Had a Real Close Call Today...

[Marine1]

While driving down the wet streets today... in a posted 25mph school zone, (and doing that speed, maybe less)...a young teenage schoolgirl, at a running pace, with a cell phone in her ear, while looking in the opposite direction, down the street, I was traveling...darted across my vehicles path, in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and stopped about (5) feet from her person as she passed. She never broke her running stride, or even looked back at me. Careful out there, folks!

[MrsS]

My 15 year old daughter is awful when it comes to her cell phone. Seems like that is her only focus when she's on it. Imagine them texting, etc. while driving!! Talk about danger!

[Seabeescotty]

Man, that was a close one, and she'd have been upset, if you hit her. A lot of people today act like it's everyone else's responsibility to watch out for them. It would have been traumatic for you, but it's not your fault when someone fails to pay attention to the world around them. She needs to learn to pay attention, before it causes her an injury, or worse. Lucky for you, you were paying attention! Take care, and breath easy.

[Brother Bob]

Originally Posted by Marine1

While driving down the wet streets today... in a posted 25mph school zone, (and doing that speed, maybe less)...a young teenage schoolgirl, at a running pace, with a cell phone in her ear, while looking in the opposite direction, down the street, I was traveling...darted across my vehicles path, in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and stopped about (5) feet from her person as she passed. She never broke her running stride, or even looked back at me. Careful out there, folks!

You should have honked your horn and let her know how close she came to meeting God. You're upset and she doesn't even know how close she came. What's wrong with this picture?

[Marine1]

Originally Posted by Seabeescotty

Man, that was a close one, and she'd have been upset, if you hit her. A lot of people today act like it's everyone else's responsibility to watch out for them. It would have been traumatic for you, but it's not your fault when someone fails to pay attention to the world around them. She needs to learn to pay attention, before it causes her an injury, or worse. Lucky for you, you were paying attention! Take care, and breath easy.

Right, Scotty...I must also thank my military and police training for my quick reactions, after over 25,000 hours of road-time, now retired.

[Seabeescotty]

Number one, and you don't have to beat yourself up over someone else's failure to pay attention!! The old training does just take over, ever so often!

[stalebiscuit]

i refuse to talk on the cell phone and drive, i mean i will pick it up or if im looking for an address, but i dont understand the whole make conversation on the cell phone while driving

even with hands free devices it cuts your attention in half and is a serious hazard to you and everyone around you

[bigbuddy21]

Originally Posted by stalebiscuit

i refuse to talk on the cell phone and drive, i mean i will pick it up or if im looking for an address, but i dont understand the whole make conversation on the cell phone while driving

even with hands free devices it cuts your attention in half and is a serious hazard to you and everyone around you

+1 as most people on the forum know i'm a trucker and i see idiotic people
doing some of the craziest things while driving. they dont have a clue as to whats going on around them.

when i see a driver on the phone or READING while driving, or putting on makeup, i get the H#LL away from them.<me><most drivers>

[thomasbrooks07]

Originally Posted by Brother Bob

You should have honked your horn and let her know how close she came to meeting God. You're upset and she doesn't even know how close she came. What's wrong with this picture?

lol that would make a good cell phone add. Girl gets killed on her cell phone and at the pearly gate the verizon guy says........ can you hear me now?....... good

[GlockMeister]

Originally Posted by Seabeescotty

Man, that was a close one, and she'd have been upset, if you hit her. A lot of people today act like it's everyone else's responsibility to watch out for them. It would have been traumatic for you, but it's not your fault when someone fails to pay attention to the world around them. She needs to learn to pay attention, before it causes her an injury, or worse. Lucky for you, you were paying attention! Take care, and breath easy.

You blobbered a slib full Scotty. lol

[deadman03]

at least she wasnt driving. i talk while driving sometimes, but i dont talk alot anyway. i have more problems drifting off sometimes, i dont do it offten, but it does happen, ussually a couple of seconds. i can say that most of the time when people are driving like idiots, its because they are on a cell phone. as far as i can tell i drive the same even if im talking.

[Full MeTal Jack]

Couple of months ago, saw a young man, 13-14, riding his bike. He rode right through an intersection with right side on-comming traffic as if it (traffic) wasn't even there. First thoughts were this kid will be taken out of the "Gene Pool" right now. Thank God to some quick reflexes of those drivers, the Tupid kid just rode on as if nothing just happened.

[Windwalker]

Marine 1, good reflexes. Glad no one was hurt.

Stalebiscuit, good post of cell phones.

[nathangdad]

. . . . had to change my route home from work to avoid the better route
as people come off the main highway with cell phones glued to their
ears just yapping away while making all sorts of wide and narrow turns.

Sadly, I figure it is just a matter of time until someone kills someone else at the intersection of highway and street. Better to take a longer yet safer route home.

If someone wishes to ban something - why not cellphones to the ear in a vehicle going down the street in Texas? How can this be less threatening than someone with an open container of beer? Not that I drink anything in a vehicle - I just equate an alcohol buzz as equally dangerous to a cell phone haze.

Also, I do not own a cell phone just in case anyone is wondering.

[CalifgirlinOk]

What get's to me is how a person can drive a stick shift and text on the phone.Driving and talking(texting) is just a car wreck waiting to happen.I wonder how many deaths there have been from idiots talking and texting?? Does anyone have any numbers nation wide on this? If you do please let us know,I'm curious.

[Marine1]

Many cities here have passed ordinance's, because of the traffic accidents involving useages of cell phones. A $100.00 traffic fine is levied, for using the cell phone while the vehicle is in motion. Most do not even pay attention to this. Current on-the-job-, LEO's tell me they issue quite a few cites, for this infraction. Kids, on foot...being minors...well...it's still a crap-shoot.

[Big Dog]

I once was driving in near-bumper-to-bumper traffic in Norfolk, Va and had a stupid kid riding his bicycle into my lane facing me...
I couldn't go left or right, couldn't stop without getting nailed from behind...
So I laid on the horn and prayed he got smart real fast....

He did - he dumped his bike onto the curb - his 'guardian angel' has gotta be working some serious overtime!

I've seen it all - the 'rolling highway cosmotologists' doing their hair in the mirror, the 'morning news reader' checking the scores or the NASDAQ in the mullet wrapper, the Soccermom on her cellphone, and really whooping mad at some poor fool, the college kid listening to the latest cRap hit and letting the whole county know just how loud his new sound system can go.

[CrazyIvan]

It totally pisses me off....there are so many hit & runs in Denver. Well, if people teach their G.D. kids that the street is for VEHICLES, and not their tricycle, maybe we wouldn't have this problem. They don't look. The parents don't teach their kids, and no one cares, until someone gets hurt...then it is some big deal.

Everytime I see some hispanic lady (most of the hit & run victims here in Denver are hispanic children of illegal parents) with her 3 year old standing in the middle of the street while she unloads the diapers from the trunk...I just want to stop and slap the bitch.

This isn't some F'n cobblestone back-water alley in Mexico. Get the F! out the street when a car is coming idiots!

[deadman03]

in nc there is a law that teens cant use a phone while driving, but ill let you know when i find someone who abides by that law. i cant even think of anyone getting a ticket for that, i have a friend that sends about 200 text a day, doesnt slow dow while driving, spends most of his time in town and has never had a problem over it. i dont understand it, it seems that rather than getting together and haging out, most of the people in my class would rather just text each other.

[TXplt]

Originally Posted by Marine1

Many cities here have passed ordinance's, because of the traffic accidents involving useages of cell phones. A $100.00 traffic fine is levied, for using the cell phone while the vehicle is in motion. Most do not even pay attention to this. Current on-the-job-, LEO's tell me they issue quite a few cites, for this infraction. Kids, on foot...being minors...well...it's still a crap-shoot.

Good job Marine 1--glad it worked out.

I don't think cell phone laws are a good idea; they just create a nation of scofflaws. We need to save laws for important things. You can distract yourself with anything--the key is to do what you did and concentrate on the task in hand--driving.

If you want to put on makeup, adjust the radio, talk on the CP, etc., save it for a low activity portion of the trip. It's called task management. It's OK not to answer calls when you're busy (if it comes down to flying or talking, the flying comes first). This isn't something you can legislate. People do need to use common sense though.

I once almost got taken out by a white pickup truck passing 4 cars while coming over a blind hill right into my face. I jinked off the road and we missed. As he passed, he was blabbing on his cell phone as well

If you want enforcement, if someone's driving badly cite them for dangerous driving. The cell phone is an accessory in the fact, not the cause. The cause is the driver (or girl running across the street) not concentrating on the task at hand.

Again, well done.