Real Men Hang Up and Drive

I'm noticing a growing phenomenon. As a "moto-commuter" I often suffer the frustration of waiting for jammed up traffic to clear only to find out that the whole thing was the result of a soccer mom jabbering away on her Nokia driving 15 miles per hour below the speed limit in the left hand lane. Now, more often than not the offender is a man, flapping away, oblivious to the world around him. What ever happened to the strong "silent" type American male? I think were becoming a nation of "chatty Cathys"......a bunch of "phone pussies". I say real men hang up and drive.

You Said It

Smiled more than once at some of the comments you make.

Indeed, we have become a generation of 'electronic addicts.'

Having watched my SO raise our two children, you would have thought she could do twenty things at one time. But get her in a car, and on the phone, and she becomes so absorbed in the conversation that all other motorists are at risk.

I don't begrudge the advancement of portable communication. I use it alot myself. But what we are really talking about here is the ability to multitask.

Sadly, it seems from my observations that only a small percentage of the population has such an ability. We suffer among the rest.

I recently completed a 2,200+ mile MC trip, and more than once pulled alongside a fellow biker who I noticed in conversation on his / her cellphone....while riding their motorcycle. They had their cell interfaced into their helmet. Primarily Beemers and GoldWingers. Sad.

Good luck out there - Man's creativity has managed to make the road even more dangerous than it already was.

Greenwald said:

But what we are really talking about here is the ability to multitask.

Sadly, it seems from my observations that only a small percentage of the population has such an ability.

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Actually, none of us does. It is pure human physiology.

I'll have to admit I'm a bit surprised you don't know this. I learned in training to be a BMW CCA driving instructor that the human brain is only capable of holding about a half dozen items in short term 'immediate access' memory ('RAM', if you will). So we count on a student driver going into Turn Five at Road America to manage to remember:

1) Steering toward a turn-in point
2) Downshifting to the proper gear
3) Braking hard enough
4) Braking long enough
5) Listening to the car
6) Looking through the turn
7) The correct amount of steering input at the turn-in

Do I ask him what color the car in his mirror is right then? Whether there was a flag at station 4? What kind of tires he has on his car? Hell, no. Not if I don't want to crash. Driving near the limits demands concentration, but so does driving at any time.

You only have so much RAM and a cellphone takes at least half of it, leaving you a literal halfwit as a driver. If you are anywhere near traffic, you should not be using a cellphone. It demands too much attention, making you a danger to anyone near you. No one ever sees me use my cellphone in my car. Not because I never use it (I do) but because there is never traffic near enough to me to see it. It's a simple rule that I think works to ensure the safety of those around me.

Sometimes I notice who's making a call to me and decide to call them after a few minutes. This is my conscious decision that so many habitual and thoughtless users fail to make: that my life and the lives of other innocent drivers, riders, and pedestrians around me are more important than anyone's immediate need to speak to me on the phone. What many think is that they are so important that they 'must be available at any moment'. What they are really saying is that they are so unimportant that their lives can be endangered any time someone wants to call them. Unfortunately, that also endangers all of us.

Sorry, but I just don't get the need to have a phone wired to one's helmet. I was under the impression that motorcycling was a way to relax/decompress and get away from it all. I understand the need for a phone in case of emergency's but not while riding......Sheesh!!!!!

I gotta shake my head when I see these posers out there with "Ride free" emblazened on their leathers only to see their cell phone clipped on their belt.

jenunn said:

" What ever happened to the strong "silent" type American male?

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Let me get this straight........................You're complaining about men who spend their time talking, instead of being the strong silent type?.............And you're doing this on a forum?

I'm sick and tired of cell phones getting the rap for poor inattentive drivers. The problem isn't cell phones it's drivers who don't want to pay attention to the road. There are MANY distractions in today's vehicles of which cell phones are only one. I can't tell you how many times I've seen women putting on make up, men shaving, people reading the paper, eating, etc. I've also seen drivers so into their conversations with the occupants in the vehicle that they almost miss their turn off. And they only made it because they darted across several lanes of traffic.

Too many people think that if we outlawed cell phones while driving, the roads would be so much safer. I think this is a load of crap. The drivers who are distracted with cell phones would just find some other distraction in their vehicle.

On side note, first it was pagers, now it's cell phones, the Internet, etc. People in the business world want to get a hold of people 24/7, and are unwilling to wait. It seems all too often people go on vacation with their work. That's not vacation to me.

Real men don't worry about being real men.

Dear 535is:

I can all but guarentee you that "6 items in short term memory" is a bit understated, at least for some of us.

Countless times over the years in my squad car, I was responding lights and siren to a 'hot call,' all the while steering, braking, signaling, yielding, observing, and in my 'spare time,' reading flash messages on my onboard computer screen, acknowledging HQ both on the computer and via radio, planning strategy, unlocking my AR-15 assault rifle, and all the while, not spilling my coffee.

Been there - done that. You CCA boys sound like Wal-Mart greeters. Bring that BMW around sometime for a test drive - however, holding coffee (w/o a lid!) will be optional!

Greenwald said:

Dear 535is:

I can all but guarentee you that "6 items in short term memory" is a bit understated, at least for some of us.

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You'd have to argue that with the physician who taught us that. But I see no significant evidence that he was wrong. Remember; by 'short term', we're talking in terms of a second or two and how many memory items are 'instant access' in that time. Take your example:

Countless times over the years in my squad car, I was responding lights and siren to a 'hot call,'

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Once you turn 'em on, they're on. No need to think about the disco show.

all the while steering, braking, signaling, yielding, observing,

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Don't go tossing in the melded ones. 'Yielding' is a decisional response to 'observation' resulting in steering or braking. But it's not a separate thing you think about.

and in my 'spare time,' reading flash messages on my onboard computer screen, acknowledging HQ both on the computer and via radio, planning strategy, unlocking my AR-15 assault rifle, and all the while, not spilling my coffee.

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Exactly. All done in "spare time" when another thing isn't immediately demanding your attention. I know you'd like to be superhuman, but I doubt you are any more than I am.

Been there - done that. You CCA boys sound like Wal-Mart greeters.

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You're telling me I'm one of the most annoying people on earth?

Bring that BMW around sometime for a test drive - however, holding coffee (w/o a lid!) will be optional!

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It always is, in a car with no cupholders ...

Don't blame soccer!

I've seen people pull out of their driveways then pick up the phone to make a call. I've seen men doing texting, one had a laptop open on the dashboard doing a spreadsheet from the look of things.

I saw a girl with a giant bucket of soda and her head disappeared into it when she drank, all at 50+mph. I've seen Mom's with kids on their laps, dogs climbing over drivers and the other day a guy with a big red nose and a ginger wig blowing up balloons while driving and knotting them off before throwing them in the back, what a clown!

I had a youth in a hooded top U turn infront of me this morning. His head may have swivelled but his hood still cut off all his visibility.

None of these people were playing soccer at the time, so leave our "football" alone. It's the European Cup Championships in a weeks time (approx), two English teams in the final!

Greenwald said:

unlocking my AR-15 assault rifle

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You actually called it an assault rifle.

...

And according to this thread, I'm a "phone pussy" because I run most of my business on the road.

"If it swims, flies and quacks like a duck,...."

crazydrummerdude said:

You actually called it an assault rifle.

...

And according to this thread, I'm a "phone pussy" because I run most of my business on the road.

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You bet I do. When we pulled that out, we meant business. We wern't contemplating using it for anything other than defending ourselves or others who were being assaulted!

I spent 32+ years living in a cruel world. In my mind, the door for 'Political Correctness' is way down the hall and definitely on the left.

As for 535is, I LOVE it when you disect my posts - always makes me smile. Not agree, but smile.

OK, OK....maybe the WalMart Greeter comment was below the belt.

Ride Safe and don't spill the coffee!

I've seen it all.. sudoku, crossword puzzles, shaving and big dogs on laps.

I thought this was the right place.....

RODSHERIDAN said:

Let me get this straight........................You're complaining about men who spend their time talking, instead of being the strong silent type?.............And you're doing this on a forum?

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My original post was a (tongue in cheek) personal observation that men seem to be chatting it up on cellphones while driving (and tying up traffic) as much as the ladies. Many posts I've read in the past regarding 'distracted drivers" seemed to point at women more than men. I thought Campfire was the correct forum for bringing such things up for discussion....am I wrong?

jenunn said:

My original post was a (tongue in cheek) personal observation that men seem to be chatting it up on cellphones while driving (and tying up traffic) as much as the ladies. Many posts I've read in the past regarding 'distracted drivers" seemed to point at women more than men. I thought Campfire was the correct forum for bringing such things up for discussion....am I wrong?

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... bit of a flashback here: teaching in a Mennonite community in northern Alberta circa 1976... teaching a class.... boy says " ya, girls are always talkin' on the phone" hmmm.... so, the boys are on CB all the time. What's the difference? Boys been havin' verbal diarrea for a long time. Just an observation. -Bob

jenunn said:

My original post was a (tongue in cheek) personal observation that men seem to be chatting it up on cellphones while driving (and tying up traffic) as much as the ladies. Many posts I've read in the past regarding 'distracted drivers" seemed to point at women more than men. I thought Campfire was the correct forum for bringing such things up for discussion....am I wrong?

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No. This is good thread for some of us to blow off some steam.