Hang up, or else!

From the “Campus Security Report” in the latest South Seattle Community College newsletter:

April 28: Student directed to leave the Library after repeatedly refusing to stop using his cell phone, to library staff and then security officers.

Actually that’s just one small snippet from a newsletter jampacked with other news from West Seattle’s only college; the folks at SSCC invited us to share the whole thing with you here.

OP May 2, 2008 (11:06 am)

Good! And on that note, I can’t wait for the “hands-free law” to go into effect in July, either.

austin May 2, 2008 (11:15 am)

Hilarious! ..Remember when cell phones were the territory of the obnoxious lawyer / hollywood producer / suit in a porsche, and were made fun of accordingly?

“Hello?! I’m in a Library!! ..No, its RUBBISH!!”

JenV May 2, 2008 (11:17 am)

Amen OP! I have been “hands free” for almost two years now. I tried to make a call last week when my bluetooth headset crapped out and it felt dowright alien!

Irukandji May 2, 2008 (12:04 pm)

SSCC has provided corrals of sorts for the smokers (not well enforced as yet)… Perhaps we could put the cellphone users in a pen as well!

JanS May 2, 2008 (12:36 pm)

austin…and now they’re the territory of the “obnoxious everyman”….one almost ran into me on the WS Bridge this morning, talking on her cellphone, changing lanes (into mine), not signaling, and causing me to slam my breaks on as she simply had no clue I was there – she didn’t even look…OP, I can’t wait until July, either…what an awakening that will be…

Jerald May 2, 2008 (12:58 pm)

I’m afraid that simply having another hand free isn’t the answer. The talkers will still have their attention elsewhere.

austin May 2, 2008 (1:24 pm)

No truer words JanS! It is funny though, that a lot of todays “common” cell phone usage would have been a major faux pas fifteen or twenty years ago. At the same time it is unfortunate that the proliferation of the technology has seen a rise in rude and unsafe behavior from the population at large.
In regards to the handsfree legislation, I agree with Jerald’s point. I feel that most of the distraction with regards to cell phone usage in cars (aside from texting while driving, which is stupid) comes from the actual conversation- imagining the person you’re talking to, imagining what you’re talking about- far more than the physical interaction with the object.

OP May 2, 2008 (1:54 pm)

JenV: I have a manual transmission car, and it’s nearly impossible for me to yap and drive. I can’t even drive very well in an automatic and talk. And I agree with Jerald that talking in general is a distraction, but when you’re hand is glued to your head, it’s even more so. As evidence I offer the clown doing less 60 MPH this morning on 599 this morning, completely oblivious to the traffic behind her….grrrrr….such a pet peeve of mine.

PSPS May 2, 2008 (3:28 pm)

It does seem that almost every car’s driver is yapping on the phone, wandering in and out of lanes without signalling or even looking first.
.
If I rememebr correctly, the “hands free” law is one of those joke laws where they can’t stop you for it but only cite you if they’ve pulled you over for another infraction. In Europe, they can stop and cite you solely on the cell violation itself.

barmargia May 2, 2008 (3:51 pm)

Jerald I agree 100 percent, it’s not a holding thing, it’s a paying attention thing. So even if they aren’t holding their phone their attention is on that phone call.

PSPS you are correct, it’s only if you get stopped for something else, all military bases are on the Europe system, they can stop you for just being on your phone on a military base.

s May 2, 2008 (5:39 pm)

i dont really agree that a hands free conversation is just as distracting….if so, should we ban passengers in cars? having a conversation with the person next to you is a lot like a hands free cell phone conversation.

even worse…let’s ban children/babies in the car…that is WAY more distracting than a cell phone call, because you often need to turn around to tend to them.

my point is that all the laws in the world are not going to prevent bad drivers.

barmargia May 2, 2008 (7:27 pm)

yes, “s” children & babies in a car are distracting, so are food, passengers and animals, so is putting on makeup, adjusting the radio, etc…I didn’t say they should ban phones, I said that just because your hands are free does not mean you aren’t distracted. And I think all the people with those wonderful little blue tooth devices driving super slow, because there is a lull in the conversation, and the people not checking their mirror or using their signals because they are busy making hand gestures are good examples.

booger May 2, 2008 (9:12 pm)

I say gas pedals in cars are distracting. When you push it down, the rush that comes from the sound of the engine roaring, g-forces pushing you back into the seat, the acceleration… almost dreamy… ^^wake up!!…

Hands free is good. Keeps the hands on the wheel and shifting when needed. Everyone talks when their driving, even to themselves.

Jerald May 2, 2008 (11:00 pm)

Just from my own experience, I think talking on a phone is somehow more distracting than talking to a person in the car. It’s as if it uses a different part of the brain, imagining that person far away. It just feels more distracting to me and I know it affects my driving much more than regular conversation.