That attitude seems common among people currently driving on the freeways of California. It is not my attitude. I would consider it irresponsibly dangerous. Even if it were legal I would not do it.
I have several times honked at drivers who were texting while driving . (Ok, at drivers who were looking at their lap for long periods while occasionally looking at the road. I could be wrong about a few, but I think we could take it that they can only be texting). I would gesture that they should hang up/stop texting. Is it likely that this has been misunderstood all these times? Because no one has ever acted in an embarrassed or appeasing manner. Instead I get the finger, aggression, and road rage tailgating.
I don’t think what I am doing could be called “aggressive”, but I get that it is “active”. It is conceivable that free-lance road shaming like this could be more dangerous than the provoking crime, but I am not tailgating, or driving in front and braking or things like that.
The more conventional thing to do, the thing you or I would do if we saw someone driving while brandishing a handgun or something, is to call the CHP. I am cynical about this having any effect. I think texting while driving is so common, and so hard to prove that it would be ignored. Am I right about that?
I didn’t want to mention earlier that I don’t even have text service on my phone, and yes, I am philosophically opposed to it, which makes some consider me a crotchety eccentric. Ok, let’s accept that. Is that the reason why I am outraged? Everyone does it but me? Why the lack of shame?
Fully agreed! I pulled over just yesterday to text someone about a sandwich shop in North Hollywood. I texted, pulled back on the road. Although, the person answered the text, and I read it at a red light. Put phone away. That’s all I needed. (Don’t know if you agree about reading it at a red light.)
I don’t have the car capability to answer the phone either when driving. So if I’m driving, you can wait until I’ve stopped driving, or if I find a place to pull over.
I have been known, on a stretch of controlled-access road where I can see clearly for 20 seconds downfield, so to speak, AND IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, to type in a quick OK and hit Send.
While I share your low opinion of texting while driving, honking at them is ean exceptionally terrible and dangerous idea, and I would beg you stop doing it at once. You’re taking an already distracted driver and startling them. It makes the immediate situation more dangerous and will almost certainly have no long term positive effect at all.
Well, you don’t even know what all you people are texting about all the time, so how could you be opposed to it? It does seem like you’re awfully jealous of everyone else’s texting though, imagining all those interesting conversations they must be having that don’t include you.
BTW, the “clueless old man” shtick has been done to death around here. You might want to get a new angle.
[del]Twenty[/del] Thirty years ago, I knew people who had the same attitude on drinking and driving.
Basically, “Yeah, it’s bad, but I’m careful when ***I ***do it. I know my limits and I’ve never been caught or been involved in an accident, so what I am doing is OK”.
No, it’s not OK. Nothing you have to say is worth the risk. It isn’t the risk to you that matters, it’s the risk to others. They are depending on you to pay attention to driving. In fact, in order for them to drive responsibly, they have to assume you are paying attention to driving; otherwise, the only rational action for them is not to be on the road. Which is OK, I guess, if you own the road.
I have never driven on the German Autobahns, but I understand the people who drive on them observe a rule that you are to stay right except when passing, and if you are going too slow in the left lane you can expect to have brights flashed at you and be tailgated. Now given the common stereotype of Germans, it is possible that this custom is actually codified, and not evolved, organic, adopted. But if it is the latter, would it not be evidence against your claim, as presumably there was a first left-lane-light-flasher, and another, and finally the custom was widespread?
Hooleehootoo I think you misunderstand RickJay’s reservations. Unlike flashing headlights sudden loud noises create a startle response in many people. I believe RickJay thinks that a sudden noise administered to a distracted, zoned out texter is more likely to result in a wild fluctuation in the vehicle’s velocity or direction of travel rather than an orderly one.
Understood. I agree startling would be counter-productive. I typically am alongside for several seconds before I an be convinced a person is texting. It is common for them to see a car in the periphery of their vision and look up.
In Australia if you did that with a cop around you could be fined for sounding your horn. If you could make a case that you thought the guy was drifting into your lane you may get away with it otherwise complaining to another driver about their driving isn’t an acceptable reason to sound your horn. It is intended as a warning device only:
*224—Using horns and similar warning devices
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, a horn, or similar warning device, fitted to or in the driver’s vehicle unless—
(a) it is necessary to use the horn, or warning device, to warn other road users or animals of the approach or position of the vehicle*
I have a friend that claims to have called the cops and given them the plate number of a car any time he sees them doing anything dangerous.
The kicker? He tells the dispatcher he saw them weaving and worries that they might be drunk.
THAT usually gets a patrolman out on the road to see what’s up. Then the po-po get to see Entitled Jerk Driver [speeding/tailgating/whacking the kids in the back seat/almost side-swiping cars/texting/calling/filling the hookah] for themselves.
I’ve always wanted to do that, but haven’t gotten mad enough yet. This thread might push me over the line…