New peeve thread???

[RICHARD]

Frankly, there are very few, if any, conversations that need to take place while driving a vehicle. People driving while using a cell phone is a pet peeve period. If it's that important, pull over to the side of the road and talk there. There are too many people who have trouble driving without trying to do something else. Guiding a 3000+ pound vehicle should get all your attention.

Wait a second....

I saw two people, IN BRAND NEW CARS jabbering away on cell phones this morning-
First, how does a brand new car handle?
How is the braking different from your old car?
Where are the blind spots?
How do you balance your report, cup of coffee, cell phone and lane change?
Multitask? nope, MULTICRASH!

more phone fun???

As always, the cell convo in the store....

"WHAT KINDA ICE CREAM DO YA WANT????"

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More science....

Objects fall at the same speed, no matter what their weight is.

If you watch a piece of paper, trash or ???? fall out of your hand it will not fall any faster....


So why drop it, observe it fall and leave it for someone else to pick up?
-------------------

There was a wadded up piece of paper towel IN FRONT OF THE DOOR TO THE DOCTOR'S LOUNGE. It stayed there for four hours.

(I was bad, I usually pick things up like that, but I love to "experiment" and see how long things stay the same.)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Richard, you've hit on one. Litter is one of my all time pet peeves! How difficult is it to hang onto it until you get to a garbage can? I will not litter to a fault, and I've actually been known to pick up other peoples' litter when I'm just out for a walk. Why mess up the entire world just because you don't want to mess up your little world?

As for cell phones, I hate the idiot driver with the cell phone as much as anybody, and I'm glad there's actually a law in Chicago where cell phones have to be "hands-free." It's ok to be talking on a cell phone when you're in your car but you are stopped. Well.....I can't wait for the first person to challenge that law because I am "stopped" in traffic all the time! I see absolutely nothing wrong with talking on the phone when traffic is creeping along at a snails pace. Also, if I'm on the interstate and someone calls me, I immediately go to the right lane and just stick there until I'm done. I just love the person, like others have mentioned, going 80 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and not only are they on the phone, they are putting their makeup on, eating, smoking, yelling at the kids, you name it. If you're going to do all this while driving, at least have the curtesy to pull into the right hand lane.

I have plenty more pet peeves, but I'm in a good mood today so I can't think of any of them.

[Lobodeb]

I'm glad there's actually a law in Chicago where cell phones have to be "hands-free."

Now you've hit one of mine.

Yes, I'm thrilled that we have to use the hands-free devices. As soon as I heard this had passed, I rushed out to the store to get me a hands-free device.

What urks me, is the people who still use the hand-held! I have use my headset, why don't you? Why are you special? IT'S A LAW PEOPLE!

I also can't stand those thugs who think it's cool to recline your seat to a supine possition and then attempt to drive. Then they have to sit up when they want to turn, cut you off, etc.

I also hate those cops who feel they don't have to wait at an intersection like the rest of us, so they'll put on their siren and lights, make a big fuss to blow through the intersection only to turn them off once they've crossed. Um, would you pull me over if I did that?

I'll stop there.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Lobodeb, I always forget that you're in Chicago too, so you know exactly what I'm talking about and I know exactly what you're talking about!

Yes, the seat recliners, with their stereos booming and sometimes their girlfriends sitting practically on their laps and their cell phones to their ears, as they go flying by at least 55 mph in a 35 mph zone....at 8:00 in the morning! I'm on my way to work buddy, where are you going?

[Scooby4]

I used to work on an Army installation. They banned Cell phone use while driving on the base. If you were caught on a cell phone while driving you were given a ticket. You had to pull over to the side of the road to use your cell or not at all.
I had a job that cell phones were NOT allowed. So no one could call me at work and then couldn't use the phone on the way home. I did purchase a cell phone for those "off" occassions that I may need it in emergency. Matter of fact, I tell everyone that my cell phone is broken and try to avoid calling it. I only give out the number to possible job prospects or business dealings. So I don't use it much at all.
Funny story though... I was on my way to work one morning when I saw a wreck. The police couldn't see the vehicle that had run off the road from their perspective. It had rolled into a fence and was on fire. So I called 911 and told them the burning vehicle's location and how to access it. Well, my cell phone is somewhat broken. It kept cutting off. I was still a few miles from the Army post. Me and 911 kept trying to communicate but they were "lost". They had fire trucks on the way. Well, the phone finally cutoff for the last time. So I thought. I knew the fireman would find the vehicle. I get up to the Army base and to my surprise my cell phone rings! It is 911 again asking for more information! My badge is in the security guards hands!!! and I am on my cell phone!!! There is a line behind me and you can't stop but for a few seconds.
I completely panicked!!! I NEVER use my cell phone but for emergencies and this was one! I quickly had to yell to the security guard that this was a 911 call while trying to communicate to 911 and keep moving the line. I felt soo baaaad! I've always hated people who drive and talk on cell phones and hold up a line. Here I was being one of them!!! Luckily, the guard allowed me to go on through the barracade which is difficult to drive through with 2 hands. I did pull over after I got passed the barracade and finished the phone call. The fire trucks did find the vehicle. However, a few weeks later I did notice a weath of flowers attached to the fence in that area. I never saw anyone in the vehicle so I don't know the outcome.
Maybe I am slow to technology, but grabbing a cell phone and a steering wheel just seems soo unnatural. I don't like to do it unless it is absolutely necessary.

[RedHedd]

Second time: I WAS on the cell phone, in the library parking lot, backing out of a space, ...

I'm sorry, but this is a peeve of mine. on a cell phone while backing out? Hello? I even see people on cell phones while triyng to parallel park in rush hour traffic ...

[buckner]

Driving while on a cell phone may be most of your all's peeves, but there are MANY people who can manage this. There are a lot of stupid drivers out there who cause accidents, but most of those are not related to being on a cell phone.

I CAN park while on my phone, I CAN back out of my parking space while on my phone, I CAN drive down an interstate while on my phone, I CAN do almost ANYTHING while on my phone. Some people get annoyed if you don't have both hands on the wheel - I practiced with only one hand because I knew it's stupid to drive with two hands. You actually shake the car MORE when you have two hands on the wheel. So, I've learned how to drive with one hand and have another as a free hand - to talk on my phone. Again, I'm usually talking to my parents or one of my two friends who live in Pennsylvania and it's lucky if they get a chance to call me. I can't just hang up on them because people get pissed off that I'm on the phone while driving. If I CAN do it, I don't see why it should piss people off.

Heck, even my driver's ed teacher was a firm believer in having 100% devotion on the road if you were driving. But he said I'm one of those people who could manage talking on the phone and driving at the same time because I'm alert all the time. I knew how to drive before I went to him (I went for insurance purposes) and I had been driving for quite a while. He was just observing my observations.. I noticed a lot, and he was fully aware of that. And he said there are some people who can drive and talk on the phone at the same time.

So again, if I CAN do it, I don't see why it should upset people to see me driving down the road while on my cell phone. Or coming out of a parking spot.

My town is HUGE and I don't know my way around completely nor do I know the absolute short-cuts to places. So, more often than not, I'm calling my dad to ask him how to get somewhere way out. It makes no sense to pull over, ask him, and then get back on. I need to tell him where I am and I'm a hands-on learner... I won't learn if just given directions, I need to hear "take a left on Market" or "take a right on Broadway" or something.

Sorry with my rant... my peeve is when people criticize something as if EVERYONE who does it is bad, like driving while on their phones.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, some people can drive with their feet too, but I don't want them near me while they do it.

[Kfamr]

I don't think anyone was critisizing EVERYONE. No one mentioned people that were careful while driving with a cell phone. If you don't fit in the catagory as a "idiot driver who uses their cell phone and gets made when the drive-thru person doesn't give you ketchup up after they already asked you 5345435345 times, while you were yakking away" then no one was referring to you.

My main issue was the rude people at the drive-thru. This also includes the folks smoking at the window and blowing it in my face as 'm taking cash or handing them food. Now, I'm not deathly allergic to cigarette smoke but I have been known to has a nasty coughing fit over it. It's not a polite thing to do, IMO. There are even people who come through REEKING of marijuana, making the whole store smell.

[Kfamr]

Well, some people can drive with their feet too, but I don't want them near me while they do it.

Heck, I saw a lady once shaving her leg, that was up over the steering wheel, and driving down US 19 - one of the most dangerous roads.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Heck, I saw a lady once shaving her leg, that was up over the steering wheel, and driving down US 19 - one of the most dangerous roads.

is right! I had a friend who used to live in St. Pete and I remember seeing the bumper stickers when I was visiting "Pray for me - I drive on 19!"

My SIL once had to shave her arm pits in the parking lot before we went into a concert. What, like she couldn't do that at home? But then again, you have to know my SIL.....well....former SIL...and she used to be one of my peeves too and thankfully my brother wised up - thus the "former."

Buckner - no offense, but I'm with MOFF.

[caseysmom]

I do feel that when you deal with the teller at the bank, the cashier at the drive through or whatever, that person deserves for you to show respect....that means not holding another conversation at the same time.

I have talked on my cell phone while driving...I try to cut it short though...I don't understand people just on the cell phone having a conversation for the heck of it....

[Kfamr]

is right! I had a friend who used to live in St. Pete and I remember seeing the bumper stickers when I was visiting "Pray for me - I drive on 19!"

It's not a safe road at all and I'll surely be avoiding it when I begin to drive.

[Lady's Human]

It's not using your hand to hold the cell phone that irks me. What irks me is that the cell phone is in use while you are driving in any way, shape or form. Frankly, unless it's a life or death situation it's not that damned important. They did a study on cell phone use while driving, and compared hands free vs. hand held vs. no cell phone at all, and found that hands free or hand held didn't matter. The rate of accidents while using a cell phone and driving was the same as the accident rate of someone with a BAC of .10.

Most states have laws against distracted driving, and they aren't enforced. Instead they put band aids on the law and make it look like they are doing something.

I miss driving in Germany. In that country, there are areas with no speed limits, but if you tailgate, do something that the officer feels is distracting you from driving (i.e. talking on a cell phone, eating, talking to passengers in a manner that is taking your attention away from the road) you are fined severely. Other offenses in Germany that are either not enforced or tolerated in the states include pulling too close to someone at a stoplight, failing to yield, and impeding the flow of traffic. I think we could learn a lot from a country that didn't even have cupholders in cars until very recently. Driving a vehicle is a priviledge, not a right, and it is very easy to cause major damage if you don't pay attention.

[RedHedd]

Thank you Lady's Human! I couldn't have said it better!