The City of Missoula steps in to treat local drivers for their cell phone addiction.
Yes it’s heavy-handed, intrusive, statist and all that. But it was becoming increasingly clear that a good number of people were clinically unable to drive without talking or texting. It became a Pavlovian response: Ignition - grab phone; back out - dial, drive - talk. What’s an SUV for but talking? I’m leaving Target now. I’m on my way to Pet Smart. These poor saps probably wouldn’t believe that in the olden days people would just drive.
Missoulapolis predicts: Fidgety drivers will next turn to portable DVD players to pass the time.
on Jun 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
This is great! The nanny state rears its ugly head once again. That must be the libertarian streak in me coming out. Personally, instead of the government stepping in and attempting to regulate cell phone use while driving, wouldn’t it be easier to have the car manufacturers install a jamming device which, when the ignition switch is on, your cell phone fails to work because of the jamming signal. No government intervention, cell phone addicts unable to break the law, win win for everyone. And the car manufacturers can increase the price of their vehicles because of the added option. And for the cell phone addict, he/she would have to pull to the side of the road, park, turn the damn car off, then make his/her phone call. Oh the inconvenience of it all.
Sorry Carol, I’m having way too much fun with this.
on Jun 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
yeah Mike I’m all conflicted about this. I nearly got hit by a woman in a big rig a couple weeks ago, doing a Hollywood Stop while yakking. It’s become a woman thing. (And male contractors.) I think a lot of women are seriously, gravely turning into compulsive and obnoxious yakkaholics. People can’t even just walk along outdoors anymore without the phone to their ears. The world is just too big and frightening I guess. Who was it said that men were congenitally unable to just sit in a room and be quiet?
But that’s more of a social issue. I don’t know if the accident stats justify govt intervention.
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 am
Who are these people to tell me I am not able to drive, hold my puppy, put on make-up, comb my hair, drink my latte and operate the gas and brake, all at the same time.
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
“What’s an SUV for but talking?”
SUV? Well, it is good to hear that the little people in their little cars are not at fault!
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Not as scary coming at you in the intersection.
But, point taken.
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I probably would not like being killed by a woman driver talking on a cell phone while driving her SUV through a red light. (I would much prefer doing the killing while listening to AC-DC on my six-speaker Bose stereo system in my Silverado.)
However, I would be very insulted if I were killed by a woman talking on a cell phone while driving her Prius through a red light.
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I hate seeing any form of the gummint stick their nose where it doesn’t belong but if I’m being put at risk because someone else thinks mankind will be forever lost if they don’t TALK, I’m sort of okay with the intervention.
But I think the treatment should be a sledge hammer making contact with their device.
on Jun 9th, 2009 at 6:51 am
I was driving on a country road here in Bozeman, doing 55 on cruise control, the speed limit, and approached an intersection where a young gal inexplicably pulled right out in front of me. The only way I avoided hitting her at full speed was to swerve, and I ended up in a ditch. Thank God I wore a seat belt, as I was held in place during the impact. I escaped uninjured.
The lady, a college student, drove off, and then to her credit stopped, and came back and and took full responsibility. She offered me her cell phone to call the police. I suspected then and now that she was talking on that phone as she pulled out in that intersection.
I catch myself doing the same thing. I have not yet caused an accident, but when I am on the phone, I am driving on muscle-memory only, and am not aware of anythign but the phone conservation.
on Jun 9th, 2009 at 7:40 am
They should include talking on a cell phone and riding a bike in the law. How many pedestrians need be crushed under the wheels of fixed gears before our city becomes enraged.
on Jun 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
LOL. Actually, they did include bike riders.
on Jun 9th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I wonder how all those cops and truckers avoid crashing while talking on the radio.