Criminal Behavior !!!

[Ron Smith]

I was just reading our "City Police Response Log", as I do on occasion to keep up on who, where, and what kind of Scum Bags, Meth Tweakers and Two Legged Snakes we can expect to turn up in the neighborhood.

Ran across this report. You never know what kind of low-lifes you're going to encounter.

" 12:34 p.m., Fifth Street and Centennial Boulevard. A witness reported that two girls, age 8 to 10, were standing on a street corner with a 3- or 4-year-old boy, holding a sign that read, “Honk if you think my brother is cute.”

A High Point in an otherwise depressing list of reports. This is a high traffic intersection, and could have resulted in a serious situation, child abduction, or worse, but still amusing.

[Vlim]

Ron, yes there are some of those days

I worked around 2 stupid drivers today. One decided it was perfectly safe to drive onto the road, without looking. Luckily my horn worked well and I honked my way out of a high speed crash, circling around that driver, his wife and his dog (the only one who was actually watching traffic). Still rather annoyed by this almost-incident I almost crashed into an oncoming car. The driver was so busy using his cell phone (illegally of course) that he wasn't watching where he was going, driving on the middle of the road, yapping away.

All this while using a car that spends most of it's lifetime in my workshop. I treated it for a test drive as I had replaced the cloth upholstery with a leather one. I know I would have walked away from a crash, but it certainly would have ruined my day (not to mention the car). These cars are built like tanks.

As I always joke: my crumple zone is the other car.

British TV-Program 'Fifth Gear' crashed a similar S-Class into a simulated traffic jam. Doing 70mph the S-Class ploughed into the other cars with relatively little damage. No deformation to the passenger area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwcVEnyxeo8

[lugerholsterrepair]

Ron, You just have to love the innocence of youth!

Jerry Burney

[Ardennes]

Kids will be kids. You can't put old heads on young shoulders. The question is: Where are the PARENTS !?!?!?

If I ever needed to find an idiot (other than myself) in a hurry, the first thing I would do is start driving.

[mrerick]

Ron and Gerben,

Driving distractions are pretty bad here. Gerben, your "S" class brings layered defense to the concept of "defensive driving"... They are beautiful cars.

I regularly drive late at night along a rural road. At least once or twice a week, I am behind a chemically distracted driver (usually alcohol...). The weaving and inconsistent speed changes are clear give aways.

Our area is a reasonably polite part of the USA. Once, I had a driver distracted by a cellphone dangerously cut me off in traffic near a stoplight. He got out of his truck, and walked over to my car to apologize!

Marc

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by mrerick

Once, I had a driver distracted by a cellphone dangerously cut me off in traffic near a stoplight.

That seems to be the latest dumb driving move...In my experience (I drive a truck 6+ hours a day in my job) it's young women/girls talking on their cell phones while driving (it is illegal here in NYS but not enforced) and not signaling turns...I try not to be sexist, but I have seen very few men talking & driving with one hand...

But the FedEx driver here (a women) is *always* on her cell phone...presumably to her terminal/dispatcher, but it is still illegal...and dangerous...

Besides not signaling, one-handed driving causes drivers to clip their corners when turning at intersections...I've nearly been sideswiped by more cell talkers than I can count...

I have a cellphone that I usually carry in my lunchbox...No call is that important that I need to answer it immediately...

[Ron Smith]

I ride a motorcycle quite a bit. Cell phones and texting while driving are illegal in Oregon, heavily enforced, with very heavy fines.

I can't count the times I've had to evade someone that the laws "weren't meant for" while on my bike.

We recently had a multiple fatality accident on a local freeway caused by a teenaged girl texting while driving in heavy traffic.

A friend had his Company truck backed into by a woman talking on a cell phone. She jumped out and began screaming at him that she had the "Right of Way" because he should have seen her backing out of the parking space and should have stopped. When he tried to exchange insurance info, she jumped in her car and drove off.

The Police came to his boss' office, and wanted his name and home address for a hit and run investigation. It turns out that the woman was a lawyer's wife and had filed charges against him for leaving the scene of an accident. After the investigation was complete, she was charged and he was exonerated.

When I was growing up I was taught to take responsibility for my own actions and face the consequences like an adult. Now days, it's always someone else's fault.

[cirelaw]

Florida finally outlawed texing while driving and cosidering mandatory retesting those over 65!

[Ron Wood]

65 is a little young to be retesting. But when I hit 75 in just a very few years I wouldn't object to retesting. It is a bit of an insult and a pain in the neck to have to go through that after 60 years of driving but some folks really need to be off the road and by that time I might be one of them (hope not)

[zinfull]

In Ca they have also made it illegal to use hand held cell phones and minors usage of any type of of phone while driving. They are now in the process of increasing the finds because every one seems to ignore the law, but police are exempt. In a back door lost of liberty the law allows the police to pull over minors to check if they might be using a phone. The police do not need any other reason than to "check". CA liberty is going down hill fast and they always use the "For the children" stance to pass bad laws.

jerry

[Ron Smith]

Driving is a privilege, not a Liberty. When a privilege is abused to the point that it endangers another's life, then it should be controlled.

Numerous studies have shown that driving and talking on a cell phone, or texting is the equivalent to driving while intoxicated.

[cirelaw]

Having also practiced criminal Law, the person on the other line is just as responsible! A joint cultable enterprise.. I would check each of Your states Laws! Also vision does't neccessarily determined with age. Everybody should be checked every ten years, although there are not any visual requirment that I'm aware with fireing a gun!! Laws often are not perfect as they are written and interpreted by man and ultimated decided by The Lord above>

[FNorm]

I like that term, "Chemically Distracted"

I've heard that one out of every three drivers coming at you is somehow chemically distracted.

FN

[cirelaw]

Same as 'I only shot out his eye with a BB gun!!!!!

[SleazyRider]

I saw a feller jaywalking across a city street the other day talking on his cellphone, nearly hit by a young lady driver who was talking on her cell as well. (What are the odds they were talking to each other?)

Doesn't anybody have time to just plain drive anymore?

[cirelaw]

Take down the tag number if its really reckless. I turn it over to our local sheriiff and although they usually don't issue a summon but if they can't they will contact them and if its a school bus infraction they will prosecute. Thats what neighborhood watch is all about!