I totally agree Road Dog.

When I was in college, I hit a parked car because I was looking down at my phone trying to find a contact. Lesson learned. It could have been way worse. It could have been a person that I hit.

I have to admit, that if I do need to make a quick text, I'll pull my phone out at the red light. I spend a lot of time driving and running errands, including picking people up so I need to be able to communicate while on the road sometimes. But I strongly believe that even talking on the phone should be done while you are at a complete stop (unless you have one of those ear pieces.)

If your work or social life requires so much attention that you can't be bothered to treat the guy/gal selling you dog food like an actual person, then you shouldn't be out in public. I've heard people talking on cell phones in my office restroom. I can't imagine what the person on the other end of the phone is thinking.

LOLOL that you mention this. We were just discussing this at work. There is this lady who wears one of those headpieces for her cell phone ALL. THE. TIME. in the office. Everytime she is in the bathroom, she is talking to someone on the phone. The general theory we've come up with is that she must be a CIA operative lol. But seriously, that *kitten* is annoying.

I love texting and I love staying connected. I always have my cell phone with me, but I'm 44 and know when it's appropriate to use and when it's not. I don't text while driving. I don't text while walking in a busy mall or grocery store. I don't talk on my phone when I should be paying the cashier.

Driving while texting is negligent. If you kill someone while texting and driving, you should be punished by the laws of the state.

Lately I have been carpooling and to let her know I'm on my way I have a pre-written text ready to go that I can send out at a near red light - that's the extent of my phone use in my car.

If I need to make a call, answer one, look at a text, or get directions, it either waits or I pull over and park. Maybe it's also feeling uncomfortable not having two hands available from driving a manual for many years, too..

eta - Patti reminded me about walking and texting...there have been numerous times on campus I've almost been trampled by someone that was texting while walking...!

I went as long as possible without a cell phone. I really did not want to get one. "But this way I can reach you any time!" EXACTLY why I never wanted one. Is it such a tragedy that people be allowed some time on their own? Listen I'm not a doctor or a cop. No one needs me in an emergency situation!!

But of course I did eventually get one. And now everyone has one. So heaven forbid there be a 10 minute period of your life where someone can't contact you. They freak out like you've abandoned them.

When I'm driving I just ignore it. Sometimes I'll take a call because I worry it's something important. It never is. And to tell someone "I'm driving, I can't talk right now" you'd think you pissed in their corn flakes.

Sigh. I miss the world as it was sometimes. You left the house and did whatever you had to do. No one could reach you because you were out. When you were home you made your calls. Now it's constant.

-So what are you doing?
-Driving. Did you need something?
-Naaah..so what's up?
-Like I said, I'm driving.
-Geez you're in a bad mood! What's bothering you?

People suck.

So heaven forbid there be a 10 minute period of your life where someone can't contact you. They freak out like you've abandoned them.

It's funny when my oldest boys text me and don't get a reply within 30 minutes, they send another one saying, "Mom, are you okay"?

When it really starts to get to me I like to shut the phone off and go for a drive. When I turn it back on you'd think I was out murdering people with the responses I've gotten. It's like a Law & Order interrogation with no one understanding the concept of "I very much like time to myself." "Yes but what if I need to reach you?" "You don't."

It's a cool technology and all, but I never use it. If I want to talk to someone, I call them. I have people in my family OLDER than me who are on that frickin phone texting all the time or playing "angry birds" or something. But if I am actively engaging someone in a conversation who is obviously preoccupied with whatever he/she is texting into their phone, I'll say something. As far as my house goes, my rules are only emergency phone calls will be accepted, I tell the person, even my mom and mother in law, we'll call you back, we are eating. No cell phones at the table period. I want that to be the opportunity that we get at least a little time in our house everyday to have a conversation about what is going on in our lives. My sons are young, but we already do it and it ends up being a lot of fun, at least for now.

No cell phones at the table period. I want that to be the opportunity that we get at least a little time in our house everyday to have a conversation about what is going on in our lives. My sons are young, but we already do it and it ends up being a lot of fun, at least for now.

This is a rule in our home, too.

Texting has been an awesome way for me to communicate with our teenagers. One, it's more convenient for them because they can just give me quick updates on where they are and what's going. For our 3rd son, he will say much more to me in text than he will in person. He communicates his concerns and issues better in writing, so for him, this has been a great too.

I wont say that it's OK, because it is a distraction that is made free of choice by the individual who does so. As a single parent 24/7/365, I need to have my phone on at all times. I choose to do so freely, and I also use a blue-tooth headset. Nonetheless, if something happens because I am distracted, it is my fault, not the phone's

Texting while driving should be banned. Period. No if's and's or but's about it. It's dangerous and ends up killing a lot of people.

As far as texting itself goes, I don't really like it that much. I prefer a phone conversation unless it's just a short message. Full on text conversations are weird to me.

OP, I am so right there with you.

I am vehemently against texting while driving, and rarely text with my friends anyway. I actually have held off on the smart phone craze b/c I don't feel the need to be reachable by anyone at anytime (something my co-workers find annoying, but work time is work time and home life is for home).

DH and I went out to dinner a few weeks ago at a busy restaurant, and out of the 10 or so tables directly within my eyeline, 2 different couples spent their entire dinner on their smartphones, with minimal communication with one another. It was SHOCKING to my husband and I, as we use our date nights as a time to catch up on the conversations we've missed having and things we want to laugh about in general. The worst was the table directly beside us, which had a mom and her 8 year old daughter. The mom was on her smartphone the entire meal, leaving her daughter to eat alone. WTF?

Nothing pisses me off more than being with a person who constantly needs to check in with others while their focus should be on the party around them.

I didn't have a cell phone until we were in Germany and only did then because of the language barrier. If something happened while I was out I might well not be able to ask for assistance from just anyone. I have a cell phone here but rarely ever use it. It's a basic bottom of the line model that I got free when I signed up. I'm on my sister's plan so it's $16/month. Even then I keep considering cancelling it because it's a waste of money IMO. The only reason I still have it is because hubby will be going to Afghanistan again shortly for another 6 months and he feels better knowing I have it while he's gone.

My sister is about the only one who ever calls me on it and more often than not it's in my purse half dead. I don't even know how to text. If I want to chat with someone I call them from the home phone where it's free. Hubby doesn't like cell phones either. He only has his because his job gave him a Blackberry. He hates the darn thing.

I find this is an issue of age most of the time. I actually had an older man at a bar berating me because I was texting my boyfriend. I was there to visit my friend who was working and she was busy with other people, my bf lived 2 hours away at the time. We spent most of our time texting each other through the day. The man repeatedly asked me "why I 'couldn't just pick up my damn phone and call him." Duh, because I was in a bar and couldn't hear. I don't know if he was just angry because he didn't understand the technology or wanted the attention. I also had a friend who used to make snide comments to the bowling team if we were on our phones at the bowling ally. She even asked us not to play poker or text while we were there. As she was the only one at the table without a smartphone, that turned out to be a jealousy issue. She now has a Droid and is on hers constantly.


I guess I don't understand the mentality of some people that they think they have a better quality of life than others because they spend less time using a phone. I personally like to have my hands busy all the time. I don't get crappy with people who don't use their phone the same way I do, but often they do with me or other peope who are attached to their phone.

I have no issue talking on the phone while driving. I text at stop lights if I need too. Typically my bf and I know when the other is driving home or to work and don't text until we arrive at the specific place. If you cause an accident while driving, then you should have consequnces. In the case of the kid who was jailed, I wouldn't call him a murderer. It was manslaughter, a mistake or accident causing death. It wasn't a deliberate act to go out and kill someone.

Some people use phones as a source of blame of every driving incident. Is it too much to realize that driving incidents are cause by irresponsible and bad drivers? I would think there are more accidents daily involving people being lousy drivers than texting. Still people always say when around bad drivers, "they need to put their phone down!". How many people actually physically see with their own eyes that a person is texting?

Like everything else today.. rather than placing responsibbility on people, just ban something.

End rant/

I used to drink and drive a few years ago. As disgusting as that really is (I no longer drink, much less drink AND drive) I have to say, I surprisingly drove quite well after consuming about 4 Long Islands, and various other drinks. Doesn't mean that "drinking and driving" should only be an exception to some--it's stupid, thoughtless, irresponsible, and there is absolutely a damn good reason as to why it isn't allowed. Just because some people can do it without "harm," doesn't mean everyone can. Same goes for playing on your phone while driving. YOU may be able to do it just fine, but to sit there and say that it isn't becoming a widespread problem is ignorant, at best.

No, it's not "rather than placing responsibility on people, just ban something." The responsibility IS on the people. While I don't agree with such a light sentence, that 18-year-old who killed someone and injured another while texting? He's being punished. His punishment is serving just another example of why it's stupid to do stupid things. The necessity of a ban on texting and driving comes FROM the people.

Also, a vehicle isn't a toy. I'm pretty sure that most people wouldn't want someone operating a machine while on the phone, so why would a vehicle be any different? Emergencies aside, of course.

How many people actually physically see with their own eyes that a person is texting?

I do. All the time. When people point it out to me, I can see it, too. It isn't hard to see someone with a phone in their hand, texting. When stupid people texting on their cellphones come down a one-way THE WRONG WAY and almost hit me, I can certainly look at them and see a cellphone in their hand, texting on it. I can be behind someone and look at them and see them texting. I can look in my rear view mirror and see drivers behind me texting. I can look to either side and see a driver texting. I can see someone going the other way down the street texting. It's not hard to spot. More often than not, their head is faced down or to the side, depending on how they hold their phone. So yeah...I will say "they need to get off of their phone and drive"...because it's 100% obvious that they are on their phone, driving.

That said, my stance is the same as Road Dog and Brett's, especially in casual situations (dinners, company over, etc.). I do keep my cellphone on me almost at all times, especially if I'm alone, in case of an emergency. And I won't lie, I do like to text people. I'm not a huge fan of actually TALKING on the phone (I prefer one-on-one contact), but for some reason, texting doesn't bother me. I do, however, treat it as any other form of conversation, in that, it is absolutely rude to have company over and then continue to text. The only time I really find it appropriate is if, say, we're still waiting on people, and maybe someone we're waiting on texts/calls to say "On my way!" or something. Otherwise, no, I will not hold a conversation via text or talking on the phone while others are here to socialize with me. Same goes for if I'm out to eat with friends/family--no conversations on the phone, text or otherwise. I can't stand it when someone is in my home to socialize with me, and 100% of their attention is to texting, of if we're out to eat, and they simply play on their phone the whole time. If I suddenly broke out a deck of cards and started playing solitaire at the dinner table while company is over, I'm sure that'd most definitely be construed as rude.

Maybe I should be more specific, I don't think it's ok to text while you are driving down the road and I certainly never drink and drive and don't think that is acceptable by any means!

I don't see the harm in texting if you are stopped at a light or a train. The worst you are going to do is get honked at if the light turns green. I don't see how talking on a cell phone is any different than talking to a passenger. I often drive with one hand on the wheel and talk to my son or BF in the car.

I don't believe we should ban having cell phones in a car. Punishment if you wreck because of your phone? Sure. I truely believe people who support bans in any form are empowering the government. We already have bans on smoking, certain types of food, New york is even working on a ban for soda. Do you really need to encourage the government to continure to ban things 'for our own protection'?

Distracted driving is distracted driving regardless of the cause of the distraction. I understand the feelings behind the laws, but I don't think one distraction is worse than others. Whatever the reason, the at fault driver gets the ticket. If there is death, there can be a manslaughter charge unless it can be shown that the accident was unavoidable.

Why the need to demonize one thing over another?

I copied and paste the list below from this websiite. http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html
Lots of interesting statistics.

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Approximately 86% of drivers said they ate or drank while driving at some point, and 57% said they do it “sometimes” or “often."

Over 1/3 of drivers (37%) have sent or received text messages while driving, and 18% said they do it regularly.

Forty-one percent of adult drivers have set or changed a GPS system while driving, and 21% do it “more frequently.

”Many adult drivers (36%) have read a map while driving, and 10% do it “sometimes” or “often.

”One in five drivers have combed or styled his or her hair while driving. One in ten does it regularly.

Have you ever seen a driver putting on makeup? Approximately 14% have done it once, and 7% do it frequently.

About 13% of adult drivers have surfed the Internet while driving.

Results of the poll showed that younger drivers were more likely to engage in distracted driving.

Men were more likely to drive while drowsy, drive after drinking, read a map, use a GPS system, and use the Internet.

A large percentage of the people said they know distracted driving is dangerous, but do it anyway.