MODS - i didnt see a thread that this might be appropriate in so i created a new one.

 

Its about time Cleveland put the ban on texting while driving. Hopefully other cities in Northeast Ohio and other parts of the country continue to do the same. I cant even count how many times people have been crossing lanes, swerving, not stopping at lights/stop signs, all because they have there head down trying to send out a text message that clearly is the number one most important thing at the moment.

 

Cleveland to warn drivers about ban on text messaging

 

Posted by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter June 29, 2009 10:54AM

 

CLEVELAND - The city's ban on text messaging while driving takes effect July 19.

This morning, City Councilman Zack Reed, who pushed for the ordinance, held a news conference at City Hall to unveil new signs that will alert citizens and visitors to the new law.

 

A first offense will cost $100. A second will cost $250 and a third will run up to $500.

 

More information at cleveland.com:

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/cleveland_to_warn_drivers_abou.html

 

 

I support the texting ban and would support a talking-while-driving ban too.  But I hate when they claim it's not about money.  And I hate when visitors are greeted with signs explaining how aggressive our traffic laws are.  "Welcome to Cleveland, founded 1796... prepare to be scrutinized."

 

For those who don’t even want to take the chance of getting pulled over they will be even more unsafe and use their cell phones in their lap instead of above the wheel. If anything this is going to make things even more unsafe.

 

Think back to when you were in school. In my high school only Juniors and Seniors were allowed to drive to school. So the Sophomores that had their license, would still drive to school but they would just park on the side streets. The neighbors hated it, there would be cars lining the streets, but there was nothing the school could do.

My point is people are just going to find a way around it. This is nothing but a BIG WASTE OF TIME.

 

Just because a law is difficult to enforce does not mean it's a waste of time.

Whatever the law is on DUI, it should be the same for cell phone use... especially if typing is involved.  I don't think anyone can seriously claim .08 BAC is more dangerous than driving while you're doing office work.

Just because a law is difficult to enforce does not mean it's a waste of time.

In a city without any other crime and nothing else to worry about... Then yes, you are correct. Its difficult to enforce, how many people are they going to catch? 1 out of every 6000? Think about that 1 that got caught, is he going to stop txting in the car..? Hell no, he going to put the phone lower to make sure no one can see him. If anything chalk this law up as a failure and spend the money teaching people about the dangers of txting and driving.

 

Look at what the state is doing with weed. When I was in school I wasn’t told not to smoke weed cause I'm going to get caught and go to jail. Maybe they said it once or twice but I don’t remember. I don’t do it cause I'm worried on the effects it will have on me as an athlete and the reliance I could develop on it. Not because of the law, Fu*k that. I live downtown and go to CSU, if I want weed in the next 10 min I could have it. Heck, I'm sure my neighbor is smoking right now. What I'm saying is, I don’t smoke because I am worried about the effect it has on me, from what I have learned about it. Not because I'm worried about getting caught, that is the last of my worries.

 

Same with txting, like I'm really worried about the cops pulling me over for txting, lol. Just like that stupid seatbelt law, I just dont like wearing a seatbelt. I'm not a hard ass and I know a seatbelt can save lives, I just choose not to wear it, actually I usually forget. But when I get pulled over speeding or somehting, I just quicky put my seatbelt on. Ive done it before and I'm sure ill be doing it again. Just another stupid law that is pointless. The best chance we have in cutting down on txting while driving is educating people about it. But even then some people still dont care.

 

If nothing else, please put on your seatbelt - it's rude to expect others to clean you your mess off their car. :-)

Has anyone seen the donated billboards warning about the new law? The one on Carnegie going eastbound around E70th is completely uselsss. It has in the top left corner the no smoking symbol with a cell phone in place of a cigarette, and the rest of the sign says in big letters "TEXTING WHILE DRIVING"

 

The sign does not mention anything about texting while driving being illegal, or the fact that the law has changed.

 

 

I don't know why this seems as such a shock to so many people...  the restricting of cell phone uses in a car. I see people doing everything BUT driving and enough is enough. What next? Cooking lunch while driving?

 

Many countries have restrictions on such and for very good reasons. In Australia, for example...  People generally just get it.. You don't talk on the phone while driving or you WILL be ticketed. No one feels oppressed for this because the general public sees it as an all around good thing...that was spearheaded through grass roots efforts. Freedom without responsibility is chaos.

 

At the end of the day, any law can have a monetary basis and incentive to it, rather than the 'safety basis' it is supposed to present first and foremost...whether it is because a greedy patrol officer wants to pull over Mike Brady in his station wagon for speeding 5 over at the end of the month (a scenario we all hate and know is B.S.) or to save insurance companies pay outs from possible accidents....or to prevent little things from becoming big things that contribute to the broken window theory....which in turn has declining property value implications.

 

Law enforcement is really about both... public safety (which is the noble altruistic cause for which we would like to believe the laws are enforced) OR...the money factors as exampled above. It is the greedy money factors played out in the name of safety that I have a problem with, however.... But this is not to say a law on a given topic is not needed. How and why it is enforced by a given officer is a matter of ethics and priorities on her/his part.

 

Either way, we need law and order, or the human species is simply given to doing things it shouldn't be doing in a so called 'civil evolved society.' (actually, humankind is in a free falling state but thinks it is is flying!) I wish all the laws were enforced for the true name of safety and altruism...However,  sometimes those ideals may not be the driving force of enforcement. That, then is simply greed in the name of safety and mix up of priorities as mentioned above.

 

Anyway, laws/rules and the basis of which they are formulated  all stems because someone is doing something they're not supposed to be doing. Most of the time, something called 'common sense' if people just exercise it, would prevent the need for the laws... However, what used to be common sense is now higher education for some...and they just don't exercise it...and therefore, we now often need laws to enforce what should be dictated by simple common sense.

 

Sometime ago... I wrote a small bit about my peeve with the cell phone usage in cars...  Here is the link.........

 

http://qualitychatter.com/2008/11/get-off-phone.html   

 

P.S. I have a cell phone... but understand the aspects of responsible use versus idiotic use that stems from a mind set that we are entitled to do whatever we wish, whenever.