Mobile phone driver

BentMikey
BentMikey Posts: 4,895
edited March 2008 in Commuting chat
Heh! Just shopped a driver for being on the phone in a liveried company pickup. I had my video camera, saw the muppet, and turned it on and started filming. He even had the temerity to wave back holding his phone when I whistled to get his attention and waved my phone at him. He was doing that "pretend you're not there thing". I'm a bit surprised he didn't drop the phone instantly, that's what most drivers do as soon as they see a camera pointed their way.

Anyway, I emailed his company with the video clip. Fool!

Comments

  • TheFoolio888
    TheFoolio888 Posts: 91
    :lol: serves him right.

    Obviously that opens you up to the probability of being called a car hating, fascist,tree-hugging, sandle wearing, environmentalist, liberal do gooder though....

    :D
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    :lol: :twisted:

    Nice one!
  • saveswalking
    saveswalking Posts: 144
    Yeah ...Nice one Mikey :)

    sw
  • mrchrispy
    mrchrispy Posts: 310
    nice, dont forget the updates (if they don't just ignore you)
  • dirk_van_gently
    dirk_van_gently Posts: 826
    if you waved your phone at him, aren't you as guilty? ie handling something other than controlling the bike.
    Having said that, good job!! Should you not now post this on You tube, and then advise the police?
    If you see the candle as flame, the meal is already cooked.
    Photography, Google Earth, Route 30
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    excellent job BM! Now if only the police could do their jobs properly and actually stop people who do this the world would be a slightly safer place!
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  • Craig Beresford
    Craig Beresford Posts: 10
    On the downside to this. He may be the Boss of the company or a Foreman that's quite well in with the boss. That would result in them just having a laugh around the table.

    There are quite a few very popular web sites for shaming these type of drivers. This being one of them:

    http://www.myroadrage.co.uk/index.php

    Good effort all the same. These people are just plain stupid.

    I actually saw a police van on Friday passing Stepping Hill junction of the A6 Stockport. Blue lights and sirens blazing, in and out of traffic around 60MPH holding her mobile phone to her ear!
  • whome
    whome Posts: 167
    aren't you as guilty?

    Morally maybe more dubious, but the law only applies to motorists not pedal cycles.
    Training, highway design and increasing cycle numbers are important to safety. Helmets are just a red herring.
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Dirk Van Gently wrote:
    if you waved your phone at him, aren't you as guilty? ie handling something other than controlling the bike.
    Having said that, good job!! Should you not now post this on You tube, and then advise the police?

    It's not illegal on a bike, besides which I was walking on the pavement, LOL!

    Here's the video, and another one I took today.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbY0LLT4K7E

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

    Ha!!!
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    BentMikey wrote:

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

    I like the out of date tax disc too. The company will get hit and so will the driver. Two birds with one stone
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • whome
    whome Posts: 167
    Ignore my comments about it being morally dubious, I was confused by Dirks comments about a camera phone.
    Training, highway design and increasing cycle numbers are important to safety. Helmets are just a red herring.
  • dirk_van_gently
    dirk_van_gently Posts: 826
    Well if you were using a phone camera, then that's perfectly alright, but aren't you in danger or losing control of your feet :wink:
    If you see the candle as flame, the meal is already cooked.
    Photography, Google Earth, Route 30
  • hamboman
    hamboman Posts: 512
    BentMikey wrote:
    Dirk Van Gently wrote:
    if you waved your phone at him, aren't you as guilty? ie handling something other than controlling the bike.
    Having said that, good job!! Should you not now post this on You tube, and then advise the police?

    It's not illegal on a bike, besides which I was walking on the pavement, LOL!

    Here's the video, and another one I took today.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbY0LLT4K7E

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

    Ha!!!

    hahah, the last one's funny - he tries to pull forward so you can't see his number plate?
    Is that on Piccadilly, by the way?
  • Mike Healey
    Mike Healey Posts: 1,023
    Dirk Van Gently wrote:
    Well if you were using a phone camera, then that's perfectly alright, but aren't you in danger or losing control of your feet :wink:

    Actually, you're closer than you think. Piece in one of the weekend papers - last year aprox. 0.5m people required medical treatment after walking into street furniture while - guess!

    But they're perfectly in control using a mobile while driving :roll:
    Organising the Bradford Kids Saturday Bike Club at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre since 1998
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
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  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    hamboman wrote:
    hahah, the last one's funny - he tries to pull forward so you can't see his number plate?
    Is that on Piccadilly, by the way?

    Euston Road mate, west of the underpass.
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    Any word from the company? 8) :twisted:
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Yeah, heard back from both now. One even offered me a freebie, asking for my address, which left me feeling slightly disturbed/dirty.

    I feel sorry for shopping the drivers, but I'd feel a lot worse if they caused a crash because of driving whilst on the phone. It's something I see as my civic duty, and not anything I want a reward for.
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    I saw a lady driving up Moorgate this morning in a rather smart Audi TT, taking puff of her fag with one hand and checking her mails on her phone with the other.

    She pulled up behind some traffic and had the window down so I just said "smoking with one hand whilst using a mobile phone with the other whilst driving, that's crazy" and cycled off, she didn't say a word.

    I mean, if she had hit somebody whilst doing that (and believe me, a lot of people on foot around there seem to want to test the ability of bikes and vehicles to stop on a sixpence) she'd have been in serious trouble.
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  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    I often find drivers have difficulty in seeing me approach on my bike when they aren't on there phones, so what chance I stand whilst they are distracted is anyone's guess!

    In my old job role as a mobile engineer I was in my car a lot and would need to be contacted on my phone to, my company supplied me with a Jabra bluetooth headset but I couldn't get along with it so I brought my own off eBay. Only cost about £15 as it was one of the older Sony Ericsson models and it works a treat and keeps me legal, I really can't understand why you'd risk a £60 fine, 3 points on your license and most importantly the safety of other road users just because you can't be ar5ed to get a handsfree kit! Most phones come with at least a wired one nowadays so there really isn't an excuse!!

    /rant over
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  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    In fairness, I don't believe in phoning whilst driving whether you're handsfree or not. It's a legal distinction, but it's just as dangerous to use the phone with a handsfree.

    Oh, and I saw the mythbusters episode testing the danger of mobile phone use yesterday. It showed a worse effect than driving drunk.

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