Fighting back against texting cagers?

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Rebel73_imp

Been there
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I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that texting/calling while driving has become so ubiquitous that it's a real clear and present danger, particularly to those of us on two wheels in a big city. Studies have shown that it is just as dangerous, if not more so, than DUI.
Suggestions on how we can fight back? I think our best bet, other than riding defensively, is to pursue the political route and lobby for stiffer fines and penalties and stricter enforcement. I mean it's seriously getting ridiculous. It seems like every other cager is on the dang phone. It boils my blood and makes me want to punch them in the face.
Here is one organization trying to do something about it:
ddfn.org
 
Yep, really bad out there. I commute daily on the 5 through L.A., every other cager is either on the phone or texting and or reading text. It's crazy that the fine for using carpool lane is over 300 bucks but texting fine is just over 100! I'm looking up that organization in Facebook and sharing there.....

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MMC_imp said:
Yep, really bad out there. I commute daily on the 5 through L.A., every other cager is either on the phone or texting and or reading text. It's crazy that the fine for using carpool lane is over 300 bucks but texting fine is just over 100! I'm looking up that organization in Facebook and sharing there.....

Sent from me......
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Exactly! How does that make any sense? I'm sure the AMA and maybe ABATE is working on this?
 
I don't care if they're on the phone looking out the windshield, what I care about is the people with their heads buried in their laps staring at their phones. Invariably, they wander into my lane or another lane, over brake, under brake, or just generally cause a nuisance. If there is someone in the lane next to me with their head buried, I will usually honk to wake them up to reality.

In my state, we don't have a specific law for texting. If they are driving like crap, the officer can just give them a reckless driving ticket, which is very costly and a ton of points on their license. I've never seen or heard of anyone pulled over primarily for messing with their phone though.
 
Best advice is to avoid any confrontation, you got the losing end.
Stay away from them, I know everyone is on the phone.
Stats say 3 of 5 people on a street light are on the phone.
Honking a horn, flashing the high beam, finger or hand gestures is just provocation.
Accept there are stupid people driving and their life is their curse.
It's a jungle out there.
 
I would avoid confrontation. The political route can work. Last year we got new legislation for distracted driving that put out a penalty of $286 + 4 driver premium points that give you a dangerous driver premium of about $600 for the year. I don't know if it curbed it much, but it certainly made it hurt...
 
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Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
 
Rebel73_imp said:
Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
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The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger.
 
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Randy B_imp said:
Rebel73_imp said:
Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
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The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger.
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The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger. I believe that there is, or will be, a technology solution for that. If they can make self-driving cars, they can devise a way to identify driver vs. passenger phones.
 
AzBob_imp said:
I don't care if they're on the phone looking out the windshield, what I care about is the people with their heads buried in their laps staring at their phones. Invariably, they wander into my lane or another lane, over brake, under brake, or just generally cause a nuisance. If there is someone in the lane next to me with their head buried, I will usually honk to wake them up to reality.

In my state, we don't have a specific law for texting. If they are driving like crap, the officer can just give them a reckless driving ticket, which is very costly and a ton of points on their license. I've never seen or heard of anyone pulled over primarily for messing with their phone though.
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I've been doing this on the local freeways for about a year. A good blast on the horn, and when they look over, I point down the road where they should have been looking. Surprisingly, most people seem embarrassed at being caught "driving blind" and I don't usually get negative reactions. They seem to realize that they were doing something really stupid at 75mph.
 
If I see them doing it in traffic and end up coming to a stop light with them I reach over and tap on their window. If they roll it down I kindly ask them to put down the ##%&×/# phone!! If I'm on the highway I'll just lay on the horn and point at them. Funny how they won't look at you, just coward away like you can't see them anymore, lol.

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In Australia is is illegal for a driver to use a phone in a car except when it is connected to a hands free kit. I've never checked to see what that means—for example if you had a Bluetooth earpiece or headphones plugged in, would it qualify? Police blitz it every now and again, but texting drivers are not an uncommon site.

The penalties are not as stiff as for DUI, but I agree that they should be as the issue the law ought to seek to address is essentially the same: failure to operate a potentially lethal bit of machinery while knowingly not being competent to do so.

Enlist the help of a big organization and get lobbying as hard as you can. As redbirds said somewhere, encourage governments to use it as a revenue raiser to help wipe out deficits and build schools. It's good to get idiots to fund public works.
 
When no texting was enacted here in San Antonio, the police rode on buses photographing people and ticketed them. In reality the majority are doing it and there is no hope with out technology to block texting. Hands free calling does not worry me but the darn texting is very dangerous. Wish I had my 00 license.


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Train horn someone doing 70+ on the hwy with their face down would probably cause them to swerve and wreck. Just make sure you can get past, then blast the f%#! Out of them. I thought about putting some air horns inside my windjammer. I could perforate the spot next to my turn signals.
Better picture
 
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