(Slightly) Off-Topic: Big Brother is Listening...
While I could easily blame the following complaint on the overabundance of people who can't drive and talk at the same time, as well as the number of people employed by the government's various communications departments, I'm not going to focus on that. No, friends, I'm going to focus on my bewilderment as I learned, driving to work this morning, that Memphis is a test city for a new system of trying to make people stop having horrible car crashes because they are talking on their cell phones. Today, in Memphis, if you are going 55 mph or faster and are talking on a cell phone, your call will be cut off after 29 seconds.First of all, what's with the 29 seconds?
Secondly, it is clear to me that this is going to cause more problems than ever during the initial phases, as people not going to know why their calls are cutting off and in response will take their eyes off the road to try to figure out what the hell is wrong with their phone.
Thirdly, am I the only one who thinks it's creepy that the government is telling me how long my calls can be?
Fourthly, what's with this lame public safety announcement on the U.S. Census Bureau's website?
Fifthly, what if I was being chased by people trying to murder me and I was on the phone with the police?
Sixthly, why not just make cell phone usage in cars illegal? Inconvenient, yes, but it's a plan that actually makes sense, no? I'd comply.
And seventhly, is it wrong that I'm more concerned with the EIGHTY-FOUR members of Congress who were pulled over on suspicions of drunk driving in ONE YEAR (1998...I can't find any more recent numbers) than I am about this cell phone issue? Come on!
posted by Becky Heineke at 5/22/2006 07:40:00 AM
Comments on "(Slightly) Off-Topic: Big Brother is Listening..."
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Nothing Really Matters said ... (1:24 PM, May 22, 2006) :
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Becky Heineke said ... (2:05 PM, May 22, 2006) :
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Ninni said ... (1:49 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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britpopbaby said ... (2:35 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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Becky Heineke said ... (2:42 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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Ninni said ... (2:53 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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Becky Heineke said ... (3:14 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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Ninni said ... (4:05 PM, May 23, 2006) :
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Anonymous said ... (2:20 PM, July 20, 2006) :
post a commentOkay so I guess u would hope you could tell the police all they need to know in 29 seconds! Maybe you have 29 seconds to end the call! We don’t have that problem in the UK its illegal to use your phone when driving useless you have hands free! And lots of people still use them anyway!
You Brits and your logical solutions to things! See, that makes perfect sense to have only hands-free be legal, as opposed to coming up with some random plan and then not telling anyone until the day it's implemented. This is one of the many reasons why I should be in charge of the world. :)
Is talking on the cell legal everywhere in the US or just in your state? Either way, I'm moving there - just a few weeks ago I got me a ticket for talking on the phone while driving, damnit.
So consider yourself lucky...or me stupid for talking on the phone while driving.
That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard.
Yeah, people still use their phones whilst driving in the UK. The police blatantly don't care.
Cell phone usage is legal everywhere without restrictions. It's not the best system, but here we seem to like our freedom here more than our safety. Wesntia, you seriously got a ticket? That SUCKS. I would think that would be a law that was damn near impossible to enforce. Apparently not.
Oooh no, not here.
They actually have these "security weeks" or something like that when they monitor people talking on the phone whilst driving. I guess they caught me during one of those...argh, I can't believe I lost 40 euros for talking on the phone with my mother about my new kitchen curtains.
For what it's worth, I've never hear of anyone getting a ticket for that either. Aren't I lucky.
Besides, talking on the phone isn't even that bad. My friend for example does all of her make-up while driving. And she wears a lot of make-up. You'd think that's more distracting than a freaking phone.
Ugh, yes! Like when I see a woman putting on mascera when she's driving? How the hell is there anything more dangerous than that?! I don't even know how they do it...my makeup application requires a steady hand and all my concentration (especially in the morning).
Seems like you were made an example on the cell phone issue, which sucks even more. We've got these "Click It or Ticket" laws where you can get arrested for not wearing a seat belt. People actually go to jail. Now that I think about it, that's pretty Nazi-like, isn't it?
Amen on the make-up. I can't do my make-up in a car even if someone else is driving. Or not unless I want to look like that one lady in Drew Carey Show...Mimi, maybe?
Wow, that's scary. Here the police gives a lot of tickets to people not wearing seat belts but jail is kinda...eh, well, I'm sure they learned their lesson well enough :S
Interesting site. Useful information. Bookmarked.
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