Ask Me Help Desk - Texting While Driving?

Texting While Driving?

I watched a Dr. Phil episode last night (I think it aired Monday) about teens text messaging while they are driving. I sat there slack jawed and couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. The teenager seated next to Dr. Phil was smiling and was not in the least moved by the story of the deaths of 5 cheerleaders nor the bicyclist that were direct results of text messaging while driving. She actually said that the girls died because the driver wasn't a good text messenger. What made me even crazier is the mom that said "I tried to take her phone away, but she cried." I wanted to reach through the TV and slap her.

I made mention of this program at my work break room today and a young 20 something said "oh yeah, I do it all the time."

I guess my question is, where can I buy a tank? It doesn't have to have weapons, I just want to protect myself from these clueless, selfish twits that have taken over the roads.

My sister texts while she drives. She holds the steering wheel with her knees so her hands will be free for texting. She even does this on the freeway in the middle of Fresno, CA. The first time I got in the car with her while she was doing this I was actually scared we were going to crash, and my oldest son was in the car with us. I told her to stop and she just laughed. She scares my mom doing that too. :eek:

OMG! I saw that episode. My mom and I were SCREAMING at the TV.

That 17 year old girl had ZERO concept of the fact that she probably going to kill someone.

My cousin is 17 and she is the only one out of all her friends who does not use the phone while driving. 5 of her friends have totaled cars from texting while driving.

Its horrendous. I guess it was inevitable. Kids have grown up with IM and texting so I guess its natural for them to text and drive just like how other people talk and drive. Its just insane. I feel like teenagers nowadays just have zero concept of the world outside of themselves. The psychological stage they are at is to be selfish but it just feels as if its to a whole new extreme. I can't even drive and talk I find it too distracting and I could not imagine trying to text.

I agree with you, Em. Tuesday morning I was going to work and stopped at a stop light. The driver behind me was coming up rather fast and not aware of the red light. I was watching her in my rear view mirror. She was on her cell, looking down and I could tell she was texting. She slammed into the back of my truck. Not much damage to my truck as it is a good ol' US steel bumper. But her front end is pretty torn up. She got the citation and I just shook my head. Hope her parents have good insurance and they make her do community service. Yeah right. She will out tomorrow driving.

I hate texting... I had it removed from our plan... no incoming or outgoing texts.. and if my kids ever have a cell or the futuristic equivalent... it will be disabled there as well...

The really stupid thing was that this kid has only had a license for 4 months and has already done 3k worth of damage to the car + 3 other incidents.

I would have yanked her driving privileges on the first incident.

So scary, it is a shame cars can't be fitted with phone interference devices to prevent the use of mobiles whilst the engine is on... No one would buy it though! It is more dangerous even than drink driving (I think I made my feelings on this pretty clear in previous posts!)

Makes me so angry! :mad:

Emland did you get the same feeling I did was that the mother didn't really seem to take it that seriously? I felt like neither of them grasped the severity.

I told my mom if it was my kids I would get them that Mickey Mouse phone where you can only call out to a few numbers and there is no bells or whistles including texting.
Its like the rest of us grew up and got along just fine without cell phones. If kids cannot stop texting then no phone too bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

I agree with you, Em. Tuesday morning I was going to work and stopped at a stop light. The driver behind me was coming up rather fast and not aware of the red light. I was watching her in my rear view mirror. She was on her cell, looking down and I could tell she was texting. She slammed into the back of my truck. Not much damage to my truck as it is a good ol' US steel bumper. But her front end is pretty torn up. She got the citation and I just shook my head. Hope her parents have good insurance and they make her do community service. Yeah right. She will out tomorrow driving.

You a lot better than I am...

I would not have been able to keep my cool... NOPE, not at all. I could see myself in jail now because I slapped somebody silly. Are you OK?

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_11_2.gif

And all those IMPORTANT messages. They were nothing but BS!

Both my husband and I have text function, but have it turned off on my sons. I discovered he was using my text function when I would put my phone on the charger at night. He is MRDD and can barely read, but he can figure out how to send and receive text messages! He hasn't tried it again since I read him the riot act.

Shygrneyez based on what I've seen happen with my cousins friends these kids never get punished. They total a car or get into an accident from texting or chatting away on the phone or even just being careless and they are grounded for a week then the parent feels bad ungrounds them and gets them a new car. I mean its like bizarro world the way some parents act. I know if I did something like that at 17 I would still be grounded.

Lol... the firefly... I thought about that too... they can call mom, dad, grandma or the police... and only those people can call in I believe. In my opinion, there is no other reason for a teen to have a cell.

I think many parents today want to be their kid's friend. My daughter asked me once if I was her best friend. I told her "no, I am your mother"

I love my children and will give my life for them, but I am not going to put my desire to be their buddy above their welfare.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlindaofOz

shygrneyez based on what I've seen happen with my cousins friends these kids never get punished. They total a car or get into an accident from texting or chatting away on the phone or even just being careless and they are grounded for a week then the parent feels bad ungrounds them and gets them a new car. I mean its like bizarro world the way some parents act. I know if I did something like that at 17 I would still be grounded.

Its this new fad... "be your kids best friend"... its getting out of control. The reason kids are so bad now a days, why they are so careless, is because they are apoiled, the parents don't discipline them anymore, hell you can't discipline you kids anymore with all the worries about abuse... its ridiculous. Parents aren't meant to be your best friend they are meant to be your parent, your guide, your role model. My son may end up hating me as a teenager, but dang it he will follow my rules. I don't care if the whole flippin teenage east coast is doing whatever, he will do what I say and nothing else. When he is out on his own, he can do as he pleases, but he has to things my way until then... I am determined to bring up a boy who values himself, others, and his world.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emland

I think many parents today want to be their kid's friend. My daughter asked me once if I was her best friend. I told her "no, I am your mother"

I love my children and will give my life for them, but I am not going to put my desire to be their buddy above their welfare.

You're in my head :)

Great minds think alike! :D

I posted a poll question on our company website. 75% of those responding admit to texting while driving.

I am glad I drive a Ford Expedition. That thing sucks up the gas, but in a crash I think I am better off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alkalineangel

Its this new fad..."be your kids best friend"... its getting out of control. The reason kids are so bad now a days, why they are so careless, is because they are apoiled, the parents dont discipline them anymore

Its so true and the parents do not see it is to their kids detriment. These kids are so ill prepared for the real world. They don't get that everyone is not going to kiss their a$$ and tell them they are special and important. They have a totally skewed view of how the world is going to embrace them when they are out and away from their parents. The world is harsh and these kids have zero coping skills.

I agree... there is a line, you can love your children, be happy for them, buy them things when they deserve it, but you also need to give them a strong background, teach them right from wrong, punish them when they are wrong, teach them that there are no silver platters. I buy my son nice things, but he works for what he gets, even at four, he knows that he must be on his best behaviour if he is to deserve anything... and if he doesn't like something and decides to throw a fit, I ignore him. No one in the world will listen to that and give him what he wants in the end... why should I?

Yeah, those and people putting on makeup and/or reading newspapers (adults) are at the top of the list of other drivers I'd love to revoke their driver license.

No I don't do that! It's way too dangerous! When you are driving, you must focus on driving.
Cell phones are supposed to bring convinience to our fast pace life.Doesn't matter what you are doing while texting it, texting itself is not very efficient when things come to time management.
My peers do that all the time, but we don't have to do it since everyone else is doing it right?

Kk I hαve to αdmit.. I αm guilty of thαt-- however I hαve stopped becαuse well I don't wαnt shαylα to be in αn αccident becαuse of my cαreless-ness

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emland

The really stupid thing was that this kid has only had a license for 4 months and has already done 3k worth of damage to the car + 3 other incidents.

I would have yanked her driving privileges on the first incident.

I would have yanked her PHONE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synnen

I would have yanked her PHONE.

Oh Synnen you should have seen this mother. She didn't want to take the phone away in case something happened she kept saying that he daughter needed the phone.

Okay she needs the phone so bad then take away the car! It was infuriating!

Nah... if she needed the phone "just in case" then her punishment would have been being escorted by me everywhere--she wouldn't need the phone then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synnen

I would have yanked her PHONE.

I would have yanked her throat!

Hhαα!! Good one skell

Agrees with Skell.

There was a bill in our last legislative session to ban cell phone usage while driving, except for the use of a headset with the cell phone. It was defeated. One of our state senators said it was his daughter"s "right" to have a cell phone and talk while driving. Sick. I do not object to the use of the headset - I have one. At least both hands are on the steering wheel. Even then, I allow the call to go to the inbox and answer when I can pull over and talk safely.

Parents need to get back to being parents and not best buddies with their children - I agree with the other posters on this. I would rather have my children respect me than like me.

This thread seems very agreeable to me...

Mothers are supposed to be mothers not best friends, living life like their own teenagers.Kids need boundaries and they need an adult not another kid posing as their parents.

Not just about careless driving,but I think the value of human life is at an all time low with many teens, they are careless of their own as well as others lives.

We have had so many speeding accidents(even some deaths) in my place, yet most youngsters seem to think that they are not going to crash (or maybe they want to crash just for the fun of it).

Has anyone heard of the drunk driving young man who killed his own mother and her friend in an accident?It was years ago on an Oprah show that I saw that story.I cannot imagine the pain of that,I wish kids would understand the dangers of some things they do like texting and other dangerous things while driving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by firmbeliever

This thread seems very agreeable to me...

Mothers are supposed to be mothers not best friends, living life like their own teenagers.Kids need boundaries and they need an adult not another kid posing as their parents.

Not just about careless driving,but I think the value of human life is at an all time low with many teens, they are careless of their own as well as others lives.

We have had so many speeding accidents(even some deaths) in my place, yet most youngsters seem to think that they are not going to crash (or maybe they want to crash just for the fun of it).

Has anyone heard of the drunk driving young man who killed his own mother and her friend in an accident?It was years ago on an Oprah show that I saw that story.I cannot imagine the pain of that,I wish kids would understand the dangers of some things they do like texting and other dangerous things while driving.

I didn't know this story! So sad...
Some people won't starting learning it until things happened to them. Now, they have "taken the risk" and have "lived their life"... unfortunately he has to live on his mistake for the rest of his life!

On the Dr Phil show about texting while driving was a young man who actually did kill someone while texting. The young woman who was having her texting while driving "intervention" was not phased. She felt that she was a "better texter" so she would not get into an accident.

Its quite sad that they will refuse the lesson until they have killed or terribly injured someone. It's a sad state of affairs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emland

I guess my question is, where can I buy a tank? It doesn't have to have weapons, I just want to protect myself from these clueless, selfish twits that have taken over the roads.

Tanksforsale homepage

The shipping cost might be a bit much, though! :)

Oh my gosh, this is horrible. In high school I lost quite a few friends and acquaintances in car wrecks. A couple from being hit by a drunk driver and others who just were not paying attention or obeying the laws. Now, I never talk on the phone in the car, change CDs, or dig around in my purse. I stay completely focused on what I'm doing, because I feel I can't trust that other people are doing the same. Sadly enough, a death or serious accident maybe the only thing that would change these kids' outlook.

First of all I am going to admit I did not read the entire thread. But one girl in my carpool texts while driving. It makes the other 3 of us irate in a major way!!

When she begins texting the person in the front seat with her has begun to grab her phone and ask what she wants texted (is texted a word? LOL).

Anyway, I hardly even know how to text. I had to text my clinical instructor in the hospital tonight and it took me almost 5 minutes to complete a 3 word sentence.

It's illegal in the UK to use your phone in any way whilst driving now, unless you have some form of wireless handset. It results in a fine and points on your license.

It would be highly hipocritical of me to say that it has stopped me though. Although I don't make a habit of it I do accept calls and send the odd text whilst driving... not something I'm proud of, I know it's stupid!