FINALLY...doing something about #$@! cell phones

[Dark Jaguar]

And as more commentary:

Not many kids have cell phones around here. Few do. Very few kids recieve cars as entire GIFTS from their parents either. They aren't a necessity for kids. They don't have anything important to say anyway.

I'll buy the "for emergencies" thing but only in so far as calling people will actually assist in the emergency. If someone is in life threatening danger, I'm no super hero. If you call ME about it, I can't do JACK to help you.

I use that same argument when people say "but what if it was an emergency?" when I decide not to answer my phone. Even if it was, I'm useless. Call 911 instead. They'll be better equipped to help you.

I don't have a cell phone yet but I do eventually intend on getting one, and a nice one with a camera if possible (though I would prefer to actually own the physical hardware to merely "renting" it from some company). However, I plan on keeping it off until I want to call someone else, so basically it won't do anyone but me any good .

 

[Tony]

Not many kids have cell phones around here. Few do. Very few kids recieve cars as entire GIFTS from their parents either.

Where do you live? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[hammegk]

What harm can someone do with a cell phone?

I tend to agree, for the kids, yet it's my understanding they make keen devices for detonating a remote explosive. I vaguely recall hearing the Al-Queda manual has a page or two on this.

 

[toddjh]

Since forever. Where in the constitution does it grant the right of government to keep students from bring cell phones?

Unless you can give a persuasive argument that the right to bring a cell phone into school stems from the Bill of Rights somehow, this isn't a Constitutional issue. The Tenth Amendment gives the states the authority to make their own laws.

 

[Luke T.]

So before cell phones, when you had to get ahold of someone in an emergency you did what? What magical methods did you use to get ahold of someone sitting in traffic? Or, in the case of you being stranded/lost/broken down in the middle of no-where what magical methods did you use to get help?

If this was all cell phones were used for, they would truly be a wonderful thing. But they are probably used for such things about as much as landlines are. The vast majority of of the time, they are not. And I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if the majority of 911 calls from automobiles were to report an accident caused by someone talking on their cell phone while driving...

And, yes, there was a time when CBs in cars were as ubiquitous as cell phones are today. They were popularized by a song called Convoy which was then followed up by a movie, and then everybody just had to have one.

And CBs were used to call for help rarely as well. They were used far more to evade Smokey.


But I still remember. Channel 9 for the police.

 

[RandFan]

Ban hands-free phone use while drive: YES

Logical conclusion, ban all conversations while driving. Passengers, keep your mouths shut or face a fine.

Is there any objective evidence that talking on a hands free phone while driving is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger?

Ah, the joys of common sense.

 

[Tony]

If this was all cell phones were used for, they would truly be a wonderful thing.

They're a wonderful thing regardless. Seriously, you guys are a bunch of luddites.

 

[Tony]

Unless you can give a persuasive argument that the right to bring a cell phone into school stems from the Bill of Rights somehow, this isn't a Constitutional issue. The Tenth Amendment gives the states the authority to make their own laws.

You tryin to be pedantic?

 

[Art Vandelay]

So once the technical glitches are worked out, a cell phone in the workplace will be no different than a landline phone.

I've heard that the 911 system puts cell phones at a priority lower than landlines.

Since when is having a cell phone a student's right? I don't recall reading that either in the Consitution or in our school handbook.

That doesn't mean it isn't a right. The government must justify its actions, not citizens.

As a result, some time is spent disciplining kids, some time is spent taking phones away from them, some time is spent getting the attention of the class again after a cell phone rings, etc.

Sounds like your school needs better discipline. And these problems would still happen even if phones were banned.

Right around the part where the government can say what people can and can't bring onto government owned property.

I don't recall that part.

If they can require a dress code or ban entire human beings from being on the premises, they can ban what hardware they want as well.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I've been in tests that force you to leave any bags you have lined up against a wall, and I accepted that.

So cell phones in bvackpacks wouldn't be aproblem in such situations, would they?

By the way, if your cell phone or camera or whatever is locked safely inside your backpack, you are exempt by the "it's not a crime if you don't get caught" clauss .

Which is exactly what I mentioned earlier: it teaches kids to ignore rules. Not a good lesson.

Unless you can give a persuasive argument that the right to bring a cell phone into school stems from the Bill of Rights somehow, this isn't a Constitutional issue. The Tenth Amendment gives the states the authority to make their own laws.

There's more to the Constitution than the BoR.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Logical conclusion, ban all conversations while driving. Passengers, keep your mouths shut or face a fine.

Is there any objective evidence that talking on a hands free phone while driving is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger?

Yes.

 

[Dark Jaguar]

Where do you live? If you don't mind me asking.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

And yes it's true, while on TV you always see these rich families saying "here's a cell phone, take good care of it" or "here's a brand new, BRAND NEW, car for your 16th birthday" on these sitcoms, reality here doesn't seem to reflect such idealistic situations.

So a few kids might have a cell phone here, and zero seem to actually be GIVEN entire vehicles. By "here" I'm only going by the small sample of people that I actually am able to get this information from, IE, friends and family.

Here's the line you'll get if you are a kid asking for a cell phone with the people I know. "Sure, if you can manage to pay the monthly fee I'll drive you there right now."

 

[RandFan]

Is there any objective evidence that talking on a hands free phone while driving is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger?

Yes.

Cool, I can't wait to see it. Are you saving it for effect? Where is it?

 

[RandFan]

Is there any objective evidence that talking on a hands free phone while driving is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger?

Yes.

One more thing, what is the theory of why talking to a disembodied voice is more dangerous that an embodied one?

 

[slingblade]

Tulsa, Oklahoma

And yes it's true, while on TV you always see these rich families saying "here's a cell phone, take good care of it" or "here's a brand new, BRAND NEW, car for your 16th birthday" on these sitcoms, reality here doesn't seem to reflect such idealistic situations.

So a few kids might have a cell phone here, and zero seem to actually be GIVEN entire vehicles. By "here" I'm only going by the small sample of people that I actually am able to get this information from, IE, friends and family.

Here's the line you'll get if you are a kid asking for a cell phone with the people I know. "Sure, if you can manage to pay the monthly fee I'll drive you there right now."

It sure wasn't always like that. Back in the day, almost every teenaged kid had some kind of car to drive to school....even I had a car, and we wuz po. Okay, it wasn't much of a car, but it was mine.

So, tell me: is the Admiral Twin still open? Because if it is, I'm sure you'll find kids there with their own cars....

 

[Roadtoad]

Hmmm. Just found this one. Sooooo....

1.) Frankly, if I see one more imbecile with a cell phone glued to his/her ear when they ought to be driving, someone is likely to get a chrome plated enema.

2.) CBs don't have as much reach as they ought to, considering you're supposed to be running barefoot. (In other words, without a linear amp.) I can get a mile or two down the road, usually. Cells on freeways, on the other hand, while they have a greater range, will usually wind up dropping the call. (When I have to use one, I keep it damned short.)

More later.

 

[BPSCG]

Best ringtone I've heard here at work sounds like a cricket chirping at night.

Argh! Crickets! Hate 'em! Nasty, vile, disgusting roach-cousins little vermin! Ever see what they look like when your cat hocks one up on the living room carpet? Huh?

BTW, the cricket ringtone was the default on my Cingular/LG phone when I got it. Had to go to their user discussion group to get an explanation how to change it. One more reason to hate them #$%ing crickets.

 

[BPSCG]

Since when is having a cell phone a student's right? I don't recall reading that either in the Consitution or in our school handbook.

Our school has a problem with cell phones. Kids are allowed to have them, but they are supposed to be off during school hours. They never are.

My mom taught HS French for 30 years, retired before cell phones exploded on the scene. I can guarantee she would not have had any problems.

She gave a quiz every day, except for Fridays - that was a full-blown test. She gave homework every night and graded it; if there's one recollection I have of my mother it's of her sitting up in bed at night marking quizzes and homework. Her kids got a grade, or two, every day. As a result, whenever some parent would come in complaining that his or her little darling couldn't possibly be failing French, Mom would just pull out her marking book. Even CFLarsen would have shut up in the face of that evidence.

I have no doubt that, were she still teaching today, she'd announce a policy at the beginning of every term, something like: If your cell phone goes off in my class, you get a zero for the day averaged into your grades. If it goes off again that same week, you'll get a zero averaged in for the entire week.

 

[Katana]

I have no doubt that, were she still teaching today, she'd announce a policy at the beginning of every term, something like: If your cell phone goes off in my class, you get a zero for the day averaged into your grades. If it goes off again that same week, you'll get a zero averaged in for the entire week.

Good for her! That's how it should be. The school makes the rules, the student doesn't obey, the student suffers the consequences. If students are not responsible or courteous enough to use their cell phones when appropriate, then they should feel the effects of that.

As far as talking on cell phones while driving, I really don't need two hands to drive (and I still use my turn signal), and I don't think that there is a difference between talking on it or talking to someone next to you. Where it breaks down is when it comes to dialing the phone number or even pulling it up on a list of pre-set numbers. That forces your eyes and concentration off the road which is what I suspect leads to most of he problems-that and just plain bad drivers made even worse.

 

[HarryKeogh]

Cool, I can't wait to see it. Are you saving it for effect? Where is it?

Here's some info...

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]http://www.transalt.org/press/releases/010302cellphone.html[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]However, the group called on the Mayor and City Council to make this bill only a first step. Expert studies clearly conclude that using a hand-free cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as using a hand-held phone. Researchers have found that the problem is the distraction of the conversation itself - not the act of dialing or holding a phone.[/FONT]

• [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]A 1997 New England Journal of Medicine study found that talking on any type of cell phone while driving quadruples the risk of an accident, and is equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol content of .10 (i.e. legally drunk).[/FONT]

[/FONT]and another...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuters) --Talking on a mobile phone while driving your
car is just as dangerous when using hands-free equipment as when holding the
phone in your hand, according to a Swedish study published on Monday.

The National Road Administration (SNRA) tested 48 people in driving
simulators, dividing them into two groups -- one with and the other without
hands-free mobile phone devices.

The drivers in both groups received about 10 phone calls each during 1.5
hours of simulated driving in different conditions. The test revealed almost
no difference in reaction time between the two groups.

"It is the distraction of the phone conversation that is the problem," said
Ingemar Skogo, the SNRA director general.

Millions use hands-free phones

Many European Union countries, though not Sweden, and some U.S. states ban
talking on mobile phones while driving, because it has been proven to cause
accidents.

But laws often permit hands-free gadgets with headphones or loudspeakers,
and millions of cell phone users have installed such devices.

The Swedish findings were in line with a recent report in the Psychological
Science journal, which suggested hands-free technology may not reduce the
risk of accidents because a driver's attention, rather than problems with
physically handling a cell phone, is a more important factor in safe
driving.

The SNRA, which carried out its study at the request of the Swedish
government, said it would not recommend a law against talking on your mobile
phone while driving.

 

[Katana]

Hmm. Interesting study.

What about reading a novel while driving? I passed a woman last week who was quite literally holding a book open on her steering wheel with both hands while driving down the highway.