Those damnable and dangerous mobile phones!!

Millie Master

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OK I have always hated mobile phones even when I was in business when I always had it turned off when in a car, even when I wasn't driving.

Any device that can cause distraction should be banned from being used when driving purely on the grounds of safety and for many a long year I have been amazed that all vehicles aren't fitted with some kind of force field device to block any radio signals to mobile communication devices.

Now on the BBC's TV Breakfast show this morning I was pleased to see one County Council is putting up automated signs that flash when it detects a passing vehicle has a mobile phone in use and takes a photograph which will be passed on to the police who will pass out 6 penalty points................... At last, someone is doing something about this international problem.
 
And what if it was the passenger in the offending vehicle that was using the mobile phone but the photograph doesn`t clearly show that ?

The innocent driver will then not have a cat in hells chance of getting the charged dropped.

Stupid idea.


The technology will not be used as an "enforcement tool", the forces said, but was instead aimed at educating motorists and identifying offending "hotspots".
 
I think that trying to drive whilst juggling a mobile phone to answer a call, or worse still, trying to use the keyboard to dial a number is quite rightly illegal.

However, I can't see how having a conversation via a hands-free phone is any more distracting than having a conversation with a passenger. Indeed, I have seen drivers and passengers looking at each other whilst talking on many occasions - that doesn't happen with a hands-free.
 
For quite a few "drivers" breathing is a distraction . Seems like another "spin" driven idea , they havent got the Police to enforce the law so they try and con people , much like the sign that says "Police operation in progress" and the fact the sign has to chained up tells you all you need to know !!
 
For quite a few "drivers" breathing is a distraction . Seems like another "spin" driven idea , they havent got the Police to enforce the law so they try and con people , much like the sign that says "Police operation in progress" and the fact the sign has to chained up tells you all you need to know !!
I agree. The authorities in East Sussex installed fibre pictures of a policemans face, cropped to show mainly the eyes. Their idea was that people would see the eyes and cut back on criminal activities.

Before they were installed they asked for feedback on the principle. I told them the money would be better spent on washing the standard traffic signs as they were filthy and darn near unreadable at night.

The standard signs became filthier, the new fibre signs were installed and ignored, and they are already falling to bits.

Have they had an impact on criminal activity? Not on your nelly!
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And what if it was the passenger in the offending vehicle that was using the mobile phone but the photograph doesn`t clearly show that ?

The innocent driver will then not have a cat in hells chance of getting the charged dropped.

Stupid idea.

I have never allowed anyone, ever, to have their mobile phones turned on when in one of my vehicles with me whilst the engine is running purely on the grounds of safety!
I also make my objections known if anyone visiting my home receives a mobile phone call, or when eating out when they don't have the good and basic manners to turn the blessed things off.

I know it is hard for some people to believe, but life did go on in times gone by before these damnable devices were invented, which is why I saw to it to ban them from being used at my golf club when out on the course!

I do own a mobile, but normally never have it turned on.
 
I drive for a living and the phone is an important part of my work, without it I wouldn’t get any,I have always had hands free, and i have never been distracted by it, just the same as I am not distracted by listening to the radio, I find it quite easy to use my ears and mouth whilst driving as I use my eyes for driving
 
I’ve used hands free car kits for business for many years and don’t find them distracting. All the controls are on my steering wheel and easier to sort than changing stations on the radio.

I’d like to see smoking and vaping banned inside vehicles, especially considering the huge volumes of smoke generated by some of the new e cigarettes. Of course it’s also easier to throw the dogend out of the window driving along, once one hit me on the chest riding one of my motorbikes.
 
I have never allowed anyone, ever, to have their mobile phones turned on when in one of my vehicles with me whilst the engine is running purely on the grounds of safety!
I also make my objections known if anyone visiting my home receives a mobile phone call, or when eating out when they don't have the good and basic manners to turn the blessed things off.

I know it is hard for some people to believe, but life did go on in times gone by before these damnable devices were invented, which is why I saw to it to ban them from being used at my golf club when out on the course!

I do own a mobile, but normally never have it turned on.
Not a lot of use if say a hospital or police are trying to contact you about some one ill of worse taken to hospital,move with the times.
 
What about those people trying to set their sat navs whilst driving?
Or taxi drivers who are exempt,then of course there is the pilots flying above talking to control tower,yes i agree on mobils being banned if not on hands free or blue tooth
 
I've seen so much bad driving it's unreal.

More often than not, by people who are NOT using a mobile phone.....

I've never understood smoking being allowed by a driver. "I know, let's give people small fires that could end up in their lap while they are in control of a big lump of metal at 70mph" Daft. But the government won't make as much money from fines as they do in tax on cigarettes, so it remains legal. Phones on the other hand...
 
What I failed to add, and it’s a great favourite hate of mine is the number of people I see texting or twitting or whatever with the phone down in the lap, glancing up every now and again to check the road.

The punishment if/when caught is nowhere near sufficient. It’s a fine and 6 points. Not near enough.

Think of this, every now and again (or more) we all go over the national speed limits, 30,40,50 etc. whatever. A lot of the time it’s not deliberate, oops 35/36 in a 30. You get the idea. If caught it’s 3 points and £100 or so. You didn’t mean to, but you’re sorry and get punished.

Then there’s the drinker. Staggers out of the pub after a few beers or glasses of wine (women too) and unsteadily drives down the road and gets stopped and breathalysed. After blowing a small margin over, say 40, he gets arrested, blows over in the nick and finally has a day in court and 12 months ban and a hefty fine.

Damn good job too, it was a deliberate act to drink and drive. In no way at all accidental.

Then your telephoner/texter/tweeter despite it being a blatant deliberate defiance of the law only gets 6 points. Senseless.

Drive without insurance as I’ve seen often in the cops programmes, they confiscate the car immediately, and if circumstances allow it will end up crushed.

My way if I was in charge (?)

Drink drive - crush the car - explain that one to the transport manager ? plus a ban as already in force.

Texter/tweeter - crush the car - there can’t possibly be an excuse, plus a 12 month ban
Telephone call - circumstances could allow for it, so I’d leave that to the judge, but a severe fine and ban should be an option
 
What I failed to add, and it’s a great favourite hate of mine is the number of people I see texting or twitting or whatever with the phone down in the lap, glancing up every now and again to check the road.

And that's the problem with banning phone calls, some people will try and text instead thinking they won't be seen. I don't BTW.
 
I have never allowed anyone, ever, to have their mobile phones turned on when in one of my vehicles with me whilst the engine is running purely on the grounds of safety!
I also make my objections known if anyone visiting my home receives a mobile phone call, or when eating out when they don't have the good and basic manners to turn the blessed things off.

I know it is hard for some people to believe, but life did go on in times gone by before these damnable devices were invented, which is why I saw to it to ban them from being used at my golf club when out on the course!

I do own a mobile, but normally never have it turned on.

I agree fully on the dangers of using mobile when driving, however I think that objecting to someone receiving call when a passenger in a vehicle or visiting your home is rather short sighted, not to say draconian. Same applies to when in a restaurant or on the golf course. Its is quite simple to turn a mobile to silent so the user knows someone is trying to contact them.

Does it not occur to you that there are many people who depend on mobile phones for important, sometimes life saving communication, for example, those with elderly vulnerable or ill heath parents or other family members, those who are on call as members of the emergency service or medical practitioners, there are many examples and I am reminded of golfer who suffered a heart attack on the course , who would not have survived had his partner not been able to summon assistance by using his mobile. Presumably there is no one who you might want to contact you in an emergency so you might as well bin your mobile if you hate them so much. On the other hand perhaps you do think a mobile might be useful should you need to contact someone should you have an emergency situation which is why you carry one.

There is no problem with mobile phones at all, its just a matter of people using them in a manner that does not disturb others. I would be the first to ask someone not to carry out a loud conversation in a restaurant and I think they should be turned silent in in most public places. Good manners and consideration is eat is needed, that's all.
 

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