Gothamist: More New Yorkers Driving with One Hand on Cell Phone

jt10000

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:12:00 -0500

Another sign of someone on the phone driving - they're going somewhat slow ("careful" right) but stradding lanes or on the edge of a lane on the highway. This weekend I was behind some guy using one and a half lanes on the west side highway. Scary. Also: that photo at the top of the page totally rocks.

glennQNYC

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:43:52 -0500

Hey- I'm as against inattentive drivers as anyone... I can't stand to hold a phone to my ear even at home! But John, I guess you haven't considered some of those "self-absorbed assholes" may be actually earning a living using their phones?

Gwinny

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:38:34 -0500

babyhitler: I think you missed this sentence in the above: "But even legal "hands-free" cell phone use is problematic; last year a study found that hands-free cell phone chatting is favored by incessant multi-taskers who use their free fingers to engage in “grooming, eating, drinking and smoking” while driving." It's always really easy to tell who's carrying on a cellphone conversation while driving: they are usually in SUVs or trucks, they are blazing through red lights, and they are making dangerous turns while just barely missing pedestrians. I've almost been hit while on my bike more times than I care to recall... so I've taken to banging on people's windows and yelling "get off your phone" at them when I see them at red lights. Scares the pee out of them, lemme tell you.

sonyactivision

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:09:59 -0500

"Velma uses her nifty new car-phone to contact the rest of the Scooby gang."

babyhitler

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:04:17 -0500

jeezus christ people. It's called hands free bluetooth talking while driving. how hard is it?

PnonG

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:11:18 -0500

are you people kidding or what? how about outlawing driving while driving? "self-absorbed assholes" has got to include the huge amount of people out there that want to tell others what to do because it bugs them personally. i suppose you think that talking on the cell phone raises your insurance rates or some other ridiculous bull pushed by the insurance industry? off with their heads, all 70% of them. NYPD spokesman says it isn't because of increased enforcement, lol not paying good attention while driving can come from day dreaming, fine em!

Tgirl

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:02:12 -0500

text-messaging while driving ?? !!! how about just driving while driving for a change? BTW, one of the more hilarious scenes in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" belongs to Rob Schneider as a chronic cell phone using taxi driver.

JenChungsBra

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:31:47 -0500

I'm shocked that they've actually given out 200,000 violations in the last year. You see it so often you would think it's never enforced.

Spiritof76

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:03:07 -0500

Points, yes, but also stiffer fines and better enforcement. Everybody thinks they'll never be caught. I saw a woman who must have made five different moving violations within 30 feet and she was just laughing it off on her cell phone as if she made minor boo-boos. Raise the fine to $500 on first offense, $5000 on any subsequent offense and I guarantee you people will stop. And get the damn NYPD to start enforcing the law instead of harassing innocent photographers.