Texting and dialling whilst driving ............ frightening

[Crankarm]

I've got to go against the grain (again) here and say I don't know what he's doing on this video.


>>>>>> Eh, are you for real?

He specifically stops to cycle alongside him, not even looking at the road ahead for long periods of time. If anything, he's being dangerous as well IMO.

>>>>>> I don't think so.

What's he trying to achieve? Look, I completely understand why we don't want drivers concentrating more on their phones than the road, I really do.

You contradict yourself.

It scares the bejesus out of me because I've got a wife and kid to go home to each night.

................ playing coy! You know exactly why the moton is being filmed.

But we're not the police and I don't think you'll educate a moron who thinks it's OK to use their phone by staring them out and giving them random abuse.

I don't think the cyclist abused the moton at all. But I'm willing to admit error if I missed something.

I think the only thing we can do is report it, especially if they're representing a company such as in Gaz's vid.

Indeed. Hence why many cyclists look out for motons who drive and dial. The police need evidence. Better still send all the clips to the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne suggesting he is missing a plentiful source of revenue.

I fully await a barrage of disagreement, but that's the way it is.

Hope you got what you anticipated.

 

[Chutzpah]

OK, so he filmed it, and he did what with it? Put it on YouTube. Yup, sticking it to the man right there.

There is no playing coy from me, there is no contradiction. If you want to film people to report it, then do it. But I see plenty of videos where people seem to think telling people to get off their phones (that was the abuse I was talking about) and uploading it to YouTube is enough, and when people ask them if they reported it they say "what's the point".

And yes, I think he's almost as distracted as the driver in that clip. He's staring at him for long periods of time, and not looking at the road ahead.

 

[Chutzpah]

>>>>>> I don't think so.

From 36 seconds to 1 min 8 seconds he stares at him intently, without looking ahead. That's 32 seconds. He didn't tilt the camera, you can see in the reflection he has his head turned completely to the left to stare at him. He isn't looking ahead, his eyes aren't on the road for this period of time.

You see earlier on in that clip that there is road furniture in the road, and a filter lane for opposing traffic to pull into, which by the looks of it he cycles into.

Yes, I think he's distracted.

................ playing coy! You know exactly why the moton is being filmed.

He says in the comments he didn't report it. So no, I don't know why he filmed him for so long.

 

[gaz]

The direction your head is pointing isn't the direction your eyes have to point

 

[Crankarm]

From 36 seconds to 1 min 8 seconds he stares at him intently, without looking ahead. That's 32 seconds. He didn't tilt the camera, you can see in the reflection he has his head turned completely to the left to stare at him. He isn't looking ahead, his eyes aren't on the road for this period of time.

You see earlier on in that clip that there is road furniture in the road, and a filter lane for opposing traffic to pull into, which by the looks of it he cycles into.

Yes, I think he's distracted.


He says in the comments he didn't report it. So no, I don't know why he filmed him for so long.

Chutzpah you don't think driving and dialing is that big a deal do you? Do you do it or have you yourself been caught? One of the few ...................... Or are you just trolling?

 

[Crankarm]

The direction your head is pointing isn't the direction your eyes have to point

+1. Easy with wonky eyes .

.

 

[Chutzpah]

Chutzpah you don't think driving and dialing is that big a deal do you? Do you do it or have you yourself been caught? One of the few ...................... Or are you just trolling?

Why is having an alternative viewpoint trolling?

For what it's worth, no I've never done it. I didn't even have a bluetooth headset. When my mobile is in my car it's on airplane mode as I use my mobile phone to listen to podcasts via an FM transmitter. And the only thing I've only ever been caught for is 34mph in a 30mph, which I held my hands up and didn't get self-righteous about. I knew I was speeding. Fair cop.

At no point have I justified the actions of the driver. Far from it. But I also find it difficult to justify the actions of the cyclist in this particular video. I would have softened slightly if he'd reported it, but he didn't.

 

[gaz]

I would have softened slightly if he'd reported it, but he didn't.

Why? what difference does it make?
He is probably right in saying that nothing will happen about it.

But by logging in on youtube, then there is evidence that he is seeing it. And by people watching it and understanding why you shouldn't do it. It should in turn become socially unacceptable. You don't have to report stuff to the police to make a difference.

 

[Chutzpah]

We're changing the world via YouTube now then are we?

Sorry, but I'm pretty cynical about that.

 

[Chutzpah]

And by people watching it and understanding why you should do it.

After I hit post I realised I needed to add something - if you want to talk about people watching a YouTube clip and deciding that mobile phone usage is socially unacceptable then that's a bad example. I would put money on the fact that loads of drivers would watch that clip and say "that's not that bad as he's in slow moving traffic and keeping a distance".

It's not what I think, but I'm sure it's what loads of people would say if viewing it.

 

[gaz]

True. but thats why you add information in that about why you shouldn't do it. And that is what i do.. In the case of the video posted by Crankarm, he doesn't.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

But I also find it difficult to justify the actions of the cyclist in this particular video.

Why? As far as I can tell, your only basis for having difficulty in justifying his actions is your assumption that the cyclist was looking at the driver instead of at the road.


The camera is not necessarily pointing where he is looking. In fact it almost certainly isn't.

 

[benb]

... telling people to get off their phones (that was the abuse I was talking about) ...

How is that abuse? If I shout "OI, stop assaulting that old lady" to a mugger, is that abuse from me too?

 

[JoysOfSight]

Hey, stop with all this mugger-hating - muggers have feeling too, you know!

What's the world coming to when you can't commit a crime without a member of the public saying something?

 

[Chutzpah]

[/size]

Why? As far as I can tell, your only basis for having difficulty in justifying his actions is your assumption that the cyclist was looking at the driver instead of at the road.

The camera is not necessarily pointing where he is looking. In fact it almost certainly isn't.

I still maintain that I don't think his full attention is on the road, even if his eyes are desperately trying to point out of the side of his head. He hasn't tilted the camera in anyway, you can see the reflection of his face in the rear passenger window.

How is that abuse? If I shout "OI, stop assaulting that old lady" to a mugger, is that abuse from me too?

If that's your attitude you need to yell down every single piece of law breaking, all the time, no matter what the context.