# If you have one of those robotic-ear cellphones, you're a douchebag! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807 "2005-10-31T22:19:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/101 "2005-11-02T18:37:49Z")
> [@Purd Werfect](#): > > We’ll have to agree to disagree on this matter. Even hands-free, cell phones make people worse drivers. And cell phones cause far, far fewer accidents than playing with the radio or eating or rubbernecking or children in the car or driver fatigue. Why not put your efforts into changing those behaviors that are far, far more likely to cause accidents rather than jumping on the trendy “OMFG!!! Cell phones are so dangerous!” bandwagon? You want to know why cell phones get such a bad rap? Because you can legislate against cellphones. Just try and pass a law banning children in cars or outlawing rubbernecking. Cell phone laws allow politicians to beat their chests and loudly proclaim that they are “doing something to protect the public”, even thought studies show that cell phones aren’t the biggest problem, or even much of a problem at all. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/102 "2005-11-02T18:51:09Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > No - no, they haven’t. Apple have stressed simple, minimal, elegant design. A proper comparison (to these douche-ear devices) would be [Alienware’s](http://www.alienware.com) stressing [douche-tastic designs](http://www.alienware.com/Product_Pages/desktop_all_default.aspx) on their computers, all vents and molded plastic and neon lights to appeal to only the least discriminating and least self-aware geeks. > > These robotic ear-douches are all Alienware, no Apple. Then I guess I’d better go get one, I love Alienware. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/103 "2005-11-02T19:52:05Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > And cell phones cause far, far fewer accidents than playing with the radio or eating or rubbernecking or children in the car or driver fatigue. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/104 "2005-11-02T22:02:26Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > No - no, they haven’t. Apple have stressed simple, minimal, elegant design. A proper comparison (to these douche-ear devices) would be [Alienware’s](http://www.alienware.com) stressing [douche-tastic designs](http://www.alienware.com/Product_Pages/desktop_all_default.aspx) on their computers, all vents and molded plastic and neon lights to appeal to only the least discriminating and least self-aware geeks. > > These robotic ear-douches are all Alienware, no Apple. Oh, so iPods aren’t the least bit pretentious? Please… Tell that to the folks who get mugged because they happen to be wearing a pair of white earbuds. Or the folks who buy a Shuffle because it makes a nice fashion accessory. I was just discussing this in a marketing meeting today, coincidentally. Design is a HUGE reason why Apple has been able to resurrect its brand. It’s the reason why they can charge more for a portable music player with less capacity. It’s the reason why they’re selling krillions of the damned things while other portable music players that kick the iPod’s ass in the tech spec realm are selling, like, not at all. But that’s not the point. The issue isn’t whether the Bluetooth headsets are more Apple or Alienware. It’s what the design has to do with douchebagginess. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/105 "2005-11-02T22:07:11Z")
> [@THespos](#): > > But that’s not the point. The issue isn’t whether the Bluetooth headsets are more Apple or Alienware. It’s what the design has to do with douchebagginess. Hey, when you build a better douchebag, the world will beat a path to your door. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/106 "2005-11-02T22:21:07Z")
I have a hard time believing VCO3 is a real human being. He can’t actually be getting this worked up over the phone accessories of another person, especially when they don’t affect his life in any way at all. He’s probably one of those mad men you see on the subway that have all the answers and is more than willing to give them out for free as long as you can stomach the fact he hasn’t bathed in 3 weeks because that would make him “pseudo-hip” and that’s the worst thing in the world you could ever be. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/107 "2005-11-02T22:36:42Z")
> [@Who\_me?](#): > > Then I guess I’d better go get one, I love Alienware. Me, too. I’m using my Alienware Notebook right now. But I’m a douchbag MMORPGer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/108 "2005-11-03T02:47:06Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Cite? [How about the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety](http://www.aaafoundation.org/projects/index.cfm?button=distraction)? From the linked report: > [@](#): > > The specific sources of distraction among distracted drivers were, in order of frequency: > Specific Distraction-% of Drivers > > Outside person, object, or event-29.4% > Adjusting radio/cassette/CD-11.4% > Other occupant-10.9% > Moving object in vehicle-4.3% > Other device/object -2.9% > Adjusting vehicle/climate controls-2.8% > Eating and/or drinking-1.7% > Using/dialing cell phone-1.5% > Smoking related-0.9% > Other distractions-25.6% > Unknown distraction-8.6% ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/109 "2005-11-03T10:57:39Z")
**Weirddave** obviously meant to include the very next paragraph from the report he cites, so I’ll help him out: > [@](#): > > Percentages for the different types of distractions should be viewed as preliminary estimates that are likely biased by differential underreporting. These are research results that will be useful in building a broader understanding of driver distraction. The percentages for the different types of distractions should not be used to guide policy development. Oh, and the data was collected in the period 1995-1999, for that peppermint-fresh taste. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/110 "2005-11-03T21:45:29Z")
I’m not sure of the point you are trying to make here. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807/111 "2005-11-03T21:56:21Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > I’m not sure of the point you are trying to make here. > [@](#): > > … preliminary estimates that are likely biased … plus the date implies that a more complete study should have been reported since then, would be my guess. Kind of sloppy on AAA’s part not post anything about the followup on that page. [Here](http://www.aaafoundation.org/multimedia/index.cfm?button=distractII) is the press release for the followup study, which echoes the first study’s results. The problem I see with this study, however, is it only tracks the % of time drivers engaged in a particular distracting activity, _not_ the degree to which that activity is distracting!!! In other words, it proves nothing about _how distracting_ any given activity is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-one-of-those-robotic-ear-cellphones-youre-a-douchebag/328807.md?page=5)