In most civilized places, “distracted driving” laws exist mostly to keep people from using their hands to cradle their cell phone while driving. As someone who has to drive around a fair bit for work, I can totally understand these laws as I’ve been in a few phone related close-calls myself (no pun intended). While distracted driving laws apply to many activities in the car, they’re mostly used to keep people hands off their phones so that they’re free to drink their coffee, eat a burger, adjust make-up, fiddle with the radio, and – apparently – masturbate. Oh yeah, and to drive.
I recently installed a new Alpine head unit in my car with all the bells a whistles which includes the bluetooth module for my phone. I allowed me to retire the battery-operated-remember-to-turn-it-on-crappy-speaker-oh-feck-it-needs-to-be-charged-again bluetooth sun visor thingy I had before. Still, that was better than the hey-can-you-understand-me-from-the-end-of-what-sounds-like-a-hundred-foot-tunnel bluetooth headset I had before.
I gave the sun visor attachment to my old man (he won’t thank me later), which was better than what he had before (which was nothing). johnnymac09 has one of those transported-from-the-future headsets that let you talk in a force 3 hurricane. My brother-in-law gave up on worrying about pairing and batteries and audio quality and just went back to an old-fashioned wired headset, which I can kind of understand. It takes about as long to plug that in as it does for most bluetooth devices to re-connect.
With so many options for hands-free calling, what do you prefer to keep your meat hooks available to blare your horn and give other drivers the finger? Also, who really hates those metrosexual pricks that use their bluetooth when they’re not driving, then look at you like you’re the prick for saying “what?” when they suddenly start talking while looking at you?
["User Input" is the AtomicToasters Question of the Day™ asking you, the teeming millions, to answer our pressing questions.]
Sweet I got mentioned in an article and it didn't have anything to do with my sexual escapades.
I just do my best to ignore my cell at all costs while driving… I am not perfect, I use speakerphone during long trips where I have no other option, but I normally keep the cell on vibrate only and just call back after reaching my destination.
I do this because I had a few too many close calls due to my own cell phone use while driving… It just isn't worth it, that shit is dangerous.
I don't always talk on the phone while driving, but when I do, I use an old fashioned wired earbud with the mic on the cord.
I don't have a cell phone. Nor do I have radios. I don't need superfluous distractions from my primary task of monitoring the many likely modes of failure lurking within my vehicles. Oh, and driving.
I am thinking about installing my Johnson Messenger 130 in my HMV Freeway, but only to be a smartass:
<img src="http://www.wynoradio.com/johnsons/images/messenger130A.jpg">
The WA state law against using phones while driving doesn't apply to CBs.
Do it. Do it NAO. That could possibly be the most awesome piece of telecommunication gear I've ever seen.
……need superfluous distractions from my primary task of monitoring the many likely modes of failure lurking within my vehicles.
I learned to drive Big Trucks in the late-70's, and I still drive that way no matter what. I pull a fuel-tanker now, and we actually do a full pre-trip inspection every time we leave the Yard, because fail means Epic Fail.
If you're pulling a flat or a van, a lot of times your pre-trip consists mainly of looking to see if there's a big puddle under it and if the tires appear to be holding air.
I have an aftermarket bluetooth unit that ties into the car stereo. Makes it pretty darn simple to take a call. Having said that, if the person on the other end is not respectful of your need to have some attention on the road, it can still be distracting. I cut conversations short with those people.
"johnnymac09 has one of those transported-from-the-future headsets that let you talk in a force 3 hurricane."
Speaking as someone who has lived through two hurricanes, two tornados, and a GMC Syclone and Typhoon, hurricane damage is measured in categories (on the Saffir–Simpson scale), and not in forces. Tornados were, until relatively recently, measured by the F-scale (Fujita scale), which sometimes gets interpreted as a force scale, but that has nothing to do with hurricanes.
On any other blog, I'd let it slide, but this is a site for all things technical.
You, sir, get a gold star for that one.
<img src="http://air.rrc.mb.ca/Spark/Wiki/WikiPlus%20Images/iStock_000007151084XSmall.jpg">
I thought we didn't do gold stars here. Any other blog, maybe…
Well, I'll be… HAPPY 100!
If I give a Dearthair -1 on every comment he makes in future, I wonder if he'll drop back below 100…
<img src="http://media.skateboard.com.au/forum/images/banhammer_forecast.gif" width="500">
So torn on whether to give that a thumbs up or thumbs down…
Nearly peed myself laughing!!
Even though I hate talking on the phone especially while driving I do have a Pioneer HU with integrated BT. Nice big display of who's calling so I know if it's someone I can ignore and when I do have to make a call it's mostly a 2 step process. Now I just gotta get a similar headunit into the Bronco because trying to listen to anyone on a headset in that beast is near impossible.
I am in the midst of procuring a new vehicle. I am already planning on putting a new head unit in it with teh Bluetooths. I'm tired of that ear thing. And having to turn off my
Ke$hamusic when I get a call. If I remember to put it in.