There Are....

[Snaggletiger]

many ways by which we can leave this world. We could catch the cancers or the terminal goat aids.  We could be struck by lightning, eaten by a shark, murdered by a Cam-like thug or just go of natural causes.  But, I'm convinced that the probable cause of death that has risen to #1, is by asshole texting while driving.

Coming down I-10 Saturday.  18 wheeler ahead of me swerves off the road.  He corrects and gets back on.  Seemingly gets his stuff together and continues on.  I hang back for a while to see if he's got it back in control.  Looks like he does so I speed up and start my pass.  I'm about at the middle of his truck and I notice he's drifting towards my lane.  I kick it in (Ford F-150 Ecoboost system) and get past him but as I look over, he's one hand on the wheel and the other with phone held in front of his face.  Has no idea I just went around him. 

I can't count the times I've seen erratic driving around me, oncoming cars drifting into my lane, people going off the road, only to see that when they pass by or I get next to them, they've got that look.  You know that look.  One hand on the wheel.  Head slumped over slightly as they look down and glance up at the road just long enough to make sure they're still driving in the right county, much less the right lane. 

Just this morning, I'm waiting to turn right out of a parking lot just before 8:00.  Busy road and I sat for quite a while to watch dozens of cars pass right in front of me.  Un-Be-Fucking-Leeeevable how many people were looking down at their cell phones.  If you want to text while in the car, wait til you get to a red light and stop. That's fine. The only thing you'll do is piss off the cars behind you after you've been sitting there still texting 15 seconds after the light changes.  If you absolutely HAVE to communicate with somebody whilst your foot is pressing the accelerator....CALL AND TALK TO THEM YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!!!!

I'm in the business.  I handle car wreck cases every day involving injuries and sometimes, death.  One of the first things I do in litigation is subpoena phone records.  It would blow your mind how many wrecks and injuries occur and you find out that text messages were flying back and forth just before the wreck.  Drunk driving is bad enough.  That speaks for itself.  But this shit is an epidemic. You don't need a ticket for texting while driving. You need automatic jail time.     

[WiregrassTiger]

 
ive heard all about this stupid shit for a long time. about how dangerous it is to text and drive. yadda yadda. more dangerous than drinking and driving.

Thing is, I've heard this stupid shit like you're posting for years, seen the ads and yes, I see where it can be a little distracting but not if you know what you're doing and you're not a dumbass. I feel that I'm actually very well capable of talking and or texting while driving. Some idiots are not. As a matter of fact, as we speak, I happen to be te

[dallaswareagle]

I see more people my age doing it than I do kids.

[GH2001]

I see more people my age doing it than I do kids.

No, the kids just save it for when they are somewhere in public and stayed glued to the fucking thing like its a piece of crack. Its almost like a nervous tick for them, or a subliminal baby blanket. They can't NOT have it out in front of them with thumb-a-scrolling. God forbid you dont see the latest FB update or instagram post less than 5 mins after it happens.

[Snaggletiger]

When texting first became the big thing, I thought it was about the most idiotic concept I'd ever heard of.  My daughter would be in the back of the car and all you'd hear was bladeep...bloodlebeep....bobeep....doodledeep...

What are you doing?

Texting!!!  Duh!!

Why don't you just call her and talk to her?

Sheesh, dad.  You don't get it.

But why would you sit there and take the time to type out what you want to say to each other?  Wouldn't it be easier to just punch in 7 numbers and talk to her?

HUFF...PUFF....whatever....

Blooblebeep......doodadeep....

[chinook]

When texting first became the big thing, I thought it was about the most idiotic concept I'd ever heard of.  My daughter would be in the back of the car and all you'd hear was bladeep...bloodlebeep....bobeep....doodledeep...

What are you doing?

Texting!!!  Duh!!

Why don't you just call her and talk to her?

Sheesh, dad.  You don't get it.

But why would you sit there and take the time to type out what you want to say to each other?  Wouldn't it be easier to just punch in 7 numbers and talk to her?

HUFF...PUFF....whatever....

Blooblebeep......doodadeep....

so you would rather hear...

like yah...brad's like a catch. 

like i hope he like asks me to the prom.

like how awesome is that.  like you know. 

[dallaswareagle]

When texting first became the big thing, I thought it was about the most idiotic concept I'd ever heard of.  My daughter would be in the back of the car and all you'd hear was bladeep...bloodlebeep....bobeep....doodledeep...

What are you doing?

Texting!!!  Duh!!

Why don't you just call her and talk to her?

Sheesh, dad.  You don't get it.

But why would you sit there and take the time to type out what you want to say to each other?  Wouldn't it be easier to just punch in 7 numbers and talk to her?

HUFF...PUFF....whatever....

Blooblebeep......doodadeep....

Much less involved texting my wife than talking to her. Cuts down on phone usage by 85%

[Snaggletiger]

so you would rather hear...

like yah...brad's like a catch. 

like i hope he like asks me to the prom.

like how awesome is that.  like you know.

Good point

[wesfau2]

Much less involved texting my wife than talking to her. Cuts down on phone usage by 85%

BINGO.

[WiregrassTiger]

BINGO.

How often do you text his wife?

[wesfau2]

How often do you text his wife?

More than you'd think.  She has lots to say about how much she hates him.

[dallaswareagle]

More than you'd think.  She has lots to say about how much she hates him.

That how she has me listed in her phone. Instead of ICE I am IHH.

[Token]

Texting is the best thing ever. Can communicate important things during meetings. Zero small talk, straight to the point and very effective.

[Kaos]

many ways by which we can leave this world. We could catch the cancers or the terminal goat aids.  We could be struck by lightning, eaten by a shark, murdered by a Cam-like thug or just go of natural causes.  But, I'm convinced that the probable cause of death that has risen to #1, is by asshole texting while driving.

Coming down I-10 Saturday.  18 wheeler ahead of me swerves off the road.  He corrects and gets back on.  Seemingly gets his stuff together and continues on.  I hang back for a while to see if he's got it back in control.  Looks like he does so I speed up and start my pass.  I'm about at the middle of his truck and I notice he's drifting towards my lane.  I kick it in (Ford F-150 Ecoboost system) and get past him but as I look over, he's one hand on the wheel and the other with phone held in front of his face.  Has no idea I just went around him. 

I can't count the times I've seen erratic driving around me, oncoming cars drifting into my lane, people going off the road, only to see that when they pass by or I get next to them, they've got that look.  You know that look.  One hand on the wheel.  Head slumped over slightly as they look down and glance up at the road just long enough to make sure they're still driving in the right county, much less the right lane. 

Just this morning, I'm waiting to turn right out of a parking lot just before 8:00.  Busy road and I sat for quite a while to watch dozens of cars pass right in front of me.  Un-Be-Fucking-Leeeevable how many people were looking down at their cell phones.  If you want to text while in the car, wait til you get to a red light and stop. That's fine. The only thing you'll do is piss off the cars behind you after you've been sitting there still texting 15 seconds after the light changes.  If you absolutely HAVE to communicate with somebody whilst your foot is pressing the accelerator....CALL AND TALK TO THEM YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!!!!

I'm in the business.  I handle car wreck cases every day involving injuries and sometimes, death.  One of the first things I do in litigation is subpoena phone records.  It would blow your mind how many wrecks and injuries occur and you find out that text messages were flying back and forth just before the wreck.  Drunk driving is bad enough.  That speaks for itself.  But this shit is an epidemic. You don't need a ticket for texting while driving. You need automatic jail time.     

It's not just texting.  It's facebook. It's twitter. It's Instagraph or whatever the fuck that is.  It's Tinder and Match.com. It's maps and calendars and music and ....yes... TigersX. 

People don't think any more.  They have to be looking at something to distract them from the reality that surrounds them. 

Go on one of those stupid dating sites.  More than half the people on there have at least one picture of themselves taken behind the wheel of a car.  Making a stupid face.  Looking like a bitch. 

I don't know what the answer is. I can't be outraged, though because I do it.  I've done it.  There are things you've seen written by me that were done entirely while driving between Birmingham and Mobile.  But I scare myself, too. I think I'm in control and then realize that car up there has stopped and I probably need to hit the brakes.  Hard.   

So I'm trying. I've stopped looking at this site or any other. I don't face space, Instant Flam, or any of that other stuff.   I've started talking out my texts.  I know that sounds stupid but I only really text one person.  It's just not convenient to sit on the phone with xxx all day long.  But we can tell each other jokes, make plans, and carry on a conversation that lasts for hours without either of us stopping what we're actually doing if we text.  My car (and now my truck) will read off the texts.  And I press a button on the phone to reply by voice.  Still, though, you have to have the damn thing close and look at the buttons. 

[Buzz Killington]

Texting is the best thing ever. Can communicate important things during meetings. Zero small talk, straight to the point and very effective.

Agreed.  Also, picture messages are the worst thing ever during meetings.

[Pell City Tiger]

Agreed.  Also, picture messages are the worst thing ever during meetings.

Especially if you're sending pictures of crab claws during a manager's production meeting.

[GH2001]

Texting is the best thing ever. Can communicate important things during meetings. Zero small talk, straight to the point and very effective.

Yes, as a supplemental thing. ie - running by the store real quick, be there in 10 or something similar. Problem is people use it exclusively now to communicate. People don't know how to talk in person anymore. The way people text is how they talk now when they do. Its stupid. People say TTYL and cray cray and shit like that. And sarcastic smart ass small talk lingo shit. Its taking away interpersonal skills. And most importantly as the Snaggy one eluded to, people do it while in control of a 1-2 ton vehicle at a high rate of speed. Talking only requires you to just talk - your mouth/voice. Texting requires your eyes and hands. So does your car. One will lose out at some point. Im like Snags, it just scares me that people do it so much now.

If you had said 20 years ago that almost every person would be operating a full functioning laptop while in their cars you would think that was crazy talk, but thats pretty much what has happened - just a smaller version of one.

[Godfather]

Especially if you're sending pictures of crab claws during a manager's production meeting.

[Snaggletiger]

Yes, as a supplemental thing. ie - running by the store real quick, be there in 10 or something similar. Problem is people use it exclusively now to communicate. People don't know how to talk in person anymore. The way people text is how they talk now when they do. Its stupid. People say TTYL and cray cray and shit like that. And sarcastic smart ass small talk lingo shit. Its taking away interpersonal skills. And most importantly as the Snaggy one eluded to, people do it while in control of a 1-2 ton vehicle at a high rate of speed. Talking only requires you to just talk - your mouth/voice. Texting requires your eyes and hands. So does your car. One will lose out at some point. Im like Snags, it just scares me that people do it so much now.

If you had said 20 years ago that almost every person would be operating a full functioning laptop while in their cars you would think that was crazy talk, but thats pretty much what has happened - just a smaller version of one.

lol.  ur post wuz cray cray.

[dallaswareagle]

Instant Flam, or any of that other stuff. 

Dude, seriously you don't Instant Flam?

It is the bomb.