Mobile phones - let's set a good example please

dsoutar
dsoutar Posts: 1,746
edited October 2013 in Road general
Out in the car on Sunday and had to give two cyclists a wide berth as they were texting whilst on the bike. Especially the guy in the Argos Shimano gear leaving Weybridge towards Chertsey just before 6pm who really was a danger to himself never mind other road users and was weaving all over the shop.

Come on - we moan about car drivers doing it. If it's that vital, just pull over.

Comments

  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    It's illegal to do it in a car, it isn't on a bike. I get your point though.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    How do you know they were texting, they might have been setting their strava.
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    Or posting in Commuting Chat.

    Or ordering a £3.79 pizza.
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  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    I bet they were on BR. I bet they read this thread and I bet they changed their ways.

    If only all the World's ills could be solved with a mini rant. That gives me an idea.....
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,943
    Texting instead of shouting to each other to avoid disturbing the ears of sensitive locals.

    Very thoughtful of them imo.
  • tonye_n
    tonye_n Posts: 832
    philthy3 wrote:
    It's illegal to do it in a car, it isn't on a bike. I get your point though.
    Well it b**dy well should be illegal!
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    How about if you are not texting but just checking out the nearest strava segment?
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  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    I hold my hands up. It was me. I was installing IOS7.
    Ben

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  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    dsoutar wrote:
    Out in the car on Sunday and had to give two cyclists a wide berth as they were texting whilst on the bike. Especially the guy in the Argos Shimano gear leaving Weybridge towards Chertsey just before 6pm who really was a danger to himself never mind other road users and was weaving all over the shop.

    Yes, how dare he wear Agros Shimano gear, such a distraction those white shorts!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Silly people.

    The only text I've sent whilst cycling is on a deserted climb after dropping my mates and texting them to get a move on ;-)
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    Maybe they were lost and looking at google maps. I've got the tshirt. Been out with a friend, both looking at maps discussing where to go next. However, I only look at the map safely stopped at side of road.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • ad_snow
    ad_snow Posts: 469
    I text whilst riding but only when on a car-less road. I don't feel it's any more dangerous than riding no-handed and stretching out my back. Again I only do this when the road is car-less.
    www.adriansnowcycling.blogspot.com
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Time to get the popcorn in...
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Texting while riding is the dumbest thing ever.

    Why? Because I was driving my car behind one of these idoits who didn't have his eye on the road, nor was he concentrating so when an obstacle came up he panicked swerved and forced me to emergency stop. The alternative was that he hit the thing and end up under/over my car.

    I wasn't too close to him and to be honest could have stopped in far less time because I could see the whole thing unfolding.

    You know what the guy did afterwards? Made a phonecall while cycling. I nearly went Hulk.
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  • blackpoolkev
    blackpoolkev Posts: 474
    This sounds like another example of phone addiction.I once saw a family of 4 ogle their phones for the full duration of a steam boat cruise on Ullswater -they finally looked up to get off the boat.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    blackpoolkev wrote:
    This sounds like another example of phone addiction.I once saw a family of 4 ogle their phones for the full duration of a steam boat cruise on Ullswater -they finally looked up to get off the boat.

    tbf fair, it sounds pretty dull
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  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    maybe he was ordering online to collect later :lol:

    as people have said, its not smart or clever, but not banned, maybe their gps map route had crashed or mucked up.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I've worked with folks who do this (social care). Supposed to be giving full attention to the client but checking for Facebook or Twitter updates every five minutes. Banned in our work place but they still do it. And often while driving too. Don't understand it but I'm sure it's an addiction...
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    awavey wrote:
    its not smart

    to be fair these days it probably was a smart phone.
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    ad_snow wrote:
    I text whilst riding but only when on a car-less road. I don't feel it's any more dangerous than riding no-handed and stretching out my back. Again I only do this when the road is car-less.
    It is blatantly more dangerous, because you can at least watch the road while you're stretching! If you're texting your attention is not where it should be, end of story. That's why there's no law against drivers stretching in their car seat but there is one against phone use in the same environment. Until someone comes up with a way to text without having to look at the phone, keep it in your pocket. Or just stop to do it like any sensible person would...
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    adr82 wrote:
    ad_snow wrote:
    I text whilst riding but only when on a car-less road. I don't feel it's any more dangerous than riding no-handed and stretching out my back. Again I only do this when the road is car-less.
    It is blatantly more dangerous, because you can at least watch the road while you're stretching! If you're texting your attention is not where it should be, end of story. That's why there's no law against drivers stretching in their car seat but there is one against phone use in the same environment. Until someone comes up with a way to text without having to look at the phone, keep it in your pocket. Or just stop to do it like any sensible person would...

    +1

    its not just cars either, pot holes, debris on the road, pedestrians, etc
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • jonomc4
    jonomc4 Posts: 891
    adr82 wrote:
    ad_snow wrote:
    I text whilst riding but only when on a car-less road. I don't feel it's any more dangerous than riding no-handed and stretching out my back. Again I only do this when the road is car-less.
    It is blatantly more dangerous, because you can at least watch the road while you're stretching! If you're texting your attention is not where it should be, end of story. That's why there's no law against drivers stretching in their car seat but there is one against phone use in the same environment. Until someone comes up with a way to text without having to look at the phone, keep it in your pocket. Or just stop to do it like any sensible person would...

    I like to stretch and test at the same time is that illegal?

    BTW - you can send text with the phone in your pocket - not heard of voice activation?
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    jonomc4 wrote:
    I like to stretch and test at the same time is that illegal?
    Texting = illegal, so <any activtity> + texting = illegal in a car. The stretching is irrelevant.
    jonomc4 wrote:
    BTW - you can send text with the phone in your pocket - not heard of voice activation?
    Yes. But even assuming it could cope with wind/traffic noise I'd be pretty reluctant to send a text that I'd dictated while riding a bike without looking it over first to check it actually made sense, at which point you have to ask why not just stop for 30s and do it normally! Maybe if Google Glass takes off it'll allow you to do things like this without taking your eyes off the road... if all these tablet-sized GPS devices are legal to stick on a car dashboard I don't see why that wouldn't be allowed too, at least it'd mean you didn't have to move your head.

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