should texting while walking negate pedestrian laws

[Avanarius]

A different note, but marginally similar, this reminds me of bicyclists not wearing helmets as it's GREATLY not enforced in my community (at least 80% are helmet-less). It pisses me off to no end thinking what could happen if I were to accidentally injure a cyclist without a helmet on, yet I would still be blamed 100% for sure.

[Correction]

thread needs more

[Wintermute]

A different note, but marginally similar, this reminds me of bicyclists not wearing helmets as it's GREATLY not enforced in my community (at least 80% are helmet-less). It pisses me off to no end thinking what could happen if I were to accidentally injure a cyclist without a helmet on, yet I would still be blamed 100% for sure.

The only cyclists I see with helmets locally are the old guys who go for long rides in groups with their buddies. All the kids just ride about in the middle of busy roads with no protection or precautions (reflectors, lights, etc) and then moan and bitch when they get hurt.

That said I never wear any protective gear when I'm riding my board on the road but I've got enough common sense to stick next to the curb and look around me every 30 seconds.


As far as the pedestrian crossing at random you could do what a friend of mine did: Hook up an air-horn with a stupid decibel level and blast it whenever some idiot crosses without looking.

[Qalbert]

thread needs more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3w7HIHscwE

needs to be gif'd

[Mistress Stowastiq]

They need to implement a GPS system into phones that locks you from texting if it's moving.

I get how texting can be useful, but if you're going to be so involved in it that you're unable to register the rest of the world you need to remember that your phone can dial out and that you can talk to your friends with it.

People who get injured because they're too busy texting to pay attention to anything else deserve it.

The other day, I was talking to some one about a phone like you mentioned. One that requires you to stop your car and turn it off first if you are going to use it, with an emergency call over ride. It is amazing but people can actually wait to use the phone so I feel there is no excuse when people get hurt in the process. It is unfair to innocent bystanders pulled into the accident, however.

In the future when phones are cybernetic augments, implanted in our heads, this will be easier to implement.

[Avanarius]

The only cyclists I see with helmets locally are the old guys who go for long rides in groups with their buddies. All the kids just ride about in the middle of busy roads with no protection or precautions (reflectors, lights, etc) and then moan and bitch when they get hurt.

The other 20% I see are actually professional bicyclists wearing proper gear, signaling properly, riding with traffic properly, with all proper intentions to not get hit by a car.

Not just old people.

But really...a helmet isn't a lot to ask.

[Wintermute]

The other 20% I see are actually professional bicyclists wearing proper gear, signaling properly, riding with traffic properly, with all proper intentions to not get hit by a car.

Not just old people.

But really...a helmet isn't a lot to ask.

But I can't fit my Sennheisers into a helmet.

I get where your coming from though.

Out of curiosity, do any of you guys find that the police enforce any sort of "rules of the road" for cyclists and such?

The UK has "The Highway Code", I'm sure other places have similar schemes that lay out on safety gear, precautions, and behaviour that you need to obey when riding in traffic but is it ever enforced by the Police?

I can't recall a single time when anyone's tried to enforce it locally.

[Avanarius]

Out of curiosity, do anyo of you guys find that the police enforce any sort of "rules of the road" for cyclists and such?

No. None at all really (locally speaking of course). It's depressing that it's so easy to answer that question. But I guess I've already implied this.

[Jotaru]

If she was crossing legally, why are you hitting her with a car?

Shit made me laugh for a few minutes, lol.

I don't know, people just don't pay attention in general. I was driving through town the other day crossing through an intersection (I had the green) and some moron on a bicycle on the perpendicular street just cruised right through the red light, right towards me, as I was crossing... he was looking straight ahead but had that glazed look in his eyes like you could tell he wasn't paying attention... and I had to speed up and swerve to avoid HIM hitting ME. Seriously, people, pay the fuck attention. The guy didn't even notice.

[Bweigelt]

I don't understand why current laws can't handle this situation perfectly fine. Was she crossing the street illegally or legally? If it was illegally (she crossed at a crosswalk without it being green/without hitting the button), then she already is at fault if there were an accident. If she was crossing legally, why are you hitting her with a car? If she simply stepped out onto the road where there is no crosswalk, then more than likely she is jaywalking (there are some exceptions), and once again, she's at fault.

This.

I had a retard of a friend in High School who jay walked across a 1 way street and looked the wrong way before crossing. He got nailed by a car doing about 50k (like 30 mph) and ended up getting a ticket.

[SephYuyX]

I think cellphone use should be treated like alcohol.
If youre caught with an open, I mean, caught using a cell phone while on a street or sidewalk, be it driving, walking, cycling, you should be fined.
Mostly serious, with just a hint of sarcasim.

[bigrougabagel]

I remember reading something a long time ago about stupid laws. One in particular was that it was illegal to have an ice cream cone on main street. This was because the horses pulling carriages on the main street would be distracted and move into the other lane of traffic. That seems odd, but not too outrageous. There are already laws in several states that limit cell phone use while driving. Why not apply this to other potentially dangerous places? Or if you are found to be an oblivious zombie while your fingers are glued to your iphone, you should be required to wear a helmet with a flashing red light while in public. Or at least something that resembles a target.

[Ksandra]

I don't understand why current laws can't handle this situation perfectly fine. Was she crossing the street illegally or legally? If it was illegally (she crossed at a crosswalk without it being green/without hitting the button), then she already is at fault if there were an accident. If she was crossing legally, why are you hitting her with a car? If she simply stepped out onto the road where there is no crosswalk, then more than likely she is jaywalking (there are some exceptions), and once again, she's at fault.

I was trying to look it up before responding, but couldn't find it anywhere ><;

I think in a plaza, you can technically walk anywhere outside a crosswalk, since it's considered private property (vs. state property). At least I've heard this in the past, but can't find anywhere saying one way or the other.


As to this particular incident, she wasn't walking in a crosswalk. If she was I'd still say she should get partial fault, but currently there's no law to say that.

[pohibaba]

Oh, if you were in a shopping center or something then no, she's not at fault at all. But if you're driving in basically a parking lot, you shouldn't be going anymore than 5 miles an hour anyway and should be able to stop pretty easily. If I'm understanding the situation correctly now, then the situation certainly sucks, and she's absolutely a moron, but she's not at fault and nor should she be.

[Vekta]

what a load of bollox if your paying so little attention that your walking directly infront of moving vehicles in an area they are expected to be and are hit as a result you are at fault, some of these dumb people even manage to walk into the side of moving vehicles. If it s a pedestrianized area with limited vehicle access sure you as the driver would be partially at fault but car parks and other areas where vehicles and pedestrians are together it requires the full attention of both partys.

[Ksandra]

what a load of bollox if your paying so little attention that your walking directly infront of moving vehicles in an area they are expected to be and are hit as a result you are at fault, some of these dumb people even manage to walk into the side of moving vehicles. If it s a pedestrianized area with limited vehicle access sure you as the driver would be partially at fault but car parks and other areas where vehicles and pedestrians are together it requires the full attention of both partys.

^ fully agree.

if a pedestrian can't take the time to watch out for their own safety, then they should get partial fault.

[Diamicles]

Texting is the bane of modern human intelligence.

Like they said on the Boondocks, there's a reason why phones don't hook up to printers: Nothing ever said in a text was worth saving.

[Wintermute]

Texting is the bane of modern human intelligence.

Like they said on the Boondocks, there's a reason why phones don't hook up to printers: Nothing ever said in a text was worth saving.

Texting can be great for getting people to call you though.

I respond to all my texts in the most contrived leetspeak possible which forces people to call me to figure out what I said.

[Kerberoz]

Texts are great if you don't use them in place of actual calls. Just quick memos to someone, or a single question/answer type deal.

People who use more than 200 texts/month absolutely boggle my mind, but then again, so do people who use more than the minimum 500 minutes. Fuck, I have like 4k rollover minutes. I'd buy a plan with 30 minutes and unlimited data if it existed.

[Demosthenes11]

hay guys, lets restrict our freedoms more by not allowing us to multitask when we walk anywhere. You know, you shouldn't be allowed to eat and text at the same time cuz you might choke. Or smoke and text since you might burn yourself and/or start a fire. Same with smoking and watching tv, you might get up and yell TOUCHDOWN while dropping your cigarette and burning the house down. We really need the government to step in and make sure we are protected from ourselves.

tl;dr fuck this thread. bitch is stupid for not paying attention but our current laws are perfectly fine. The "no texting / using cell phone while driving" law pissed me off enough, now we gotta extend it to fucking people walking? jfc it's 1984 in here