[Talk Host]

We've all seen it, but this morning, it really caught my attention and I kept careful watch while on my bike ride. (stopping at all stop signs mind you) Countless people talking on their cell phones while they are driving. Every other car coming out of McDonald's drive through, driving through Publix parking lot, sitting at red lights, passing other vehicles, traversing the round-a-bouts.....everywhere. A while ago up in Gainesville, my wife and I walked from a hotel to a restaurant about a mile. I counted 41 people on cell phones.

Whenever I see a person talking on a cell phone while they are driving, I get this loud message in my head "DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER."

I know it's not illegal, but Just who are these people talking to? it must be mighty important. It seems to me like it's mostly women. I may be wrong about that, but that what it seems to me.

Did the indians send that many smoke signals?

There, I feel better.
JLK

[jebartle]

They are an accident waiting for a place to happen...You really have to drive defensively....Assume that everyone is out to get you.....Ugh!

[dfn8tly]

Recently a friend of mine was watching her grand daughter texting all day. She finally asked her who she was sending all those messages to. Her grand daughter gave the name of one of her best friends. My friend said "well why don't you just call her on the telephone?" Her grand daughter looked very perplexed and said "what would we talk about?"

I am clearly not understanding this generation.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by dfn8tly

I am clearly not understanding this generation.

Ain't just "this generation." Plenty of "our" generation doing the same thing.

[chuckinca]

It's illegal to hold a cell phone and talk while driving in CA. Has to be hands free operation of the phone.


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[BogeyBoy]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

It's illegal to hold a cell phone and talk while driving in CA. Has to be hands free operation of the phone.


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Same in NY - and those are two states I frequently visit.

[memason]

OK....I'll get hammered for this, but I don't believe talking on a cell phone [hands free or otherwise] is any worse than listening intently to talk radio, searching for just the right song on the CD or talking to your spouse, while you're driving. All of these things are distractions from driving...

Now, where'd I put my cigarettes.....

[jblum8156]

One hot day last summer I parked at the supermarket next to a woman who was sitting in her car, windows closed, engine running, staying cool with the AC while she talked/texted on her cell phone. When I came out 40 minutes later, she was still at it. First I wondered what could she be talking about that long, then I thought why not shut the engine off and step inside the supermarket. I will never understand this phenomenon. Already the Post Office is shutting down because of email. Now I suppose landline telephones will cease to exist.

[justanormalgirl]

I agree, it's crazy! Maybe we should go back to the old bag phones, remember those?? I would take a bet that there wouldn't be so many talkers if they had to carry a bag phone around.

My grandson will send a text to my daughter in law from the back seat of the car or another room in the house. People are losing the normal art of conversation to cell phones.

We went to lunch one day and there was a Mother and daughter at the table next to us. The Mother was talking to her daughter about her trip to town to take her to lunch (this is a college town, the Mother made an effort to drive in from out of town for this lunch) all the while the daughter was texting away. Finally, the Mother realized the daughter wasn't listening. She got quiet and asked her daughter who she was talking to, the daughter snapped back with her reply and I could see the hurt on the Mother's face. I felt so bad for her, I wanted to tell the daughter off!

People have lost most of their manners with the popularity of cell phones, they use them in public bathrooms while 'using' the facilities, while eating and believe me hearing someone chew, magnified through a phone receiver is not a pleasant sound! Not to mention the dangers of using them while driving. We only turn our cell on if we take a trip and might need it. We do forward our home phone to the cell when we leave but whoever is driving doesn't use the phone, we either pull over to talk or the passenger takes the call and, even though my phone is capable, I don't text!

[Talk Host]

I believe there is a different level of consciousness between talking on the phone and talking to your spouse or anyone else in the car. I know what you are saying, but I can speak from personal experience that with one hand off the wheel, holding a phone to my ear, engaged in a conversation with someone far away, I am not concentrating on the road.

Think about when you are on the phone at home and somebody else in the room disrupts your conversation with a question or comment to you. It's like a lightening bolt. You lose your train of thought and rhythm with the give and take of your phone call.

On the phone, there are more levels of attention given to the conversation when compared to a face to face discussion. On the phone, you are more careful to use the proper inflection and structure because you can neither see their facial reaction, nor they yours. So, I believe phone conversations are different that "in person" ones.

Somehow, phones suck us into a dark hole while we use them, whereas speaking to someone in person is less so.

JLK

Originally Posted by memason

OK....I'll get hammered for this, but I don't believe talking on a cell phone [hands free or otherwise] is any worse than listening intently to talk radio, searching for just the right song on the CD or talking to your spouse, while you're driving. All of these things are distractions from driving...

Now, where'd I put my cigarettes.....

[BogeyBoy]

We are leaving on a cruise with some friends in the near future. One of their concerns is internet and cell phone service.

Although I sign up for international service it made me stop and think. Here was part of my answer to our friends:

Remember the good old days when we didn’t even have to think about this? When you were gone on an overseas vacation or on a ship you waited until you returned – or spent a fortune to make a call. I tried email back in the 80’s but my email address ended up being this:

bogeyboy@thereisnosuchthingaspublicemailyet.com.

Texting was a real challenge - I think it was called a post card.

They seem to talk on the cell phone about anything and everything. What movie to get at Blockbuster or from a kiosk in a supermarket, grocery lists and sales, directions to a place, being late, etc.

You can get an idea of what kids might be talking about on Facebook.

[Talk Host]

When we were in Europe last summer, I forgot to turn off the data download switch on my Iphone for just the first day. I remembered after the first night and turned it off in the morning. When I got back I had an international data bill of $130..........for one day. What if I had neglected it for the entire two weeks.

JLK

[sandybill2]

Originally Posted by dfn8tly

Recently a friend of mine was watching her grand daughter texting all day. She finally asked her who she was sending all those messages to. Her grand daughter gave the name of one of her best friends. My friend said "well why don't you just call her on the telephone?" Her grand daughter looked very perplexed and said "what would we talk about?"

I am clearly not understanding this generation.

Same thing with my 15 yr old granddaughter---I have heard her answer her phone and then say "text me!" There is so much drama with friends, etc., at her age and I think it is because they keep in constant touch--they can respond "instantly" to something without thinking about it and sometimes it causes issues with friends, etc.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by jblum8156

Already the Post Office is shutting down because of email. Now I suppose landline telephones will cease to exist.

Correct - we don't have a landline phone in TV and just have the basic service in CA only because our cell service isn't reliable out here in the super boonies.


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