My attempt to stop doing something stupid.

Kinja'd!!! ".jdb." (brockmjd)
12/12/2014 at 07:57 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!8 Kinja'd!!! 46

Texting while driving, checking maps while driving, checking e-mail while driving.... I've long thought to myself a lot of the typical justifications - I've been driving for over 25 years; the kids who have problems are still learning. It's not as bad as they say it is; you can't really test it, because any reasonable person would say "Hey, there's something important, I'm going to put the phone down." All of those may be reasonable and right arguments. And there's even the "oh, come on Nanny State, lighten up" argument.

But the bottom line is that it *is* stupid and dangerous and I shouldn't be doing it and it's a bad habit. So I told my wife yesterday: If I'm driving and she sees me do anything with my phone (besides talk on a call), I owe her $1. We'll see how that goes.


DISCUSSION (46)


Kinja'd!!! jkm7680 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:03

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I avoid doing it, Occasionally I'll use Waze. But if somebody texts me, I'll just wait until I arrive at my destination or manage to pull off into a parking lot or something.

You've got a phone holder for your window right? Those things help.


Kinja'd!!! yamahog > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:04

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Good on you, I think everyone here (especially us motorcyclists) supports this endeavor :)


Kinja'd!!! Sam > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:04

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People hate when I ride with them because I tell them they can't use their phones. I never use it myself (Unless I'm taking a picture of something cool) since nothing is so important that it can't wait 15-30 minutes.


Kinja'd!!! Haimatox > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:05

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Good on you! Even as a teenager and one of those whippersnappers "who can't make safe decisions" (which is bullshit, by the way. I think I'm a rather mature and responsible person), I don't text and drive. That's just stupid.


Kinja'd!!! With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:07

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You seem totally reasonable and sane—wise, even—and I'm in a very similar situation, and yet I find it VERY hard to make the same commitment myself.


Kinja'd!!! jariten1781 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:08

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Throw it in the glove box or behind the rear seats. That's what my wife had to do to break the habit after a close call made her reprioritize.


Kinja'd!!! The man in the iron mask > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:11

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SHould rise the bet up to 100 bucks. The real deal will stop you from doing it..


Kinja'd!!! 505Turbeaux > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:14

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lol the cuss jar, just enhanced


Kinja'd!!! Sweet Trav > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:20

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What I don't understand is how neither Ford Sync, nor my phone has a method, when connected to the bluetooth in my car to send back a text that says "hey im driving if its important, call me"

Essentially we need AOL away messages on our phones.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > jariten1781
12/12/2014 at 08:21

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I have a friend who keeps it in her diaper bag. This actually came to a head when I posted a pic on facebook of a driver who stopped for a red light with his BACK bumper past the crosswalk, completely blocking the intersection. A friend of mine called me out on using my phone while I was driving. I got kinda defensive, then said "OK, I'm being defensive because I know it's not great." She said a friend of hers died when they were in their 20s from texting. So.... yeah. Kind of a reminder of how serious it is.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > The man in the iron mask
12/12/2014 at 08:22

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Someone else suggested $20. I think it's fair to do something more serious, but I rarely have $100 in cash on me, and then we'd get into "Oh, I still owe you from Thursday." I think $20 will do, though. Fair point - $1 is a mild irritation; $20 is more serious.


Kinja'd!!! yamahog > Sweet Trav
12/12/2014 at 08:25

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I actually had this functionality on a previous phone: in driving mode, it would auto-reply. Llama or a similar automation app should be able to do this too.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > Sweet Trav
12/12/2014 at 08:27

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Based on my brief exposure to Sync in a rental car, it probably does. You just have to go to Settings->System settings->Connectivity->Bluetooth->Choose phone->[your phone]->SMS and e-mail->SMS->Settings->Automation Settings->Auto-replies->While Driving.
Just don't try to do that while you're driving ;)
(and I kid on the actual menus. From my brief time with it, Sync seemed really powerful but an enormous pain to get to work)


Kinja'd!!! Sweet Trav > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:30

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My girlfriend just likes to send me texts with filthy/funny things just so the Sync robot reads them outloud.

Her personal Favorite: Dickbutt


Kinja'd!!! Svend > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:32

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Watch a video on a what can happen when distracted driving. It's not pretty. Don't find out the hard way.

If your vehicle has a sync option for your mobile, use it, if not, put your phone on silent or turn it off. If you have a smartphone you can get an app such as drivesafe.ly or Txt U L8r which will tell callers and texters you are driving and not able to answer.

Is a phone call or text message really worth a life? Only you can decide.

Very few calls are about life and death, lets make it fewer still.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > Sweet Trav
12/12/2014 at 08:40

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I discovered that Siri will not just read texts, BUT WILL READ ALL OF THE APPLE EMOJI. I will openly admit that when I discovered this, I sent myself a text just to hear her say "smiling pile of poop" over and over.
I'm 41. Don't judge.


Kinja'd!!! thisOneTime > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:41

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That's good man, good for us all :)

Just remember that whatever is going on your phone, call, text whatever, it can wait. Short of saving a life (if you're a doctor on call), whatever it is, it sure can wait until you've stopped or arrived at your destination. You'll actually enjoy more every single drive you'll do.


Kinja'd!!! Sweet Trav > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:42

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lol. The best part is the Sync Robot can't say bluetooth audio correctly but it can say all of the curse words and dickbutt just fine.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > Sweet Trav
12/12/2014 at 08:43

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I had a GPS that would inexplicably - just on this one road - presume that "Dr." was "Doctor". So "Turn right on Sheridan Doctor". Really, Magellan? You're going to presume that "Dr." in a street name is "Doctor?" Isn't there something else it might be? Maybe?


Kinja'd!!! davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:44

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If you have Bluetooth for calls, just get in the habit of leaving your phone in your pocket, or putting it in the center console, and work on your willpower to actually leave it there and not look at it until your destination. Having it sitting out in your cupholder or something is just too much of a temptation.

My self-control is good when I'm driving, but I do check it if I'm sitting at a stoplight, fwiw.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > Svend
12/12/2014 at 08:45

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Yeah, I've seen the videos. It's amazing how well the "oh, it's not a big deal" internal monologue can slap a coat of "don't worry about that" over it. I'm sure alcoholics who get behind the wheel after three or four or five have the same internal discussion.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > jkm7680
12/12/2014 at 08:46

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I think it'll be best if I can't see it. :)


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
12/12/2014 at 08:49

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Step 1 is turning bluetooth on when I get in the car. The problem is that bluetooth is a damn battery hog, so if it's on when I'm not in the car, I swear it spends all day saying 'HEY, ANYONE OUT THERE? ANYONE I NEED TO PAIR WITH? TALK TO ME! I FEEL NEGLECTED!'. Great feature for a smartphone: Make the Bluetooth "sync" interval more like every 5 minutes, but if you shake the phone while it's locked, it "wakes up" bluetooth.


Kinja'd!!! davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 08:52

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Yeah, I know. That would be a great feature. I leave mine on all the time, and still make it through a normal day without plugging back in, though.


Kinja'd!!! Captain of the Enterprise > Sam
12/12/2014 at 09:09

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I'm similar, I hate when my brother wants to drive so he will bug me about it until I let him drive but then he gets on his phone while driving to show me stuff on facebook. So I'm always asking him why he wanted to drive if he's going to be using his phone, I'd rather drive anyway


Kinja'd!!! mountain_runner > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:17

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I carried on and was stupid about that until I had to do a last second maneuver into someone's yard to avoid rear ending a minivan with a bunch of Tea Party stickers on the back. Now the phone gets put in my messenger bag, in the rear hatch when I drive. I'm glad my stupidity didn't get anyone hurt or killed or sued.


Kinja'd!!! jariten1781 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:22

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Yeah, my wife's close call was...interesting. She never really was a heavy texter while driving but I always ragged on her for it when I was aware of it.

Then, one day, she's sitting stopped at the front of the line at a red light. She normally drives a stick, but this time she was in a rental while her GTI was in for its, approximately 5 millionth, warranty repair. Pulls her phone out and starts dicking around with the all important texts. Next thing she knows she hears a horn. Thinking that the light turned green and she'd been distracted she chucked it in the passenger seat and gets ready to jet out. That's when she realized her car was fully in the cross traffic lane. Apparently she'd let off enough on the brake that the car had crept out into the intersection. She was very lucky that the guy crossing her path noticed her and was able to stop. The embarrassment and fear of death worked for a little while but she started creeping back into old habits after a while. It wasn't until she made the conscious decision to put it out of arms reach either behind the rear or in the glove box that she was able to fully break it.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > mountain_runner
12/12/2014 at 09:24

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Given the likely correlation between "tea party stickers" and "driver is armed", that had the potential to be a lot worse than just a fender-bender. Glad you're OK.


Kinja'd!!! jariten1781 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:26

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Haha, I had a GPS when I lived in Washington state that did something like that. It was loaded with only American maps, yet every time it'd call out a a state highway (like WA-6) it'd say "In 15 miles turn left on Western Australia 6".


Kinja'd!!! Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:27

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Sadly my Garmin doesn't know how to pronounce Philadelphia either. It's only the 5th most populated city in the country. You'd think it would understand. Nope.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > jariten1781
12/12/2014 at 09:29

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Holy crap. Literally gasped as I read this. It's a little terrifying how compelling our phones (and the texts/likes/comments/messages we get on them) are.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > jariten1781
12/12/2014 at 09:30

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YOU DISCOVERED THE SECRET PORTAL! This is why the Hoh Rainforest is full of koalas.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
12/12/2014 at 09:31

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Oddly, the same GPS did admirably well with the Scajaquada Expressway.


Kinja'd!!! jariten1781 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:42

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Yeah, it's also why I side-eye people who resolutely proclaim that they only do it stopped at intersections so everything is copacetic. Everyone who has driven for a while has caught their car rolling a few inches when they didn't realize it and stabbed the brakes. Those inches turn to feet with a phone taking up your mental load. That can lead to rolling into someone's bumper which is an annoyance for both involved; or worst case, straight into an intersection where traffic is flowing at speed. Ain't worth it.


Kinja'd!!! BJ > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
12/12/2014 at 09:49

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You should try driving with Google Maps Navigation while in Montreal, where most of the street names are in French. The machine pronunciation is a brutal assault on your ears, with the odd comic gem in there.


Kinja'd!!! Big Bubba Ray > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:50

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Good. Put down that phone.

Lock it in the glovebox when you drive. Key is in the ignition (obviously) so you won't even be able to get to your phone when you're on the road.


Kinja'd!!! Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > BJ
12/12/2014 at 09:56

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Damn, I should plan a trip to Canada just for that. Alas, my passport is expired.


Kinja'd!!! BJ > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 09:56

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Here in Quebec we have a good campaign, Don't risk your life for a trivial message . On the scroll at the end, it says, "What's for supper?"


Kinja'd!!! BJ > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
12/12/2014 at 09:57

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I hope you're bilingual, because the only way to decode what the machine is saying is to have an idea of what it might be in both languages... It's certainly not English, in most cases.


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > BJ
12/12/2014 at 09:59

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Bravo. Well done.


Kinja'd!!! Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > BJ
12/12/2014 at 10:17

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That sounds like a load of fun. THAT should be a new car show like the QOTD a few days ago. Take a GPS to Montreal and work as an Uber or Lyft driver.


Kinja'd!!! Svend > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 10:26

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Ye, I find it ironic that the (for example) one in 1,000 chance of having a car accident whilst drunk/high/distracted causes us to say to ourselves 'it won't happen to me', yet we'll play the lottery with a one in 13,000,000 chance of winning hoping 'it will happen to me'.


Kinja'd!!! BKosher84 > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 12:00

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I keep my phone in my coat pocket (during the Fall/Winter) and out of reach of my arms (during the Spring/Summer) and it seems to work. I completely ignore my phone when driving because the drivers in Cleveland are crazy mofo's who can't drive so it's best I be on my toes and drive defensively..


Kinja'd!!! .jdb. > BKosher84
12/12/2014 at 12:05

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not to mention the potholes…


Kinja'd!!! BKosher84 > Svend
12/12/2014 at 12:23

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Back when I was a Sophomore in High School (2001) our school would come together with the local PD/FD/Hospital and do a mock reenactment of a drunk driving accident (Back then not many people had cell phones so the biggest issue was drinking after prom). They would go all out.. Wrecked cars/Police/Fire Dept, and a Life-flight Helicopter would come and land in the middle of our football field and pick up one of the injured students in the "accident". It was scary shit. They even had a reenactment of the police coming to the parents house telling them their son/daughter was in a serious accident and at the hospital... It was crazy effective.


Kinja'd!!! The man in the iron mask > .jdb.
12/12/2014 at 17:42

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I agree, i went overboard.