One "-5 Soth" Cause Found

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Scott en Aztlán - 09 Apr 2006 18:42 GMT

Two words: CELLULAR PHONE.

Several of the -5 Sloths I have encountered recently turned out to
have phones plastered to their ears. These Sloths are driving slowly
because they are unable to concentrate on both their driving and their
conversation at the same time - so of course the driving suffers.

Signature

What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

Reply to this Message

necromancer - 09 Apr 2006 21:21 GMT

> Scott en Aztlán:
> Two words: CELLULAR PHONE.

Sorpresa! Sorpresa! Sorpresa!

> Several of the -5 Sloths I have encountered recently turned out to
> have phones plastered to their ears. These Sloths are driving slowly
> because they are unable to concentrate on both their driving and their
> conversation at the same time - so of course the driving suffers.

... much to the chagrin of the rest of us....

Stupid question (and you may not be able to answer it), but exactly
*WTF* is so compelling about these conversations that they can't wait
utill the driving is done???

Reply to this Message

Scott en Aztlán - 10 Apr 2006 03:09 GMT

>Stupid question (and you may not be able to answer it), but exactly
>*WTF* is so compelling about these conversations that they can't wait
>utill the driving is done???

Beats me. It may simply be that the general population is conditioned
to answer any phone when it rings. They're like a pack of drooling
Pavlovian dogs - when the bell rings, they MUST answer it, no matter
what else they might be doing at the time. Personally, unless I happen
to have brought along my BT headset, I'll just let the call go to
voice mail. I won't even look to see who called until I'm safely
stopped somewhere, and I definitely won't return the call until I've
either arrived at my destination or at least pulled completely off the
road. The few times I do bring the BT headset are when I'm picking the
wife up at the airport or something like that - and in those cases the
conversations are VERY brief, just long enough to find out that the
plane has landed and is on its way to the gate or somesuch.

However, I've come to realize that I am an anomaly. ;)

Signature

What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

Reply to this Message

necromancer - 10 Apr 2006 20:07 GMT

> Scott en Aztlán:

<snip>

> However, I've come to realize that I am an anomaly. ;)

You're not that much of an anomaly, Scott. :) There are only a couple of
numbers (literally) that will get me to answer my phone while driving
and initiating a call while in motion is out of the question. Everyone
else waits untill I get to my destination, park the car and shut down
the engine before the call gets returned.

Reply to this Message

Doug - 11 Apr 2006 00:24 GMT

>> Scott en Aztlán:
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Everyone else waits untill I get to my destination, park the car and
> shut down the engine before the call gets returned.

Then there was the most considerate cell phone user I encountered
Saturday. They had pulled over and stopped their car to talk on the
phone. Unforunately, they only pulled halfway off the road and were
still in the travel lane. They did this 15 yards past a blind 90 degree
curve. And I had a mini-bus (only seats 10) full of little old ladies on
their way home from lunch, one in a wheel chair. Glad I creep around
that curve anyway, I would have had blue hair in the asile. Not to
mention all the doggie bags.

Doug

Reply to this Message

gpsman - 10 Apr 2006 02:20 GMT

> Two words: CELLULAR PHONE.
>
> Several of the -5 Sloths I have encountered recently turned out to
> have phones plastered to their ears. These Sloths are driving slowly
> because they are unable to concentrate on both their driving and their
> conversation at the same time - so of course the driving suffers.

I dunno... I'd say if they're consciously compensating for their
divided attention their driving has actually improved, for prevailing
conditions. Slowing down a tad while you're on the phone isn't really
a hanging offense from my POV.

I mean, it is a speed *limit*... so they're actually driving more
responsibly than a driver who's not on the phone yet unable to exhibit
sufficient skill to prevent going 5 over...
-----

- gpsman

Reply to this Message

N8N - 10 Apr 2006 02:25 GMT

> > Two words: CELLULAR PHONE.
> >
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> - gpsman

I'm not so sure that's true. "If you slow down everything will be
fine" is true of some conditions but is not the answer to all. In the
case of a driver so distracted by his conversation that he feels
compelled to slow down, if he's significantly slower than all traffic
around him he may be better able to keep it between the lines, but is
making a bad situation for himself by putting himself in the position
of a rock in a stream. Best solution would be to devote enough
attention to driving that he could maintain a normal speed...

nate

Reply to this Message

Scott en Aztlán - 10 Apr 2006 03:11 GMT

>I'm not so sure that's true. "If you slow down everything will be
>fine" is true of some conditions but is not the answer to all. In the
>case of a driver so distracted by his conversation that he feels
>compelled to slow down

Actually, it's more likely that the driver is so distracted he doesn't
even realize he has slowed down.

>Best solution would be to devote enough
>attention to driving that he could maintain a normal speed...

Which in the case of most people is ALL of it. :P

Signature

What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

Reply to this Message

Scott - 10 Apr 2006 04:15 GMT

I agree that maintaining the "flow" of traffic is safer than being a
"rock in the stream" however with that comes judgement of abilities as
a driver. Fundementally, if a person can not drive safetly and talk on
the phone at the same time, they have no business behind the wheel at
all. If there is such a low cap on a person that they cannot do more
than a few things at once it is unsafe for that person to be driving
regardless of if they are using a cell phone or not. Driving requires
that you be able to take in many many things at once such as speed,
objects in front, behind, left and right. On top of that you should be
able to respond to changes in road conditions, lighting (day, twilight
and night driving) visual and audio clues as to the condition of your
vehicle, etc. If a person cann't drive and find the temperature
control with out taking thier eyes off the road , they should
reconsider the danger of them being on the road to begin with. Despite
the common belief that driving is everyones right, licences should be
awarded to those who are truely skilled.
scott

Reply to this Message