Texting youths trying to kill me
By Herzog on Mar 13, 2013 in Bitching
I was at the Arrowhead/Woodland intersection yesterday, and I’m not making this up, I witnessed two young college ladies making a turn and texting at the same time, back to back, faces pointed toward their lap when they were turning. I was only at this intersection for 30 seconds — multiply by the thousands of times youths text and drive through this turn. But there is nothing that can be done to stop them, because even though we’re all just primates, they’re prettier than you. So you just have to sit there and wait for one of them to kill you while they’re typing OMG!
I think texting and driving is illegal now. I suppose it is difficult to catch, and I am not sure how it works in regard to reporting vs. an officer actually witnessing it happen, etc.
The first time I caught someone texting and driving, it was a middle-aged man.
Maria Shriver.
That’s it, it’s just texting and driving. What are you gonna do to someone even if you catch them? Yet it causes more accidents than drinking and driving, or driving and screwing combined. I was gonna post the stats link, but I got lazy.
Yes, I’m sure a few older male specimens text n’ turn too, just to get that out of the way?!?!
Also, I hate to have so many heavyweight bitching titles under my belt, but let’s face it, the CIA killed Kennedy, and the rest of the list is so long I wouldn’t even know where to begin. So let’s start with taking away teen drivers as a prominent danger to society.
Or someone could invent an app that disables all texting on phones going over 10 mph, GASP!!!!
Saving lives … one idiot at a time.
Herzog, that app already exists. Blame the parents for raising dummies.
A well placed horn will do wonders.
If you see it, give it a try. More often then not the phone drops and attention is grabbed.
I recommend a vintage 6 volt car horn (50s and earlier). Hook it up to your existing horn wires. When you hit the horn button, your lights might dim for a second, but you can make the Lift Bridge go up and down…
This is one of my biggest pet peeves as well. If it’s that important give the person a call, at least then your eyes will (presumably) be on the road.
@Herzog ….yesssss… feel the hate ….that’s right …
Here’s a fun toy, good up to 30m.
You are singing my song, Herzog. Plus everyone runs red lights at that intersection. My Super One groceries and I cringe every time we try to make it safely through that intersection without getting smashed by a stupid, nitwit, lunatic driver.
As an aside, Duluth has the worst drivers of any town I have ever been in, as far as running red lights, making bad turns, texting while driving, etc, goes.
I haven’t noticed females doing it more than males, but most of those I see doing it are probably in their twenties. I always honk and attempt to shake a finger at them, but about half the time they don’t even look up … in their mind, they’re not doing anything wrong so why would someone be honking at them?
Baci, I believe signal blockers are illegal here. Imagine the doctor in the car next to you who didn’t get the urgent page.
A horn will do no good when you’re walking.
Baci, we’re not having a Skywalker/Vader moment here like maybe you think we are, you don’t do sarcasm do you? My hate is confined to slow core music/punk/emo/ brainless teens, warmongers, metrosexuals, evil corporations, and it doesn’t really go beyond that, so you can’t accuse me of hating when my hatred is confined to such a small area can you? My overwhelming sense of love far outshtoinks my hate. Besides, when was the last time you made me laugh?
The app would have to become mandatory, which I guess would make it not be an app. And our fearless senators would have to vote it in, thereby sending an anti-big business message…
I think I am going to mount one of those gadgets to my bike though Baci. I really like the idea of jamming signals that compete with my well being, it worked for Wellstone…
And with that last comment, Herzog is unmasked as Jim Fetzer…
First, I’d like to apologize for Lundgren locking my name in as Herzog, blame him instead. I liked myself better when I was Miles A Broad, Helmut Flagg, or Rand McNally. Second, if Wellstone died of natural causes, and not from one of Baci’s gadgets, then Im an engorged tick on your dog’s balls. Do some research into Zapata Corp and follow the yellow brick trail.
Third, is my question pertaining to the sticker I saw in Superior today which read ‘My labrador is Smarter than Your Honor Student.’ Do any of you think this person was hating on your honor student, loving on their lab, or C, just tired of hearing about your honor student every time they pull up to the back of a car? Is there even a difference between tired and hate? Because I think for all the definitions of words, the hipster definition of “to hate” is the one which least corresponds to its very meaning. Because anything hipster negates the use of passion, yet ‘to hate’ is passionate. But now that Baci mentions it, maybe I am beginning to “hate” every young person I see in a texting trance even though this is not unlike a ‘pussy trance,’ something I too am guilty of, as both may lead to untimely death and destruction. But, I don’t think texting bodes well for our species, in any case, IMO. This is Star Trek time, and we’re better than this!
Now that you mention it though, I think I do like Superior’s style better. Instead of turning and texting, I witnessed a dude floating his turn this afternoon in an ’86 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with bald tires at 20 mph, like he was born to it. Turning like he meant it. Eyes on the road. Hand on the wheel.
Let’s say you walk in on your best friend having sex with your wife. And you’re like ‘Dude, what are you doing!’
And he’s like ‘Are you hating on me right now?’
‘No, I’m not hating on you, but you’re screwing my wife?!?’
‘Don’t be hating…’
Then he whips out his phone and starts texting something, and her phone beeps and she picks it up and starts texting back.
‘Are you guys texting each other right now? You’re laying right on top of her!’
“Dude, this is between me and your wife. You’re a hater, and you need to talk to someone about it.’
When I was in Florida last week, a woman (aged about 65) was walking slowly across the street engrossed completely in her text-trance right in front of my car. I had to come to a dead stop, and she didn’t notice. I waited a second, and gave the car horn a bump that nearly made her drop the blasted thing, and she jumped about a foot off the ground. I’m not sure giving her a heart attack was justified, but goddamnit the lady was a hazard.
So it ain’t just the young-uns. It’s just the stupid.
Self driven cars will solve this one before anything else does.
Not sure if Herzog is ranting in multiple posts about Baci or Baci has deleted posts to make it appear as such…
I suspect we’re just seeing crazy in realtime…
No, to his credit, Baci didn’t delete any posts. I’m just going crazy. TPSD.
Tim was right though, this probably would work wonders, and be considered Minnesota nice, because it is “outside the box.” Folks would be tickled pink rather than annoyed that someone was honking for no reason. Sorry for upsetting you with conspirazy theories and pussy trances Badcat, just kidding…
http://duluth.craigslist.org/clt/3686697082.html
My kid was forced off the road Friday by an inattentive driver (dog in lap). Broke his exhaust lead pipe and bent rim. Over $200 in damages.
Finally! Real time. Real world. Relative to PDD. Someone you know and trust affected by this. That’s why I posted in the first place. Texting and driving gets about .05% percent of the attention of drunk driving, but is probably WAY more dangerous. Because at least drunk drivers are Attempting to Drive. I saw this discovery show once where they hypnotized a bunch of people to go into the future, who determined that we’re all just sitting around touching these orbs that are popping out of the ceiling. That’s it, a bunch of pathetic orb touchers sitting around drooling on our bibs. In my crazy world, texting is the gateway to orb touching. No kitties, just orbs.
http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/
Wait, I didn’t read that part about the dog Tim. If there’s one thing that bugs me more than T&D, it’s D & D. I’ll bet you anything it was purebred and under 10 lbs.
All I can say to end this vicious psychotic rant, is that if any of you distracted drivers run into my freshly restored machine, you better kill me or knock me out. Because if I can walk, I will drag you through your window. If the thing is worth doing, do it right.
This is where I must part ways with the thread’s latter sentiments. If you see an old, beater, rusted and dented Ford Focus, with Vote No in November bumper stickers, and a big, old beagle perched on the front console, staring intently out the front windshield with slowly wagging tail and her owner’s right arm slung around the beagle’s shoulders — don’t worry, I really am paying attention to the traffic, I swear. I just need my co-pilot.
I’ll just leave this here.
Cellphone dock ignition lock keeps your kid from texting and driving and wrapping the family car around a tree
It’s a start.