I think this is absolutely nuts. NY has begun the process to ban handheld cell phones. What is THIS all about?

Could it be a ploy by the cell phone industry to increase sales by forcing people to upgrade their cell phones?

OR

Is this yet another ploy by government to separate you folks in NY from more of your hard earned money?

Do you honestly think this will make ANYTHING safer? Am I crazy by being angered by this shameless ploy by the NY gov't to see its citizens as revenue that is rolling around town on the cell phone?

This pisses me off...!!!

What do you guys and dolls think??

 

They are not banning hand held cell phones, they are banning driving with them.

 

Yes, thank you for clarifying, I left that out of my post.

I think, however, that it was kind of obivous...

 

I think it's a good idea. Driving and talkin on the cell phone is a very bad combination - the last 3 or 4 near misses that I've had always involved the other driver yapping on a cell phone. Most people are bad enough drivers to begin with, and you take away a free hand and a lot of attention, GREAT IDEA.

Whether the motivation is safety or money I don't know, but the goal is good.

 

I think it is a great idea.. people talking on the phone are taking attention from the most important task at the time

 

While I do think it's less safe to drive while holding a phone to your ear I don't think it's any less safe than -- eating, shaving, putting on makeup, playing with your date, reading a book or paper, correcting your kids, or a million other things people do while driving everyday.

Why are they just picking on cell phones. I guess it's the PC thing to do right now.

 

I respect your opinions (even though you are wrong! )....!

Seriously, one of the studies that they cited accounted cell phones as responsible for 1.5% of accidents, where climate control accounted for nearly twice that. In fact, cell phones were the least likely to cause accidents of the things they cited...

I guess the real question becomes...where does government stop trying to save us from ourselves...in the name of agendized research, under the guise of public safety and trying to make sure that people feel OK with all the others who are fined because of their public nuisance that we don't notice how our freedoms slip away - one little seemingly innocuous law at at time.

Quite frankly, I think this is a bigger argument...one that I didn't really expect to open ala Pandora's Box, but it's really all about the nanny-state. But it's even bigger than that, actually. Government sees its citizens are revenue and revenue is what pays for the governor's masions...see the connection?



The real issue is all about people who don't pay attention to things no matter WHAT they are doing. It harkens back to the whole debate that 'speed kills', which is invalid. Compared to all out speed, people who don't pay attention to what they are doing are what kills people.

 

Yes, CG, you are absolutley correct. I was posting when you were, I wasn't referring to you...

Nice post, you are correct...

 

banning cell phones in cars started in ohio somewhere. the current mayor (well not sure if he still is), his story is this -

when he was young, he witnessed an accident where someone was injured or killed (?) and they were not wearing a seatbelt. thus, seatbelt law.

later in life, at the same intersection (so he says), he witnessed anther accident where someone was injured or killed (?) and they were talking on a cell phone. thus, he implimented the first US ban on cell phones while driving.

they are useful, but its too much, dont you think? distractions they are. remember when mom used to say, "turn down the radio, I can't see!" - whatever the hell that meant, but seriously, its the same thing: when you are talking on the phone, you are carrying on a conversation taking in input, and contributing to a conversation (well that is questionable with some people and some conversations), even though your brain can multitask, you are still using up more thought on the phone than you are for instance.... that guy pulling out in front of you cutting you off in the Excursion! He can't see you!

oh, btw, I think the underlying ploy of this "ban" would be to put out all the highschooling kids at the malls trying to sell you phones that they know very little about and when you ask about the plans, ha! well.. you get the drift.

 

eating and drinking while driving ARE illegal (at least here they are) - just not enforced. And I've seen the people doing makeup, painting their nails (I have a picture [taken at the next stop ligth] at work if you don't believe me!), etc.

greg, I agree with you on the removal of freedom - but this is pretty trite compared to other things that have been eroded in the name of the war on drugs, etc. And this isn't about protecting us from ourselves, it's about protecting us from others.