Hang up your goddamn cellphone and drive.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

I was shocked to read in today's paper that an old friend - a guy I've known for close to 40 years - has just been arrested for criminal vehicular operation because he struck and killed a jogger - while evidently talking on his phone while driving. They haven't determined yet whether there was also alcohol involved (it was early in the evening), but either way, even if he was sober and just distracted, he could end up in prison. He's about the straightest arrow you'd ever want to meet, not some bubbleheaded teenager who can't stand to stop texting/yakking on the phone. But there it is. A man is dead - from all reports another straight arrow, pillar of the community type - and my friend will probably lose his job and go to prison, and will have to live with this for the rest of his life.

PUT DOWN THE DAMN PHONE. WHATEVER IT IS CAN WAIT.

I wish someone would invent a car that's kind of a Faraday cage where a phone won't work whenever the car is in motion.

PUT DOWN THE DAMN PHONE.

[NCTraveler]

1. K & f'ing R. nt.

[Equinox Moon]

99. STOP BEING THE OTHER PERSON TALKING TO THE DRIVER!

I refuse to talk with anyone that calls me while they are driving. PERIOD.

[Stuart G]

2. I see the "cell phone drivers" all the time.....Fuck Them..Why?

They are so dangerous...incredibly dangerous...

[GentryDixon]

3. I sent this link to my son and asked

him to pass it on to the grandchildren.

One instant can change your life forever. I am sorry for your friend, the victim, and you as well, as I am sure this is very distressing for you.

Thanks for sharing.

[DURHAM D]

4. All of our auto insurance rates are jumping up because

of the idiots texting and talking on their phones while driving.

I wish the insurance companies could figure out a way to determine those people who drive and DON'T use their phones so we could get a smart driver discount.

[brush]

104. Texting is even worse than talking.

Unbelievable to me that morons actually take their eyes off the road to text while driving.

Can't get much dumber than that.

[MineralMan]

5. A very sad thing. I think I read a story about this this morning.

When I'm driving, my phone is powered off and in my pocket. I simply don't use it in the car. When I get where I'm going, i turn it on and check for voice mail and texts. It's so easy to do and I won't be distracted.

I'm very sorry your friend is in that situation. I don't know either him or the person who died. It's a tragedy, and an avoidable one. More's the pity.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. The accident you read about is probably the one in my OP.

I'm still just dumbfounded. Of all the people I know, he's one of the least likely whose photo I'd expect to see in the paper in an orange jumpsuit. A few seconds of distraction, even if you're stone cold sober, can be enough to cause a disaster. People just don't get that. I won't answer my phone in the car, either, and I give a wide berth to other drivers who seem to be using theirs.

[tblue37]

44. I won't even have the radio on in the car when I drive. nt

[catbyte]

46. My phone has a built-in app that prevents my phone from ringing while the car is in motion

The phone sends a text message to whomever is calling telling them." thank you, but I'm driving and will get back to them when I arrive at my destination." It's a default app & I have to disable it if I am a passenger. It's a Samsung Galaxy S5.

[csziggy]

71. That app should be mandatory! What's it called?

I've got an Android phone and maybe I can put it on my phone - not that anyone calls me on my cell anyway.

[catbyte]

73. It's called DriveMode. It came on the phone & really like it.

[csziggy]

74. Thanks! nt

[ret5hd]

6. Besides the tragedy of loss of life...

I swear to god half of our traffic congestion problems would be resolved if cellphones disappeared tomorrow!

[deminks]

7. Also when you are walking

We have had two women struck and killed crossing the street and not looking because they were talking on their cell phones or texting.

Put it away until you can sit down safely and can pay attention to it.

[choie]

101. and riding a bicycle!

I can't tell you how many times, here in NYC, I see assholes riding their bike and talking on the phone - in Manhattan, for god's sake!

[drmeow]

107. I saw someone riding their bike

and texting! As a driver I gave him a very wide berth so I wouldn't hit him if he swerved into my lane!

[Skittles]

8. yes

I try to imagine what it would be like to kill someone because you're so selfish you think a phone call is more important than driving, or you don't have enough sense not to drive after you've been drinking.

I know I could not live with myself, hence my zero tolerance for alcohol or phone usage in the car - no exceptions.

Velveteen Ocelot, I hope you will reach out to your old friend who is living my worst nightmare.

[KittyWampus]

11. Local guy was killed by an oncoming driver was fussing with his surfboard.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. I probably will try to do something for him,

but I'm not sure what, or how, at this point.

[Skittles]

60. if it was my friend

I would just try to let them know I am still their friend

imagine the turmoil he is in

[Warpy]

76. A gfit to his prison commissary fund would be appreciated

They're pretty strict on packages sent in to the point that the commissary is the only way to get things like toiletries and new socks, plus junk food to supplement a prison diet, which can be bland and monotonous. It's a good way, along with letters now and then, to let him know he hasn't been forgotten.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

79. He's not there yet.

He hasn't been formally charged yet. I don't know what will happen.

[Warpy]

81. Someone died, so he will probably get time

especially if there are anti cell phone while driving laws in your area.

If he had no alcohol on board, he will get a lot less time. You're right about his life being over for the time being.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

83. Texting is illegal, but talking on a phone isn't

Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2017, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)

unless the driver is under 18 - then they can't use cell phones at all. Republicans in the state legislature recently shot down stricter cell phone use while driving legislation because, as one GOPer said, the public wouldn't like that "because they like their freedom."

If he was only using a phone he could still be prosecuted for careless driving, but if drinking was involved he will certainly do time. It's all very sad.

[csziggy]

9. I've seen people pull out of a parking space, get out their cell phone to make a call

Make your call WHILE PARKED!

If I get a call while I am driving, I find a place to pull over and park, then check who called. I can call them back when I am safe, I don't need to scramble for my phone while I am on the road.

[bullwinkle428]

24. Yes - while they're BACKING OUT OF THEIR SPACE!! Pedestrians around, kids,

other cars trying to find spaces, etc. Incredible level of self-absorption. Makes me ready to "go Hulk"!

[csziggy]

70. Exactly - it is INSANE and dangerous

A couple of times I needed to make calls as I was leaving a store and there were people waiting for the parking space I was in. I pulled out, drove to the far end of the parking lot, parked and made my calls. Simple and only took a couple of minutes out of my life.

No phone call is important enough to endanger lives, mine or others.

[CousinIT]

106. That's what I do. I don't think I've EVER talked on the phone while driving.

I pull over or go park somewhere.

I did get rear-ended last year by some idiot staring at their phone coming up to the stop light. She just didn't stop - was staring at the goddamned phone. Hit me and rammed me into someone in front of me at the traffic light. Not high-speed but she damaged THREE CARS. Oh. And she was UNINSURED.

[csziggy]

109. Bet she was uninsured because that was not her first accident

I just don't get it - NOTHING is so important you have to stare at a cell phone while driving!

In fact I got in a fight with a niece because she was upset I wasn't instantly responding to her texts. No matter that I was driving when they arrived, she insisted her texts were THE most important thing. I was driving down to see my sick Dad the week before he died. She was texting me about which motel she was staying at. I finally told her to never text me again. By the time my Dad died I decided to never speak to her or her mother (my younger sister) ever again because of the things they did to Mom while Dad was dying. Those two taught me what a malignant narcissist was and life is MUCH better without them in it.

[KittyWampus]

10. People think their cars are an extension of their living rooms.

[pablo_marmol]

13. Not only is there a horrifying lack of concern for the welfare of others........

.......but there's an amazing lack of awareness at how their behavior endangers themselves -- on the road and elsewhere.

I frequently do my grocery shopping later in the evening, and find it amazing how many people I see exiting the store either talking or fiddling with their phones --- completely oblivious to a potential predator approaching them. Unreal. Situational awareness has plummeted worldwide since the arrival of hand-held computers........a muggers DREAM.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. I think people get so used to using their phones because of the convenience,

and most of the time nothing bad happens - so they get complacent and keep doing it. I don't think it's so much a lack of concern or selfishness as just a habit that seems harmless and usually doesn't cause a problem - until it does.

This accident really shook me up because I know this person who just killed a guy and will certainly pay dearly for it - for doing a stupid, careless thing that millions of people do every day even though they shouldn't. He's a smart, sensible, normal person like so many of the other people who routinely use their phones while driving. I posted as a warning to anyone who thinks it's harmless, because it's not.

[pablo_marmol]

93. "I don't think it's so much a lack of concern or selfishness........"

Well VO --- i hear where you're coming from, but I think you let these folks off the hook to easily. IMO, the danger is obvious unless a person is either quite dim, selfish, or both. There's no excuse for complacency on the road.......in my opinion.

[JDC]

14. A few years ago I was texting and driving

I hit my neighbor's mailbox, broke the post, broke my side mirror and had to face the music with him. Although he was kind about it, it could have been a person walking (as there are no sidewalks, etc). I was less than a quarter mile from home(we were rural then). It could have waited no doubt. It woke me up.

[No Vested Interest]

15. Interesting that my car beeps when I don't have my seatbelt on, or when a door or

trunk is not sufficiently closed, but nothing happens when something much more dangerous occurs in the car - use of cellphone by driver when car is in motion.

Can someone invent a device to eliminate this problem - something that would send an alarm that maybe everyone in the car & outside could hear?
Something like the loud beep of a truck backing up?

[BeekeeperInVermont]

40. I think I heard a story

some time ago about developing a way to stop cell phones from working by using their built-in GPS to determine whether or not the phone was in a moving vehicle. I imagine this would have to be fine-tuned so that passengers can use their phones, not the driver, but somebody somewhere is thinking about this problem. Let's hope someone smart comes up with a workable solution.

[kag]

112. Look at catbyte's comment upthread...

about a program on her phone that disables it while driving.

[RedWedge]

16. I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I know the story you're talking about, and it sounds like a

nightmare. TBH I assumed alcohol when I read about it myself, but yes, phones are distracting.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. They are investigating whether alcohol was also involved

which of course would make the whole thing far worse. An amount of alcohol that might not ordinarily cause impairment, when combined with cell phone use, is a recipe for disaster. I've read that the distraction of using a phone while driving is by itself the equivalent of a couple of drinks, so how impaired are you if you're talking on your phone while driving after having had a drink or two?

[Blue_true]

17. I saw a State Trooper talking on a cell while driving a couple weeks ago.

He was driving toward a dangerous intersection and didn't seem to give a crap. Unfortunately, even people who we don't expect to see using cellphones while driving.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

65. Cops have "double-secret" skills, and are superior to the rest of us.

And if a cop gets pulled over, they have "courtesy" culture, so they get off with no ticket.

[LuckyLib]

18. Amen -- put down the phone and focus on what you are doing.

So sad and SO unnecessary. A ton of negative ways that social media is affecting our lives. This one is lethal.

[bullwinkle428]

20. A thousand K&Rs for this. I've seen people looking down at their

phone, texting, while zooming through a parking lot with pedestrians just trying to get to and from their cars! I've run after them to give them the double-bird, but of course, they're too engrossed.

[Soxfan58]

20. Bravo

I am sorry about your friend and the poor man he hit. But your message can not be said loud enough.

[yuiyoshida]

22. K&R and Tweeted

n/t

[mrmpa]

23. I was t-boned by a young girl texting..............

she was looking down and never looked up until she hit me. I asked the cops to check her phone, but she was unable to find it. It probably flew under the seat somewhere.

No pedestrian should have to worry about being hit by a distracted driver. However I wish joggers and pedestrians would wear reflective tape of some sort at night. I used to driver Uber & Lyft and would drive well after midnight. I found pedestrians dressed in dark clothing crossing the street (not at intersections) while looking at their phones.

[qanda]

25. Cannot be said enough times

Nothing you have to say, read, text or tweet is worth someone's life.

[FakeNoose]

37. I agree to a point ...

Someone who talks or texts while driving is ALWAYS at fault. You should never allow yourself to be distracted while driving. For most driving situations both of the driver's hands should be on the wheel at all times.

BUT I have seen joggers on the road who were asking to get hit. I mean running in the dark or at dusk, in the road and not even close to the curb. In the road, while commuters are coming home in heavy traffic. Just stupid behavior. If your town built sidewalks, then use the sidewalks, idiots! If it's dark, stay home. Or go someplace where there's no traffic, like quiet residential streets.

[qanda]

39. Not sure what that has to do with what I said

Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc. have their own set of responsibilities to remain safe on the road. That doesn't take away from the fact that people need to stay off their phones while driving. Period!

[FailureToCommunicate]

26. It only takes an instant of distraction...

(Sorry about your friend, and of course the unfortunate jogger)

[samnsara]

27. I am so sorry about your friend........

...can you imagine what hes feeling? I am such a back seat nag when the driver of any car I'm in uses their phone.

[blue sky at night]

29. My Company uses....

Cell Control...we can't text or look at email but we can talk on the phone hands free. The training we have to take every year about distracted driving says there in N O D I F F E R E N C E between hand held or hands free; it is all about distracting centers of your brain needed while driving. I am super cautious when I am out walking...especially with my two dogs! Too bad this shit happens every day.

[Mariana]

94. That's very interesting that they say there is no difference.

I'm old enough to remember when everyone and his brother had a CB radio in their car. I don't remember that there was any great increase in collisions on account of those. I wonder how it is different, talking over the radio vs. talking over the cellphone?

[blue sky at night]

100. they also say just talking to passengers...

does the same thing. My company has about 700 plus drivers and we were having around 200 accidents a year...mostly from distracted driving. Our Service Call Application is in our phones so we are on them all the time...btw, that application is okay to use while driving!!!

[Grammy23]

30. My brother-in-law routinely answers his phone while he is driving.

He is self employed and gets the majority of his work by phone contact. He knows better or should but if anyone says anything about that he whines loudly that his work depends on his phone. Everyone these days knows about voice mail and not getting someone on the first call is almost to be expected.

If someone were to hit him while driving while distracted, he'd be the first one to want to sue but can't see a reason why he should stay off the phone while driving. Duh! You can't fix stupid.

[Raster]

31. As I drove to work yesterday, I looked over in to the next lane...

...a man-buned, bearded hipster-looking dude was driving along at 70 miles an hour with one hand on the wheel and the other obviously texting, he was not looking at the road... I kept pace with him for over a minute and never saw him look up once.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. He should have been pulled over just for the man-bun.

[tblue37]

49. OT--but are man buns a thing now? I see them all over campus, and they always

cause me to do a doubletake.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

50. They are a thing, unfortunately.

[tblue37]

51. That IS unfortunate. nt

[yardwork]

96. Blame Jon Snow.

[tblue37]

97. Obviously he knows nothing. nt

[smirkymonkey]

68. My sister and my mother do this all the time.

I can't stand riding with theme, fortunately I don't live close to them so I rarely have to. When I complain, the standard answer is "I'm not going to get into an accident!" Grrr! How many people that get in accidents do you think actually PLAN to get into accidents. It makes me furious!

[guillaumeb]

34. I am trying to type this into my phone while driving and eating a sandwich.

Automakers need to invent a snack tray with a phone holder that I could put on the dashboard next to my Trump troll figurine.

[eppur_se_muova]

67. Ask and ye shall receive !

https://www.amazon.com/AutoExec-Wheelmate-Steering-Attachable-Surface/dp/B00E1D1GY6

Be sure to scan through the reviews !

[guillaumeb]

69. Thanks.

My favorite was the question about wiping blood. But the microwave question was also funny.

[Beartracks]

77. omg

"I'm using it right now to post this review and I never












============

[The Wizard]

35. k&r

Can't say how many times a texting driver had me enraged. Either they run you off the road, veer into you , run into you, or not moving when the light turns green because these nitwits think their next brain fart that gets sent into cyberspace will get them rich or laid. The laws against it are loosely and selectively enforced.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. Politicians too worried about drug use for unemployment recipients

to do much about cars and cell phones.

I do worry about this because I drive a small, older car. I'm toast in
an SUV accident. Or should I say pudding.

[nini]

38. Thank you

I simply hate smartphones for this reason.

Why people can't wait is beyond me

[Fla Dem]

41. In the past 2 weeks encountered drivers TALKING on their phones while driving.

On 2 separate occasions I observed a car in front of me in the outside lane(2 lane road) speeding up then slowing down, and weaving into my lane. In both cases when I finally was able to pass them, I saw they both had phones up to their ears. This is very dangerous. Please put your phones away, even for talking when you are driving.

[Yavin4]

42. And this is why self-driving cars are inevitable.

You cannot break human beings from using their phones while driving. So, technology needs to take driving away from humans.

[GaYellowDawg]

45. I long for the day!

I'd love to be able to get into a self-driving car and be able to watch a movie, or sleep, or do whatever for Interstate driving, and then be able to reassume control while in town. I'd also really love to see self-driving cars able to network and reduce congestion in larger cities. Most likely not during my lifetime.

[Yavin4]

47. Be here sooner than you think

Then again, with Trump who knows.

[raccoon]

59. You and me both. I always say if I was rich, the first thing I'd do

is hire a chauffeur.

but maybe self-driving cars will come along and save us!

[GaYellowDawg]

43. That is a real shame.

I've had a lot of conversations while Interstate driving. Hands free, and if traffic gets even a little heavy, I tell the person I'm talking to that traffic's getting heavy and I have to hang up. I haven't even had any close calls, but your post makes me think I should reconsider this.

[Glimmer of Hope]

48. Nothing is that important. Your call and text can wait.

This is so sad.

[williesgirl]

52. About 6 months ago, I saw a guy on a motorcycle texting

While going about 50 mph. I couldn't believe it. He actually passed me. I slowed down and stayed the hell away from him.

[mythology]

53. Distracted driving is nothing new

My biological dad used to read the newspaper while driving.

But making a Faraday cage for a car would be going too far. What about people in the passenger seats or GPS functionality?

[raccoon]

54. This man will also have to live with the fact that he killed

the jogger.

Thanks for posting this.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

57. That would be even worse than jail, I think.

[moondust]

55. Some car company was working on it.

I think it was a Japanese company developing some kind of jamming technology or something to block signals while the vehicle is in motion.

But that was years ago and I haven't heard anything about it for years.

Gadget zombies are my pet peeve.

[meadowlander]

62. There must be a way for the steering wheel to detect if you have two hands on it or not.

Maybe something that starts beeping if the car is moving and you don't have two hands on for more than 30 seconds and then calls the police if it's been more than three minutes.

And handsfree phone technology in cars should just be straight banned.

[moondust]

64. I've wondered

if it would be possible to just jam signals in a limited area where the driver sits while the vehicle is in motion. Maybe use some jamming technology installed in the roof over the driver's seat. That way kids in the back seat or a passenger riding along could still use their devices--just not the driver if the vehicle is moving. And yes, hands-free is a bad idea.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

88. I drive a stick shift.

Lots of times I have only one hand on the wheel because I'm shifting. That's really not a sensible metric.

[meadowlander]

91. I drive stick too.

It doesn't take more than 30 seconds to shift gears.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

92. I often simply rest my hand

on the stick, especially if the traffic conditions are such that I'm going to be shifting more or less constantly.

And it is okay to sometimes drive one handed for a while. Doesn't mean you're on a cell phone. Keep in mind that some people text my more or less propping the phone at the top of the steering while, and their wrists are doing the steering while the fingers are typing. So again, whether or not both hands are on the wheel gives zero information about whether a person is talking or texting on a phone.

Apps that automatically shut off the phone while the engine is on and the car is moving make more sense.

[MontanaMama]

56. Police officers are the worst

in my town. I see them driving with their phones glued to their ears every damned day. And, we have a cell phone law here!!

I keep my phone on silent, in the back seat inside my bag when I drive. I don't even want to be tempted. I'm a lousy multitasker under the best of circumstances...let alone talking/texting and driving. Good grief.

I'm sorry for the misfortune of your friend and sorry an innocent person died as a result. It is tragic all around.

[llmart]

58. There is a proliferation of.....

people who have an exaggerated sense of self-importance in my opinion. I may be old-fashioned when it comes to this but so many times I've wanted to say to people "What the hell is so damned important in your life that you have to stare every 3 minutes at your phone? There are very few instances when your average person's cell phone call is urgent enough that you can't just let it go until you can pull over or just wait.

Like another poster on this thread said, I too believe that an awful lot of our traffic congestion/tie ups are due to cell phone usage.

[wcast]

61. There are apps that will automatically block texts and texting when your car is moving.

Here is one. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/at-t-drivemode/id907208943?mt=8

[geretogo]

63. I see cell phone use as it is today no different than addiction to cigarettes or drugs . First admit

you have an addiction then ween yourself slowly off it and save your life and others .

[okieinpain]

66. +1 n/t.

[w0nderer]

72. i've almost been killed multiple times by people on the phone

and whilst many might feel that correct for one reason or another

and in some moods i may agree with them

one reason being i'm often on a bicycle (i have a Florida license. I prefer to ride a bicycle often. i'm read up on the rules of traffic for bicycles and follow them (pre-empting the bicycle hater crowd))

i've been known to tap windows after people almost hit me (or in some cases hit me lightly or brush me (ever been brushed by a car moving at 50mph? it's a sweet sweet kiss of pain, like a lovers touch by hellspawn))

and (this is in Florida where the castle law applies to cars, actually i think the law says vehicles. perhaps I should start packing on my bicycle ;-p )

conversation often along these lines
me:are you a doctor?
them:no?
me:not in the middle of saving the earth or a life in phone directed surgery?
them: no dumbass!
me: so no one is dying on the other end of the phone?
them: NO IDIOT!
me: someone almost did here, and if you don't hang up, the opportunity still exists

same same for people who can't get an ok car stereo
definition of ok car stereo == lets you listen to music and still hear traffic
not definition == put earphones from phone in and crank volume, headbang to music!

i like headbanging but seriously, not in traffic!

[The Sand Reckoner]

75. Why are you telling us

assuming that we're all that stupid?

[Beartracks]

78. Yeah, that's what PSAs are for - to make you feel stupid.

===========================

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

80. No. I'm trying to remind people that their or other people's lives

can be ruined by a few seconds of inattention from using a cell phone while driving. My friend is not a stupid person but he did a stupid thing - the same stupid thing a lot of people do every day.

[uppityperson]

113. What an odd reply to a sad story

[YOHABLO]

82. It's not so much that they're talking, but texting and driving.

I see it all the time. These young girls driving with their smart phones sitting in their laps with head down, not watching the road, swaying in and out of lanes. I'm so sick of it. They really need to crack down severely on these people. What if it were one of your loved ones that was killed by someone texting and driving. Thank you telecom industry. Thank you so very fucking much.

[malaise]

84. I am amazed at the folks I see doing this daily

Rec

[brewens]

85. A young woman who wants to be a suprvisor where I worked texted another crew member when I knew

she was driving. That is not something you want a couple of us to know about if you want to move up.

[Tree-Hugger]

86. I do a lot of driving...

....on the PA Turnpike. I am on there several times a week. Not a trip goes by where I don't see someone doing either 80+ or 40mph (speed limit is 70) with both hands on top of the steering wheel texting away.

Another peeve is videos. I watch a lot of really mundane housewife YouTube channels and it is *very* popular for Vloggers to film themselves while driving.....often with their kids in the car. That shit needs to be illegal.

[Randomthought]

87. At least two lives destroyed

I know this man too. It's very upsetting.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

89. "He's . . . not some bubbleheaded teenager . . ."

No, he's a bubbleheaded adult who just had to be on the phone rather than paying attention to his driving.

And no, listening to the car radio or talking with someone in the car is NOT just as bad.

This thread is making me think that if someone calls me and tells me they're driving while calling me, I should just tell them to call me when they're not driving and immediately hang up. I think I will start doing that.

[C Moon]

90. I'm a runner. I wear bright colors and keep my head up; stop for cars if they appear to be turning.

But there are some things you just can't protect yourself from. Very sad.

[Blue_true]

102. When I used to run at night.

I wore reflective clothing top and bottom and reflective shoes, and I carried a flashlight that I kept on and pointed forward toward oncoming traffic. I did not wear headphones or anything that limited my hearing. I kept my head up and ran facing traffic. Whenever I noticed a vehicle where the driver appeared to be distracted, I looked for a spot to jump while rapidly moving the flashlight around to create a moving lightbeam at their vehicle. A lot of inexperienced runners run with traffic and wear clothing that cause them not to be seen easily. If someone plans to start running outside, I suggest that they go to a running store and talk to salespeople that run, or go to online runner forums and ask safety questions and ask for suggestions (always ask for all suggestions).

[C Moon]

111. Then there are the people who don't like runners.

I had one guy in a pickup truck fake like he was going to hit me. I jumped out of the way and he laughed; another guy in a construction truck faked he was going to hit me, then slammed on his brakes and laughed.
There's people who stand and smirk when their little dogs go running after me.
And other aggressive drivers, who just seem pissed off at runners.
It is scary sometimes, probably just like the bike riders—but I think they have it worse when they have to hold up traffic.
But the cell phone thing is definitely in the front of my mind.
Put the thing away when you're driving.

[leftyladyfrommo]

95. I drive all the time.

My cellphone message tells customers that I am on the road and to leave a message. I will call them back as soon as I can do so safely.

My volume is turned off so I can't hear the phone ring.

[yardwork]

98. This is a sad story and a good reminder.

[Oneironaut]

103. Everybody is in a hurry to go nowhere, so they try to cram tasks together.

Stopping to talk on the cellphone would take up precious time. We're a society that subconsciously despises leisure. Our obsession with making ourselves useful and timely is literally killing people.

[CousinIT]

105. Got stuck behind some idiot texting (or maybe looking at their GPS on their phone)

The other day. Idiot had me and TONS of other traffic backed up for MILES.

IMO it (texting while driving) ought to be treated like drunk driving. It has the same effect.

[HoneyBadger]

108. A Bluetooth earpiece costs about $20, a car $20k, a felony conviction over your lifetime? Millions

[nadine_mn]

110. When I used to drive all over MN for work

I often used hands free devices so I could talk to my friend or spouse while driving - for me it was an anxiety issue and I still need to listen to music or podcasts. If I am not a little distracted I overthink what I am doing and freak out...I need to be on autopilot a little.

That said, texting while driving never occurs to me. It's ridiculous, and I tell my husband all the time not to do it even at red lights. There is nothing that important. Of course I feel that way about speeding or impaired driving. I cannot imagine ever having to explain to someone that I severely injured or killed their loved one because I had to answer a text or was running late to work.

I am so sorry for the families of both men - what a terrible tragedy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

114. It turns out that the driver had brain tumors.

According to today's paper he underwent surgery yesterday for brain lesions. So far there's no evidence he was using drugs or drinking but the tumors could have been a factor in the accident. He didn't know he had them until other symptoms turned up after the accident. Maybe he was using a cellphone, but this is a whole different wrinkle. On top of it all his wife died of cancer not too long ago, so the whole situation is terribly sad.

[lagomorph777]

115. Faraday cage! Now you're talking my language (EE).

Well, looks like your friend may end up in some kind of cage...sorry about that.