# When will idiots learn not to text and drive? (Texas bus accident) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2017, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483 "2017-04-01T06:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/61 "2017-04-02T07:52:00Z")
> [@Fuji](#): > > The Tapatalk shit remains obnoxious as ever. Yeah but if don’t use it and have to wait over 12 hours to be in front of a computer to respond to a post, the whining from some of the posters here will be unbearable. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/62 "2017-04-02T08:05:12Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Yeah, I’m going to change my voicemail every time I drive. That’s not a burden at all. Not really. The important quality of a voicemail message isn’t to declare your exact whereabouts at all times (“I can’t take your call right now because I’m in the crapper”) it’s to say that you’re not available and to solicit a message. And, if you’re professional, to say that you will return the call within a set period of time. Or, you can just continue your practice of distracted driving and eventually kill a few people, like the asshole that the OP is about. Your choice. Yes, yes, I know, you’re the one person in the entire world who can drive safely while playing his cell phone like a violin, it’s just everybody else who can’t. You’re a prime Grade A ignorant asshole and a danger on the road. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/63 "2017-04-02T08:13:29Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Yeah but if don’t use it and have to wait over 12 hours to be in front of a computer to respond to a post, the whining from some of the posters here will be unbearable. > > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I think you may overestimate the anticipation with which anyone awaits your next post, but you can disable the tapatalk signature in the app’s preferences. Do that and your posts will already be a little less stupid. The rest is up to you. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/64 "2017-04-02T09:32:34Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Yeah, I’m going to change my voicemail every time I drive. That’s not a burden at all. My goodness, you’re dumb. Why would you have to change it every time? Just say “I can’t answer right now, I may be driving, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” If you say “driving” in the announcement, maybe the people trying to reach you will realize that not everyone can answer their cellphone immediately all the time. > [@](#): > > Making fun of my username=ORIGINAL I wasn’t making fun of your username. I was pointing out that you’ve behaved stupidly in the past and I expect you do continue doing so in future. Your username could be literally anything else and I’d’ve said the same. You are russian heel, the idiot. You could as easily be german sole, and you’d still be an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/65 "2017-04-02T14:46:44Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I wish your opinion held here when my father was killed. Most people insist on calling what happened to him an accident. > > No. The dude looked DOWN to put in a CD, then hit and killed my father. > > It’ been two and a half years, and the sin that continues to weigh on my sould is that I don’t want to forgive the killer. Well, unless I could look him in the face and ask “why?” Turns out he lived only two blocks from me at the time. I’m so sorry about your dad. ☹ Two and a half years is very recent, too. Don’t worry about forgiving the guy. Maybe you will someday and maybe you never will. Any loving God worthy of the name would never hold this against you. You’re still very early on this grief path. Forgive YOURSELF, ok? {{{Hugs}}} ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/66 "2017-04-02T15:18:16Z")
One of the (very few) good features of the Windows Phone I had a few years ago was a “driving mode” which silenced text message alerts and automatically sent a pre-defined reply. Mine said something like “This is an automated reply. I’m driving and I haven’t seen your text. I’ll reply when I next stop.” It could also route incoming calls straight to voicemail while allowing me to still make outgoing calls if I felt it safe to do so. Once it was set up, this driving mode activated automatically upon connection to the car Bluetooth system. If Android has something similar, I haven’t found it yet. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/67 "2017-04-02T15:18:38Z")
Thank you **Thelma Lou**. With the Lenten season nearing it’s end, and Easter coming up, I’m figuring on going to confession(I’m Episcopalian) and getting this worked out, partly at least. My dad, thirty five years ago, had his heart attack on the Saturday before Easter. Next day they had to pull a code blue on him, but luckily he never felt a thing. His statement about that was _“if I had died, what a better day for it?”_ I should remember that and try to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Fuji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/68 "2017-04-02T15:22:59Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Yeah but if don’t use it and have to wait over 12 hours to be in front of a computer to respond to a post, the whining from some of the posters here will be unbearable. > > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Psst! Here’s a hint, you wacky kid: > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I think you may overestimate the anticipation with which anyone awaits your next post, but you can disable the tapatalk signature in the app’s preferences. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/69 "2017-04-02T15:23:17Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I don’t see how it’s different than talking with a headset while flying though. Which I’ve only done once. I can think of plenty of ways that it’s different, especially during certain phase of flight. I’m curious what your point is in mentioning that, though. It seems like a denial that talking while driving is much of a risk since pilots have a headset. Some flying rules and incidents: > [@](#): > > 14 CFR 121.542 - FLIGHT CREWMEMBER DUTIES > > (a) No certificate holder shall require, nor may any flight crewmember perform, any duties during a critical phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft. Duties such as company required calls made for such non safety related purposes as ordering galley supplies and confirming passenger connections, announcements made to passengers promoting the air carrier or pointing out sights of interest, and filling out company payroll and related records are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft. > **[14 CFR § 121.542 - Flight crewmember duties.](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.542)** > [@](#): > > **Non-Pertinent Radio Calls and PA Announcements** > > Several reports we examined indicate that problems arose when non-pertinent company radio calls and PA announcements were made below 10,000 feet. Remember, below 10,000 feet if it’s not directly related to flight safety, it’s in violation with the sterile cockpit rule. > > “Beautiful day making approach into familiar station, Captain elects to make a PA announcement to passengers while flying the aircraft. Resulting distraction of the passenger announcement [caused us to over-shoot]… altitude 500 feet.” (ACN 54741) > > While being vectored in a busy terminal area, the Captain in the following report called on the company radio frequency to notify maintenance about a minor cabin discrepancy. As the reporter soon discovered, his absence from the ATC frequency caused an overload with his First Officer. Several ATC radio calls were missed. The controller growled a little, they lost their landing sequence, and the pilot’s pride was hurt. But a valuable lesson was also learned. > > “…My thinking, however irresponsible it was, was that I should call maintenance with this item to save us time on the ground…I realize that the incident and this report is the result of very poor cockpit management on my part…It was most unwise and unfair of me to put the work load I did on that Controller and the First Officer…I hope I have learned the importance of giving my undivided attention to Approach Control, as opposed to reporting maintenance items [while flying below 10,000 feet].” (ACN 92145) [https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/directline/dl4\_sterile.htm](https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/directline/dl4_sterile.htm) ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/70 "2017-04-02T17:57:13Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > I can think of plenty of ways that it’s different, especially during certain phase of flight. I’m curious what your point is in mentioning that, though. It seems like a denial that talking while driving is much of a risk since pilots have a headset. Some flying rules and incidents: > [https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.542](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.542) > > [The Sterile Cockpit](https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/directline/dl4_sterile.htm) I mentioned it because talking while flying a plane seems like it should be as distracting as talking and driving a car. The flight instructor and I were constantly talking via headset. It didn’t seem to interfere with flying a plane. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/71 "2017-04-02T18:02:42Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I mentioned it because talking while flying a plane seems like it should be as distracting as talking and driving a car. The flight instructor and I were constantly talking via headset. It didn’t seem to interfere with flying a plane. You didn’t have dozens of airplanes within 100 ft, any one of which could move in front of you or hit you at any moment. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/72 "2017-04-02T18:15:33Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I mentioned it because talking while flying a plane seems like it should be as distracting as talking and driving a car. The flight instructor and I were constantly talking via headset. It didn’t seem to interfere with flying a plane. Talking about what you’re doing in the air does not distract from flying the way that having extraneous conversation and flying does. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/73 "2017-04-02T18:31:05Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Thank you **Thelma Lou**. With the Lenten season nearing it’s end, and Easter coming up, I’m figuring on going to confession(I’m Episcopalian) and getting this worked out, partly at least. > > My dad, thirty five years ago, had his heart attack on the Saturday before Easter. Next day they had to pull a code blue on him, but luckily he never felt a thing. His statement about that was _“if I had died, what a better day for it?”_ I should remember that and try to follow. My heart is breaking for you. Don’t rush yourself…digesting a loss of this magnitude, especially when it was so violent and unexpected, takes _years_. Really. In time you will reach some kind of stasis, although (contrary to what people may tell you), you likely won’t ever “get over it,” Nor would you want to. Forgive yourself first and trust that your heart, mind, and body know how to assimilate this loss and at what speed to do it. It’s an organic process and cannot be forced or rushed. (I’ve been a widow for almost 17 years, and I know what I’m talkin’ about.) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/74 "2017-04-02T18:48:57Z")
Chronos: > [@](#): > > I really, truly cannot fathom the mindset of people who text while driving. I can understand why people talk on the phone while driving, even though it’s proven to be dangerous, because it’s not intuitively obvious that it would be dangerous: Having a conversation with someone in the passenger seat is safe enough, and it doesn’t seem like it’s that different when the other person is on the other end of a phone connection (it is, apparently, but it’s not intuitively obvious). > > (drunk driving paragraph snipped) > > But texting? In order to text, you have to take your eyes away from the road and look at something else for a while. It’s the same as if you were trying to drive with your eyes closed, and nobody (well, OK, almost nobody) would ever think to try that. What makes people (even sober people who should have their wits about them) such idiots about it? You saved me the trouble of composing a post with the same content. If talking on the phone while driving has been banned as dangerous, what kind of moron would think that texting is LESS dangerous? You’d think it would be obvious! ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/75 "2017-04-02T19:49:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I really, truly cannot fathom the mindset of people who text while driving. I can understand why people talk on the phone while driving, even though it’s proven to be dangerous, because it’s not intuitively obvious that it would be dangerous: Having a conversation with someone in the passenger seat is safe enough, I agree about texting, doesn’t seem anyone disagrees or is willing to say so at least (I’ve _read_ texts at stop lights a few times, which you could still get cited for; I’ve really never typed a text while driving and never would). On talking to a passenger, by same token as it’s apparently hard to show hands free cell phone talking is much if any safer than hands-on\*, I wonder if you could really show it’s safer to talk to a passenger than a hands free call. Might depend on the passenger paying attention and knowing when to suspend the conversation which a caller wouldn’t, but not everyone has good judgement. Anyway most people accept that drivers can talk to passengers. AFAIK most people also accept the general idea you might change a CD while driving where safe, though CD players in cars are on wane. And I don’t think you’d get many real converts claiming people shouldn’t ever change radio stations while driving. Beyond texting, it gets into judgment calls, driving conditions vary. When in moving Manhattan traffic I usually don’t have the radio on or talk to passengers. Recently I drove half way across the US and back, different situation on uncrowded roads, as far as more marginal stuff like radio, talking to passengers or hands off phone (which my car has and I always use if on phone). Sirius XM is generally enough for me when driving and I don’t carry CD’s. But our (US) society is tending more to the idea of ‘zero tolerance’ ‘never let this happen again’ mentality of telling people exactly what to do, no discretion. But then people ignore a lot of the rules, even people paying lip service to them when they want to appear the good guy. \*the exception I see to this though is in city driving. All the time I see people go around corners, when I’m a pedestrian, without signalling and I look and they are on the (hands on) phone. And of course some people ignore turn signals anyway. But in some driving situations the fact one of your arms is partly in use, at least your shoulder, holding the phone against your head, matters more and there I don’t see how hand off would not help. In other situations it’s really just about attention and maybe hands on/off, or talking to people in the car, isn’t really that different. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/76 "2017-04-02T20:10:21Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Thats the next thing the driving Nazis are trying to push: banning ALL phone calls while driving, hands free or not. I sure as hell hope if this ever passes in my state they’ll increase unemployment while they are at it because in my business if a customer calls me and I don’t pick up right away guess who they will call next? > > Bingo: the competition. Or if they want to be real assholes they’ll call my manager complaining they couldn’t get hold of me. > > Banning texting while driving or non-handsfree devices is reasonable but you better be careful because there’s a lot of busybody lawmakers that want to take things too far. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, if you were at some minimal level of intelligence, you could record your voice mail message as something along the lines of “I’m sorry, I can’t take your call, I may be driving at this time. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” > > But you’re russian heel, so fat chance of THAT. Or better yet, if it’s so vital for you to be available at the drop of a hat, maybe you should be at your desk where you belong instead of driving around. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/77 "2017-04-02T20:21:23Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > On talking to a passenger, by same token as it’s apparently hard to show hands free cell phone talking is much if any safer than hands-on\*, I wonder if you could really show it’s safer to talk to a passenger than a hands free call. Might depend on the passenger paying attention and knowing when to suspend the conversation which a caller wouldn’t, but not everyone has good judgement. I think the biggest reason why talking to a passenger is safer, is not only are they more able to suspend their conversation when they see tricky driving coming up, even if they don’t, you can ignore them, and if you don’t respond, they don’t think that you’ve disappeared or that the call was dropped. If you stop talking in the middle of a phone conversation, you have only a few seconds before you start getting “hello, are you still there?”, and getting the person on the other side of the phone to repeat what they said while you were navigating is a pain as well. So, many drivers end up ignoring driving and focusing more on the phone conversation, much more so than they would with a passenger in the same situation as the driver. > [@](#): > > Anyway most people accept that drivers can talk to passengers. AFAIK most people also accept the general idea you might change a CD while driving where safe, though CD players in cars are on wane. And I don’t think you’d get many real converts claiming people shouldn’t ever change radio stations while driving. As many accidents I’ve heard of (including a fellow student when I was in highschool) that were involved with changing CD’s, I don’t really think of that as being safe at all. It seems as though it is a relatively complicated task, that demands you remove your eyes from the road for several seconds. As far as radio goes, if you have presets, and easy to reach buttons, sure, but if you need to look at the dial to see what station yo are on, and what station you want to go to, then that’s best done while not hurtling about in a box of steel. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/78 "2017-04-02T20:32:47Z")
I’ve accepted that even minor distractions (like glancing at something off to the side of the road for more than a second) can start pushing me over the center line or otherwise wavering dangerously. Texting would be an invitation to disaster. Of course, these things don’t happen to the super-drivers among us, who can carry on complex work-related cellphone conversations, text, eat three-course meals with cutlery and have group sex, all without compromising their driving safety one iota. My hat is off to those people\*, who should not be bound by the driving rules applying to us lesser folk. \*like **Bullitt** , who in another Pit thread describes driving 85 mph along a dark, lonely road while texting. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/79 "2017-04-02T20:44:36Z")
When I saw this on the news I thought I bet the jackass was texting ! I hope he get life in jail so he can’t kill anymore innocents people . Texting is banned in my state ,Ma and I see jackasses texting a lot while driving and have seen police drive right by the car ! :mad: This is a tragic accident that never should of happen ! It too bad there is no way to block people from texting while driving . ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483/80 "2017-04-02T20:54:24Z")
A distraction is a distraction, whether you are doing something that distracts you from the road or whether someone is doing something to ‘prank’ you to distract you from your driving. I don’t prank people, nor do I drive/text nor do I drive/phone. unfortunately, its NJ, and a LOT of other people do (or try to). Fuck Them. Times, attitudes and laws change slowly… I can only hope it’ll catch up to the assholes eventually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-idiots-learn-not-to-text-and-drive-texas-bus-accident/783483.md?page=5)