Cell Phone Addicts III

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JD Spydo
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Cell Phone Addicts III

#1

Post by JD Spydo »

This is my third thread in the past 10 years on the growing problem of "CELL PHONE ADDICTS" :mad: Yeah I know some of you all think that it's not a problem but what I'm seeing with my own eyes on a daily basis is truly frightening. And I'm seeing it get much worse in the past 5 years or so. Two days ago a friend of mine picked me up to help him run some errands and to go chow down on some great KC Bar BQ. During our 40 mile drive through the city we literally had 3 very close calls with Cell Phone Junkies who were not at all watching their driving or showing any concern about their safety or anyone else's safety either for that matter. There were two times within a four block area that my friend literally had to totally lock up his brakes to keep us from a violent collision. Each time I looked at the other driver and they had their phone up to their ear totally unaware of their hazardous surroundings.

Personally I'm surprised that there aren't far more highway and road deaths due to CELL PHONE JUNKIES than they claim. One young person who I've recently befriended has told me that there are a growing amount of fatal car accidents due to "Texting & Driving" :mad: Has this society totally lost their minds completely??? :mad: I was out taking a long walk the other day to get a couple of items I needed for the house and I was just blown away at how many people who drove by me that had that stupid Cell PHONE glued to their ear and you could tell that they were totally oblivious to their surroundings or potential dangers either for that matter.

Now I'm about as Pro-Liberty and Pro-Constitutional Rights as any person you'll ever meet. I'm usually the first one to stand up and proclaim other peoples Constitutional rights and give people the benefit of the doubt in most cases. But this CELL PHONE INSANITY where I live is getting exponentially worse even in spite of tougher laws that have been passed in our state recently. What in the **** is wrong with these people :mad: !!??
Playing with stupid cell phone is more important than someone's life or safety :confused: ?? :mad: NO!! I'm not over-reacting to this problem. It's even worse than it was as recent as five years ago. I know in my gut I'm not the only one who sees this insanity growing by the day. So let's discuss the problem of CELL PHONE ADDICTS :mad: None of these Bozos use their turn indicator signals nor do they observe traffic lights or even pay the slightest attention to any of the hazards of the roads :mad: And the worst part is that Law Enforcement doesn't seem to be doing much about it either.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#2

Post by Daveho »

I dont think anyone thinks your over reacting.. it’s a very dangerous situation but what do you suppose complaining about it and calling people CELL PHONE ADDICTS on a knife forum is going to do?
If it’s a big issue for you then go through the legal channels in an attempt to enact the change you want, locally the fine is $500+ and several points people still do it and people will continue too.

Nothing will change unless people do something about it.

Sent from my iPhone.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#3

Post by JD Spydo »

Daveho wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 3:47 am
I dont think anyone thinks your over reacting.. it’s a very dangerous situation but what do you suppose complaining about it and calling people CELL PHONE ADDICTS on a knife forum is going to do?
If it’s a big issue for you then go through the legal channels in an attempt to enact the change you want, locally the fine is $500+ and several points people still do it and people will continue too.

Nothing will change unless people do something about it.

Sent from my iPhone.
Well for one thing I posted this on the OFF TOPIC section of the forum where we are free to talk about most anything except Politics from what I've been told. Also I think it's a bad enough problem to where it needs to be discussed.
And it doesn't seem to be taken seriously at all. And what's most perplexing about it is that I see very intelligent people that you would think would have enough sense not to be guilty of it>> but do it anyway in spite of the horrendous danger involved.
I'm to the point anymore I don't even drink a cup of coffee when I'm driving because I believe it's gotten really dangerous to even be on the road anymore because of the growing cell phone & texting problems out there.
Last edited by JD Spydo on Tue Apr 30, 2019 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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anagarika
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#4

Post by anagarika »

JD,

I agree that it’s a big problem. I think Dave is trying to say trying to push for legal changes is more effective than discussing on the forum. ;)
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#5

Post by Evil D »

anagarika wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:47 am
JD,

I agree that it’s a big problem. I think Dave is trying to say trying to push for legal changes is more effective than discussing on the forum. ;)

It is, but this is still a discussion forum and as such people are going to discuss things.




The biggest problem is texting and driving. I drive for a living and I see it everywhere. I would estimate that at least 8 out of 10 people do it regardless of what they say they do, it's literally an epidemic and it's worse than drinking and driving because people are so casual about it and think they're good enough at multitasking that they'll never have an accident.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#6

Post by anagarika »

Evil D wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:52 am
anagarika wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:47 am
JD,

I agree that it’s a big problem. I think Dave is trying to say trying to push for legal changes is more effective than discussing on the forum. ;)

It is, but this is still a discussion forum and as such people are going to discuss things.




The biggest problem is texting and driving. I drive for a living and I see it everywhere. I would estimate that at least 8 out of 10 people do it regardless of what they say they do, it's literally an epidemic and it's worse than drinking and driving because people are so casual about it and think they're good enough at multitasking that they'll never have an accident.
Agree, texting is also if not more dangerous.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#7

Post by Daveho »

I have no issue at all with your topic and as per my reply agreeing that it is an issue-
I’m just a bit confused as you obviously see it as an issue enough to write 3 threads about it, why not write a letter and take it up with your representative?
Complain about it here too by all means but if it’s a problem for you then do something about it.

As for my petty criticisms, I didn’t realise I was criticising however telling me to keep my opinions to myself while also stressing your right to expression based on the rules of the forum is a bit iffy.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#8

Post by The Deacon »

People ignore laws, especially laws they see as infringing on their personal freedom. And, while young people may be more prone to thinking they're bullet proof, most of us suffer to some extent from the notion that lightning will always strike somebody else, never us. Drunk driving and speeding have been illegal since before I was born. The guy who "has a few drinks" and gets it his car believes he'll make it where he's going without killing himself or anyone else. When I'm in my SLK on a two lane road with curves that, while underwhelming at the speed limit, are real fun at twice that, I don't do it with the intention of crashing or even think about crashing, I have full faith in my 15 year old car and 73 year old reflexes.

What I find bizarre is that, while governments all over are cracking down in "distracted driving" caused by cell phones, auto manufacturers are busy turning dashboard instrument clusters that most drivers only glanced at on rare occasions, into full-blown "infotainment centers" with huge touch screen displays that practically scream "Look at me! Look at me!".
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#9

Post by Daveho »

The Deacon wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:20 am
People ignore laws, especially laws they see as infringing on their personal freedom. And, while young people may be more prone to thinking they're bullet proof, most of us suffer to some extent from the notion that lightning will always strike somebody else, never us. Drunk driving and speeding have been illegal since before I was born. The guy who "has a few drinks" and gets it his car believes he'll make it where he's going without killing himself or anyone else. When I'm in my SLK on a two lane road with curves that, while underwhelming at the speed limit, are real fun at twice that, I don't do it with the intention of crashing or even think about crashing, I have full faith in my 15 year old car and 73 year old reflexes.

What I find bizarre is that, while governments all over are cracking down in "distracted driving" caused by cell phones, auto manufacturers are busy turning dashboard instrument clusters that most drivers only glanced at on rare occasions, into full-blown "infotainment centers" with huge touch screen displays that practically scream "Look at me! Look at me!".
Ironically I’m currently working at a Mercedes dealership and was going though an old accessory catalog today... remember how cool car phones where?
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#10

Post by JD Spydo »

Evil D wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:52 am
anagarika wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:47 am
JD,

I agree that it’s a big problem. I think Dave is trying to say trying to push for legal changes is more effective than discussing on the forum. ;)

It is, but this is still a discussion forum and as such people are going to discuss things.




The biggest problem is texting and driving. I drive for a living and I see it everywhere. I would estimate that at least 8 out of 10 people do it regardless of what they say they do, it's literally an epidemic and it's worse than drinking and driving because people are so casual about it and think they're good enough at multitasking that they'll never have an accident.
Thank David ;) >> And maybe I was being a bit heavy handed with "Daveho" but like you said it is an open forum to discuss any topic except what Spyderco themselves say you can't discuss. And so far the only thing I've seen our moderator ( TAZKRISTI) put her foot down on was political discussions and in all fairness I can see how that could get totally out of hand.
And I don't believe that my topic of people being incredibly irresponsible using Cell Phones is a topic that Kristi would consider to be Taboo. Now if she does deem it to be to sensitive to discuss I'll respect her decision to pull it off the forum. So with that being said I don't believe I've violated any of Spyderco's forum rules and I do believe I'm within the parameters of my topic being one that can be talked about objectively ( actually it needs to be IMO).
Sure I agree that trying to get legislation to fix the problem might be a viable solution but talking about a problem in a public forum is a good starting point IMO.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#11

Post by JD Spydo »

Daveho wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:05 am
I have no issue at all with your topic and as per my reply agreeing that it is an issue-
I’m just a bit confused as you obviously see it as an issue enough to write 3 threads about it, why not write a letter and take it up with your representative?
Complain about it here too by all means but if it’s a problem for you then do something about it.

As for my petty criticisms, I didn’t realise I was criticising however telling me to keep my opinions to myself while also stressing your right to expression based on the rules of the forum is a bit iffy.
I have done exactly that. I've went to two local public meetings about the misuse of cell phones while driving and it's gone nowhere. I'm actually kind of surprised that some pro-active group like MADD ( Mothers Against Drunk Driving) hasn't taken it up on a national forum. Because EVIL D is 1000% correct that the misuse of cell phones and texting while driving do cause more deaths and horrible accidents than drinking and driving does. The big problem is you don't have any breath tests for the misuse of cell phones>> you've just literally got to catch them in the act. But the corporate players in the cell phone industry I'm sure have padded the wallets of political candidates to quell any pro-active legislation.
Well if I came across as being a bit abrasive in my response to you "Daveho" it seemed like you were more or less saying that I was being improper by putting it up for discussion in the first place. And when you said that this was a "Knife Forum">> well that isn't exactly the case because Spyderco has provided us with this "OFF TOPIC" section of the forum to discuss whatever we want to discuss as long as it doesn't violate Spyderco's Forum Rules.
I kind of took it as a "put-down" of sorts and felt like you were more or less saying that I was out of order to even talk about it in the first place. I'm just asserting my rights to talk about any subject I want to talk about as long as it's within Spyderco's rules. I really don't understand your response in the first place. I was just simply standing up for my right to talk that's all.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#12

Post by Bloke »

Joe, it’s out of control here too. So much so that the government has been trialling cameras to curtail it.

Fines here in New South Wales are around $AU460 odd and a loss of five demerit points just for handling a phone, you don’t even need to be using it to get pinged. Not a bad hit consider you only get thirteen points for three years (I think) before you need to show cause in order to keep your license. Yet it doesn’t seem to be a deterrent.

For all my short comings, I never touch my phone whilst driving. :)
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#13

Post by JD Spydo »

anagarika wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:47 am
JD,

I agree that it’s a big problem. I think Dave is trying to say trying to push for legal changes is more effective than discussing on the forum. ;)
Yeah You're probably right. I guess I totally misunderstood "Daveho" and if I took him wrong then I apologize. But the context of the post seemed to me like I was posting a thread in an inappropriate manner.
I guess I am in kind of a bad mood over the subject because it's truly becoming a serious national problem. But in my opinion it's a problem that needs to come to the forefront of discussion. JD :spyder: O
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#14

Post by The Deacon »

Daveho wrote:
Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:34 am
Ironically I’m currently working at a Mercedes dealership and was going though an old accessory catalog today... remember how cool car phones where?

Yep, and I lived trough the CB radio era. :D
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#15

Post by DSH007 »

Agreed. Cell phone use while driving seems to have gotten out of hand in recent years. I see it EVERY DAY. Many attribute this behavior to teens, but I feel like the frequency with which it occurs is spread out pretty evenly among all genders/age groups. Sure, teens are bad, but I can't tell you the number of times I've had to dodge soccer moms staring down at their laps, swerving wildly through the streets in their minivans..

I know a woman in her early thirties who was in two accidents in as many years..fender-benders, fortunately.. who admits that she "may have been looking at her phone" both times, and still admits to using her phone when she drives. I really hate to think what it would take for her to learn her lesson and stop texting while driving..

Phone use while driving actually really enrages me haha.. I've yelled at quite a few people from my car while driving for nearly causing accidents.. Think I may have actually made a teenage boy sh*t his pants once..

Sadly, I don't think any law is going to solve the problem. Laws already exist prohibiting phone use while driving and clearly don't stop it. I don't think more laws or harsher fines are going to do anything to help stop the behavior. Unfortunately, you just can't legislate common sense.

I think all we can do at this point is continue to keep our heads on a swivel behind the wheel for a few more years and hope that the robot cars drive better than some @sshat staring down at their phone..
Rick H.

..well, that escalated quickly..
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#16

Post by flasharry »

Yep.. major problem up here as well with distracted driving and cell phones.. (and no, I do not own a cell or smart phone.. no need of one..)
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#17

Post by Doc Dan »

Cell phone huh. I see people playing video games, reading books and newspapers, putting on makeup, digging around in the back seat and looking that way, and all sorts of other insane stuff while driving, every single day. I ride a motorcycle and see what the are doing.
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#18

Post by James Y »

Calling people who are cellphone addicts, 'cellphone addicts', isn't an insult or an inaccuracy; it's exactly the truth. I see it happening among all ages, but the vast majority I see doing it in cars tend to be approximately 40 and under. It IS an addiction. Not only while driving, but many people cannot just walk or sit without 'having to' constantly check their phones or be talking to someone (or trying to talk to someone). I even see little "tween" kids who are addicted to their phones. I cannot begin to count the number of instances just locally where cellphone-related distracted driving has led to deaths.

Another issue with cellphones is people's addiction to taking selfies. Less than a mile from my house is a set of cliffs overlooking the sea where, over the last few years, at least 3 people have fallen and died because they bypassed safety barriers with clearly-marked warning signs about the unstable cliffs and went to the edge, trying to take selfies. This is also common in national parks and many other places. Selfies are another sub-addiction to cellphones, where people become zombie-like and unable to keep themselves from doing it. Personally, I just don't get it and why it's so important to people.

Personally, if somebody's cell phone addiction presents mostly a danger only to themselves (such as taking selfies at the precipice of a cliff), I have less of a problem with it. It's when their addiction makes them a danger to other people's lives and property that it's a monumental problem. In the same way that if an alcoholic gives hin/herself cirrhosis of the liver, that's their problem; but when they drink and drive, then it becomes the potential problem of everybody that shares the road with them.

A new zombie-like addiction that's taken hold in a similar way over the past year is the motorized scooter thing, the dangers of which are also not being taken seriously by my local city council...but that's another subject.

Jim
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#19

Post by JD Spydo »

Jim I can't thank you enough for confirming what I've believed for some time now. And that is the absolute addictive nature of these new generation cell phones. The DEA might just as well classify the new generation Cell Phones as a "Schedule 1" narcotic because that wouldn't be inaccurate either :rolleyes: . One of the ladies I did some work for last month literally could't put the damned thing down even long enough for me to ask her some pertinent questions about the job at hand. She also couldn't even drive her car unless she had that gizmo firmly glued to her ear. NO!!! I'm not exaggerating one bit about that either.
A local Popeye's chicken stand I used to go to quite a bit would no longer take my "To Go" orders over the phone unless I logged it in online through my smart phone :eek: . I told the woman at Popeyes that if I couldn't deal with them the way I've always dealt with them that I will find another fast food joint to patronize>> and she acted as if she could have cared less :eek: :confused: What in the **** is wrong with everyone!!! It's as though our entire society is becoming cyborg slaves to these lousy electronic toys for GOD's sake :mad:
And the safety issue which Jim just reaffirmed is totally getting way out of hand. Really are people so full of themselves and so vain that taking these stupid life risking pictures/selfies no matter what the consequences>> including death!! :eek: GOD help us :(
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Re: Cell Phone Addicts III

#20

Post by Sharp Guy »

I haven't read all the posts but I will say that cell phone use while driving is rampant here in the DFW area of TX and it's supposed to be illegal. I see it everyday driving to and from work. I get tired of waiting behind someone when a red light turns green and the person in front of you doesn't realize it until it's too late because they were too busy staring at their phone. Then they hit the gas and make it through the light but I get to sit through it one more time. Frustrating! Last weekend we were at a local festival. I was standing near a busy road while waiting for my girl to use the restroom in the restaurant on the corner. I swear 7 out of 10 drivers that went by were looking at their phone as they drove by. That's ridiculous! My phone is in my back pocket or in a dash mount if I'm using it as a GPS. I don't take calls while I'm driving unless I'm expecting an important call while on the road and I have my Bluetooth ear bud in. I rarely get an import call that can't wait so that's basically never.
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