Driving and mobile phones

Escapee · 31-03-2010, 12:53

It really annoys me.

Yesterday afternoon I walked out of Halfords directly outside the door leading to the car park is a pedestrian crossing. I saw 2 vehicles coming so I ambled before approaching to let them pass, the first car stopped immediately after the crossing with the back of the car level with the crossing and the 2nd a van stopped to let me cross.

As I started to cross the reversing lights of the car came on and it started reversing. The reason was due to the female driver not being very observant and stopping close behind a car that was trying to park. As I quickly sidestepped and crossed I noticed the female occupant had her window halfway down and was busy talking on her phone.

I explained to her that she should be more observant before reversing, and her reply was 'you shouldn't walk behind my car' I then explained that I was actually walking across a pedestrian crossing and she had reversed onto it without looking. She then made further comments that it was my fault because I walked behind her car, at this point I let rip and explained to her that A. she had obviously not been looking any further than the end of her bonnet hence the reason she was up the back end of the vehicle attempting to park, B. She had not looked before reversing over a pedestrian crossing and C. If she wasn't so busy taking on her phone whilst driving perhaps her driving would improve.

At this point a guy walked over and asked what was the problem and why had a raised my voice to the woman. I said ' I'm glad you have come across, I guess you are a witness' The guy had not seen any of it and I explained, by this time the woman had got out of her car, still clutching the mobile phone to her ear.

After exchanging a few insults, and my suggestion that the fine should be £600 and not £60 for using a phone whilst driving she got in her car still convinced that she was in the right and it was all my fault.

How sorry I am that I didn't smack the back of her car with my newly purchased 28mm Halfords ring spanner instead of sidestepping.

Gary L · 31-03-2010, 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Escapee

How sorry I am that I didn't smack the back of her car with my newly purchased 28mm Halfords ring spanner instead of sidestepping.

I would have hit her about the head with it

**Derek** · 31-03-2010, 12:57

You still see it, and people still think that they should get off with a warning instead of £60 + points when they get caught.

You could make the fine as much as you want and people will still use their phone, the only deterrent would be the Police seizing the phone as evidence to avoid them claiming they were using it to record a joke

Spectato · 31-03-2010, 13:22

I'm sure these people realise it's statistically quite unlikely that they'll be caught (by the police at least).
That and the fact that they have no regard for others, rules or common courtesy.

I'm more surprised (and somewhat alarmed) by the amount of drunks that I see driving, even during the day.
Well, they're either drunk, high or mental!

ZrByte · 31-03-2010, 14:11

The funny thing I found was that when the ban was officially announced what seems like ages ago I noticed a lot of people seemed to stop but as the months go by more and more people seem to be doing it again, its actually worse now than it was before the ban in my opinion.
I suppose more people have realised how unlikely it is for them to get caught so have stopped caring.
I have to admit myself that I have even answered my phone once while driving, I picked it up, pressed answer, then speaker-phone and put it back onto my dashboard near the clock and continued the conversation like that. And I still felt like scum for doing that as it's still illegal since I'm not using a handsfree kit and had to handle the phone to answer the call. I really don't know how people can do it, talking constantly with only one hand free to drive for possibly hours at a time.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spectato

I'm more surprised (and somewhat alarmed) by the amount of drunks that I see driving, even during the day.
Well, they're either drunk, high or mental!

Probably all of the above and I would like to add elderly to that list. I know a lot of elderly drivers aren't a problem but I have seen a few who are more dangerous than drunk drivers.

Angua · 31-03-2010, 14:20

Thing to have done is taken a picture of the car reversing & then a picture of her on the phone & forwarded that to the plod.

Hom3r · 31-03-2010, 14:27

I have lost count, of the amount of drivers that still use phones while driving.

Peter_ · 31-03-2010, 14:44

A fine is of no use they should do the same as no tax or insurance and seize the car, I expect we would then see less idiots with a phone to their ear.

Turkey Machine · 31-03-2010, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moldova

A fine is of no use they should do the same as no tax or insurance and seize the car, I expect we would then see less idiots with a phone to their ear.

Seize the car and the mobile phone, then they might not be so careless with people's lives.

Uncle Peter · 31-03-2010, 16:50

Should have walked into the car and thrown yourself to the ground pretending to writhe around in agony.... "can't....can't feel my legs"

martyh · 31-03-2010, 18:20

i think this woman would have parked accross a pedestrian crossing and then tried to reverse away from a car trying to park ,wether she was on the phone or not ,some drivers don't need a phone to make them ignorant

i would like to ask the OP why was a car trying to park so close to a crossing anyway ?

Hom3r · 31-03-2010, 18:38

The police should make them put the phone on the floor and drive over it, then stamp on it.

LSainsbury · 31-03-2010, 19:20

/Controversial comment coming up....set phasers to stun...

I don't think the actual concept of holding a mobile causes accidents, I think it has more to do with actual concentration.

I always use bluetooth - my car has it built, in BUT I still sometimes find myself getting engrosed into a converastion and then concentration starts to drift off the driving.

A conversation on a mobile is different than a conversation with somebody sat next to you.

IMO, for some reason, it takes more concentration to talk on a mobile (mobile or bluetooth) that it does to talk to somebody sat next to you, but they've not worked out why yet....

martyh · 31-03-2010, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSainsbury

/Controversial comment coming up....set phasers to stun...

I don't think the actual concept of holding a mobile causes accidents, I think it has more to do with actual concentration.

I always use bluetooth - my car has it built, in BUT I still sometimes find myself getting engrosed into a converastion and then concentration starts to drift off the driving.

A conversation on a mobile is different than a conversation with somebody sat next to you.

IMO, for some reason, it takes more concentration to talk on a mobile (mobile or bluetooth) that it does to talk to somebody sat next to you, but they've not worked out why yet....

not controversial at all i think your spot on ,it is the talking that distracts not the holding

Lord Nikon · 01-04-2010, 03:19

The biggest problem I perceive is the police. I was once traveling through Oldham as a passenger in a van then one car nearly hit the side of us, forced it's way in front at a low speed, nearly hit two other cars on it's way back into the lane it had just vacated, then cut in front of a bus on the oldham bypass causing the bus to slam on the brakes (complete with tyre smoke as it is a 50 zone and the car was doing no more than 20.) The car went on to turn down onto manchester road from the right lane of the bypass, cutting through one lane of traffic at low speed to do so. No mobile was evident from the driver who looked like George Burns. I phoned the police as I was genuinely worried for the driver and other road users since the driving was so erratic I was scared in case the driver got himself or anyone else killed.

The first thing the police asked after I explained why I was phoning was "Are you making this call while driving the vehicle?"
I explained "No, I am the passenger" went on to give the road the car was heading along, the erratic nature of the driving, the details of the cars he had almost hit and the bus, the make, model, registration number of the car and the road it was last seen heading along, including "If you manage to get a police car behind him the officer will see within a minute why I am concerned, he's all over the road and I am concerned he may not be well but at the very least I don't want hm to cause an accident or get himself hurt" Only to be told that unless I came into the station and gave a statement they would not bother sending a car to see about the driver, and one would not be dispatched until after the statement was made.

And people wonder why the police are held in low esteem. You try to point their admittedly limited resources in the direction of a moving road hazard who at the very least needs to be checked on to see if they are ok and that is the response that happens.