all the people diverting. I had to detour all the way down into another state, and my commute went from 25 minutes to about an hour.
But in both my situation and the situation you mentioned I have the perfect response:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
If you can't use voice-to-text and don't want to call, then pull over to the shoulder. You're already late, what's another 60 seconds?
No reason whatsoever to text and drive. No reason whatsoever to speed and weave.
This reads just like another thread here complaining about how all DUI laws are nothing but money-grabs. Seriously... more people die in auto accidents than in all violent crimes combined. Cars ARE NOT toys. They can kill. Pay attention when you are behind the wheel.
Incidentally, I'm talking about texting while moving. I personally believe that checking your phone while stopped at a light or stop sign endangers exactly zero people. You many inconvenience a few if you don't start immediately on green, but no one is in danger. The law, however, says otherwise... as long as the vehicle is in "D", you are driving whether you are moving or not.
Last edited by An Einnseanair; 07-21-2016 at 12:17 PM..
I cannot believe the selfishness of endangering the lives of other people because you are late. Happened to me this morning. A bad wreck on I-24 essentially shut down all commuters coming from the east side of town (including me). It happened early enough in rush hour that the two main secondary routes were fully jammed by all the people diverting. I had to detour all the way down into another state, and my commute went from 25 minutes to about an hour.
But in both my situation and the situation you mentioned I have the perfect response: Cars ARE NOT toys. They can kill. Pay attention when you are behind the wheel.
Your response is far from perfect. I agree that texting while moving is deadly but why not allow the dialing of a phone call to allow alerting the place you're going that you're running late. Using "push to talk" is awkward. It is far easier and safer to touch the name of the person on the phone so minimal distraction is needed. But I will never satisfy hysterical absolutists.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
This reads just like another thread here complaining about how all DUI laws are nothing but money-grabs. Seriously... more people die in auto accidents than in all violent crimes combined.
The BAC levels should be set at a level just below where the person is blotto. Otherwise it is a money grab.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
Incidentally, I'm talking about texting while moving. I personally believe that checking your phone while stopped at a light or stop sign endangers exactly zero people. You many inconvenience a few if you don't start immediately on green, but no one is in danger. The law, however, says otherwise... as long as the vehicle is in "D", you are driving whether you are moving or not.
Actually if you are stopped at a light you can message. The interval may be too short to do it safely.
This post is occasioned by innocuous events of the last several weeks that points to some glaring problems, all involving over-regulation. These rules and procedures are costly, inefficient and provide few benefits.
Security desks and entrance regulations at schools - A few days ago I went to drop a cell phone off for my son at his high school. He had called and I said I would leave it at the principal's office. I was greeted at the front door by a friendly and pleasant security guard. I had to leave it with him. We got to talking. I pointed out that back in the day I visited my high school alma mater and went right to teachers' offices, and to my old club offices. Now that would be impossible. He pointed out that there used to be all kinds of entrances and exits that people could use. Now every entrance is a cluster and a delay, all because of the one-off incident in Sandy Hook. We went centuries before Sandy Hook without such rules; are there suddenly hundreds of monsters out there that would kill children? Remember most such tragedies, such as Columbine, involve current students, not outsiders.
Cell phone and texting restrictions while driving - I get that people can be distracted by such activities. But wouldn't it be better if people could alert their destination that they were running late rather than speeding?
Security at office buildings - Right after 9/11 we began seeing almost all office buildings having restricted access for "security" reasons. Any reason a terrorist bent on making a statement couldn't just blow himself up anywhere he sees a line, such as a theater entrance or subway station? We have made it impossible for people such as myself, for example, who are looking for jobs to simply show up, hand in a CV and demonstrate motivation and drive. Or for spouses to surprise each other at work? Or close friends similarly? How many terror attacks are really prevented this way?
Security at airports - We have made air travel cumbersome. Thus, for example, I am planning to travel to Washington, DC a few weeks from now from the New York City area. Train travel is ridiculously expensive for a trip of about 5 hours. If I take a plane, back in the day it was a shuttle that was about a one hour flight. Now, adding security time at airport, it's 3 hours. Maybe I'll just drive. Heck, gas is cheap these days. Imagine the financial impact this must be having on the air industry? It would make far more sense to do spot checking, behavioral profiling, and the random use of sky marshals. But hey, it's racist to target people at war with us.
Low speed limits - See this thread (link). Low and arbitrary limits are only selectively enforced on a "shooting fish in a barrel" basis. They contribute nothing to safety since in general traffic flows at around 70 on highways, and 40 or 45 on most secondary roads.
All of these rules, and more that other think of, are annoying at best. At worst, they detract from productivity and waste valuable time and resources.
Laws and regulations are simply revenue generators for the police. If someone really wants to do something illegal they will do it regardless of a law everyone knows this but we have laws to generate revenue. Nothing more nothing less.
Your response is far from perfect. I agree that texting while moving is deadly but why not allow the dialing of a phone call to allow alerting the place you're going that you're running late. Using "push to talk" is awkward. It is far easier and safer to touch the name of the person on the phone so minimal distraction is needed. But I will never satisfy hysterical absolutists.
I'm a hysterical absolutist now? Fascinating... I've never been called hysterical before, and no one would ever consider me an "absolutist". I'm quite flexible with rules.
I guess I would be out of character to admit that I see nothing wrong with simply tapping the phone icon, tapping the favorites tab, then tapping one of the half-dozen names in a known order. But dialing a number is no different from texting, same with searching through hundreds of contacts for a specific name.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
The BAC levels should be set at a level just below where the person is blotto. Otherwise it is a money grab.
There are multiple levels of intoxicated between when your reaction times have slowed and when you are "blotto". Study after study shows that BAC's of 0.1 or even lower are sufficient to seriously impair driver focus and reaction time. So if anyone is piloting a 3000-lb missile down the road where I'm driving with my kids, then the local police has my permission to grab all the money they want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
Actually if you are stopped at a light you can message. The interval may be too short to do it safely.
Depends on the state. In some (California, Tennessee, and others), as long as the vehicle is in gear in a travel lane you are legally in control and it is illegal to operate an electronic device. Legally you must pull to a shoulder or parking lot. I personally think this rule is going too far, but as I've been labeled a hysterical absolutist I guess I can't have that opinion.
Laws and regulations are simply revenue generators for the police. If someone really wants to do something illegal they will do it regardless of a law everyone knows this but we have laws to generate revenue. Nothing more nothing less.
There is something more; to give people a false sense of security, that their government is "doing something" to protect them when it's all theater.
I guess I would be out of character to admit that I see nothing wrong with simply tapping the phone icon, tapping the favorites tab, then tapping one of the half-dozen names in a known order. But dialing a number is no different from texting, same with searching through hundreds of contacts for a specific name.... Depends on the state. In some (California, Tennessee, and others), as long as the vehicle is in gear in a travel lane you are legally in control and it is illegal to operate an electronic device. Legally you must pull to a shoulder or parking lot. I personally think this rule is going too far, but as I've been labeled a hysterical absolutist I guess I can't have that opinion.
But if you know the number by heart is really no a hard operation. Most of the regulations are based either on need for revenues or control freaks' urge to rule people. And I apologize, I should not have called you a name. I was wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
There are multiple levels of intoxicated between when your reaction times have slowed and when you are "blotto". Study after study shows that BAC's of 0.1 or even lower are sufficient to seriously impair driver focus and reaction time. So if anyone is piloting a 3000-lb missile down the road where I'm driving with my kids, then the local police has my permission to grab all the money they want.
Except drinking and driving are both otherwise legal activities and mass transit is not good on point to point travel so compromises are necessary.
But if you know the number by heart is really no a hard operation. Most of the regulations are based either on need for revenues or control freaks' urge to rule people. And I apologize, I should not have called you a name. I was wrong.
If you know the number by heart then dialing by hand is even more inexcusable. Voice recognition is notoriously bad with names, especially those spelled in a non-standard way. But numbers are a no-brainer. With my iPhone, simply long-press the home button. Siri: "How can I help?". Me: "dial eight-six-seven-five-three-zero-nine".
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
Except drinking and driving are both otherwise legal activities and mass transit is not good on point to point travel so compromises are necessary.
This is where you are wrong. If doing an action poses significant danger to other people, then you should not be allowed to perform said action. No compromise, no lame excuses. If you want to get drunk, then either get drunk at your destination for the night, or else arrange for some form of transport. Assuming no public transportation, this means a designated driver or arranging for a friend to pick you up. Simple.
It's legal to carry a gun (in my state... in some states no permit required). It's legal to get drunk. It is not legal to carry a gun while drunk.
It's legal to shoot a gun. It is legal to carry a gun downtown. It is not legal to carry a gun downtown and start shooting in the air just because you want to.
It's really sounding like you just want to do whatever you want whenever you want, and you really don't care if anyone else gets hurt or killed in the process. It must be nice to live in your world. Also, you really need to re-think the title under your name... nothing you have typed in this thread resemble the thought process of a "left wing democrat".
If you know the number by heart then dialing by hand is even more inexcusable. Voice recognition is notoriously bad with names, especially those spelled in a non-standard way. But numbers are a no-brainer. With my iPhone, simply long-press the home button. Siri: "How can I help?". Me: "dial eight-six-seven-five-three-zero-nine".
It's really sounding like you just want to do whatever you want whenever you want, and you really don't care if anyone else gets hurt or killed in the process. It must be nice to live in your world. Also, you really need to re-think the title under your name... nothing you have typed in this thread resemble the thought process of a "left wing democrat".
Frankly, I pine for the day when laws were simpler and made common sense. The rules of the road should be simple, e.g. red light means stop. Touching the screen on a phone is no different than playing disc jockey with CD's or turning the radio dial on old-fashioned car radios. Ever try tuning directly to "880" when you're out of town and the station wasn't one of your pre-sets?
Now, texting gets you five points, and running a red light gets you two points. That means it takes six red-light or stop-sign runs to get your license suspended, and only three text violations, or two such violations and a two-pointer. We built Interstate highways to gold-plate standards to allow travel at 70 or 75 mph and then set the speed limit at 55?
I don't want to be able to do whatever I want. I want the laws, and the enforcement, to make sense.
My mother was surprised to learn the carport she had installed needed a permit. Then the storage shed we had in the back yard since mid-1970s had to go because there was no permit for it.
M came from a Communist country and says the commies were never this bad about home improvement.
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Strategy to defeat over-enforcement
