Pr*cks on bikes

[BentMikey]

Yes, I drive, and I'm a bit of a petrolhead.

 

[BentMikey]

 

[Becs]

I'm not defending texting, I'm defending sensible, legal use of a hands free set!

 

[briantrumpet]

How on earth did we survive before mobile phones? Surely it's just not possible. People tell me there was a time before mobile phones, instant messaging and answerphones but I don't believe them. If it is true, it must have been terrible.

Seriously, where did we get this addiction from for instantly answering every electronic/telephonic message? Unless you're in the life-saving business, there isn't a single message that can't wait a few minutes until it's safe to answer it.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

How on earth did we survive before mobile phones? Surely it's just not possible. People tell me there was a time before mobile phones, instant messaging and answerphones but I don't believe them. If it is true, it must have been terrible.

It is funny, watching something which I still think of fairly modern - for instance Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of the 'scoobies' gets in a pickle and I am thinking "why not just use your mobile" - then I remember that the show was a while ago and the prevalence of mobiles is a relatively new thing.

So in answer to your question, before mobile phones we all got our blood drained by vampires.

 

[theclaud]

Even better than I remembered...

 

[jonny jeez]

Obviously you pick and choose your conversations and the roads on which you have them, but if you're sensible it's really very straightforward and poses little, if any additional risk than talking to a passenger or listening to the radio. Sadly there are many professions were your car becomes your office and a phone is a necessity.

Whilst I accept and agree that doing anything that distracts you from driving (smoking, eating, fiddling with sat nav, stereo ) is a bad thing I am also intrigued that...right up untill we are re-programmed to find these activities unacceptable...we all thought nothing of performing them on a regular basis.

-not using rear seatbelts
-Driving home from the pub after a few jars (I'm a bit young to remember this one personally but i know for a fact people of my parents generation used to without concern)
-using the phone whilst driving

in a few years time we shall no doubt look back on some of today's common practices and be ashamed of our actions.

I appreciate (and am grateful)that this is all positive progress...but it amazes me just how fickle we are.

 

[Theseus]

So good I just had to take its photo.

Did you use your mobile?

 

[CopperCyclist]

From what I recall from the cops with cameras type shows is that there's always two of you in the car anyway? So the other officer does the talking, meaning the driver wouldn't have any need to use one anyway. Right?

Since the cuts it's very common to be single crewed now, but otherwise yes.

 

[Becs]

[QUOTE 1805652, member: 9609"]+1 for the contemptible behaviour.

What level of drinking are we equating talking on a hand held mobile phone use to; ½pint shandy, 1 pint of best, 5 pints stella or a bottle of whiskey.?

If I was to compose a table from guesswork i would go with -
½ pint ~ talking hands free
1 pint ~ talking hand held
3 pints ~ reading a text or dialing a number
6 pints ~ composing a text.[/quote]

Sounds fair enough - 1/2 a pint having very little if any effect on a normal, competent person's driving and being completely legal.

 

[BentMikey]

[QUOTE 1805652, member: 9609"]+1 for the contemptible behaviour.

What level of drinking are we equating talking on a hand held mobile phone use to; ½pint shandy, 1 pint of best, 5 pints stella or a bottle of whiskey.?

If I was to compose a table from guesswork i would go with -
½ pint ~ talking hands free
1 pint ~ talking hand held
3 pints ~ reading a text or dialing a number
6 pints ~ composing a text.[/quote]

I feel that the first half-pint line is significantly incorrect, as from what I've read, the level of distraction hand held or hands free is roughly the same. It's not about the lost use of hand, but about the mental investment in the remote conversation. I suspect that the 1 pint line is also too low.

 

[Boris Bajic]

This thread is in danger of becoming an argument about how far a mouse can spit in zero gravity.

We all seem to agree that distraction is ungood and that higher levels of distraction are even more ungooder (ungooderer?).

I never drink & drive and never have. It's not a moral thing for me; it just doesn't seem sensible.

Nonetheless, I eat and drink while driving; I have occasionally taken the odd call in my car (never dialled or texted); I regularly drink from a bidon while riding. I once got a bad muscle spasm (or similar) in my arm while reaching into the back pocket of my cycling top at speed for a snack. Had there been a car near me, it could have been a Splatto Maximo moment... Control was maintained, but it took most of two lanes to do so.

To my way of thinking, drinking from a bidon while cycling is the equivalent of 2 pints and a line of coke.

That's if it's just Gin & Tonic in the bidon... If it's a Martini or similar strong cocktail, you can probably raise it to three pints.

Just a guess, but based on empirical research.

 

[Boris Bajic]

How can customers order food and drinks if the staff consider speaking at the counter rude?

Sorry...

I might mention one or two grammar points that come to mind, but as I admire the sentiment of the notice I'll let it go.

 

[Becs]

Well I hope all the unrealistic sanctimonious types on here remember their side of the argument they listen to the radio, think about what they're going to do when they get home or scratch their balls while driving! Wouldn't want to not be entirely focussed on their driving 100% of the time now would we chaps . . . . . or maybe us girls are just better at multitasking

 

[Becs]

Becs, some studies have suggested that speaking on a hands free phone is more distracting or occupies more of the mind than talking to a passenger sat next to you or listening to the radio. Whether or not this really is the case I don't know.

I am aware of this, but I still think it"s a load of crap. You can find a study to back up whatever statement you'd like to make (within reason obviously). Also "more" could just be a very small amount more that is virtually insignificant - if the research was that compelling it would be banned already. Dad was a traffic copper for 30 years and a police pursuit driving trainer and he (and his ex colleagues) talks on a hands free phone and will drive after half a pint - that's all the recommendation I need.