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California Bans Front-Seat Computer Use
An anonymous reader submits "As of January 1, 2004 the State of California has banned the use of notebook computers used anywhere in the front seat (PDF) of a moving vehicle. Previously, the ban applied just to TV sets. Even if your car-pooling front seat passenger is just doing some programming, you can be charged with a crime (AB 301). Thanks go to CA Assemblymember Sarah Reyes for this well meaning but overly broad piece of legislation." The text is mercifully short, but still contains some tricky language; probably the meaning of "installed" at the very least needs to be clarified. Would a laptop affixed to a installed bracket count? Considering the complexity of modern automotive navigation/control systems (now sneaking into budget vehicles, too), it seems like a very fine distinction. The law would seem to ban handheld computers being used as navigation aids, too, or GPS devices with games, and very soon, nearly all cell phones.
Probably OT but who cares, we all need to rant once in a while.
I'm in the UK and seem to be in a dwindling minority of people who know that you're supposed to MATCH THE SPEED of the traffic on the motorway when you are joining the flow. DON'T STOP, JUST PUT YOUR F-ING FOOT DOWN.
The problem is that joining a motorway ISN'T EVEN PART OF THE TEST for fricks sake!!!
It's in the highway code and left up to the newly passed driver to read up on it later or take further lessons. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.
I've even seen people sitting STATIONARY on the hard shoulder (emergency/recovery lane) indicating their intention to pull out when a big enough gap emerges. NO NO NO NO NO. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ACCELERATE TO A SENSIBLE MEGING SPEED WITHIN THAT LANE.
MORONS FRICKING EVERYWHERE
Today people think their time is so extremely important that they can't bear to arrive some place before they absolutely need to. Well, I have news for you: when you arrive someplace, you are either early or late. There is no third choice, unless you can manage to arrive within planck time of the chosen moment.
Just get accustomed to being early for everything and life is less stressful. Yes, you might get one less thing done over the course of the day. (The horror!)
Patrick Doyle
I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
Some of us have the ability to do two things at once,
I really hate people who think this way. "I am above average and don't need to be treated like the rest of you." Just like people who still drink and drive.
I've never heard of two drunks hitting each other in a car accident... maybe sober people should stay off the road at 3am.
... that means that cops w/ computers in their patrol cars are breaking the law too.... better rip them out and install a secretary in the back seat. Another stupid law created by spineless, ignorant neophytes in Sacramento. I wonder if that means CB radios are outlawed as well, what about delivery people (UPS, FedEx)!??!?!
I think the point of making new laws is to make everyone in volation of some law by contradictions, e.g., simplify political leveraging (extortion) of trouble-makers, and more ways to make lawyers rich.
The real problem is that there is no real debate on laws (because the SIGs/PACs/lobbiests own the politician's ears), and there's no immediate accountability, and there's no review/disposal of outmoded/outdated laws. For example, laws from the 19th century regarding commerce, wagons and livestock ought to be examined w/ a fine-tooth comb.
The biggest trick the devil pulled was letting lawyers become politicians so they can write the laws.
How many people do you see on Motorways observing sensible stopping distances and how many people do you see doing 90Mph + tail-gating cars in front of them ?
If everyone did drive safely and within their limits under the road conditions at the time then there wouldn't be any need for speed limits or any other road rules, the trouble is that they don't and in not doing so accidents happen and people die.
If someone is doing 70Mph in a built up residential area with school crossings etc dotted around the place would you think that was acceptable behaviour ?
Probably you wouldn't and you'd expect the police to stop anyone doing that and charge them with dangerous driving, the reason they were driving dangerously is because they were driving far too fast under road conditions which are not safe for driving on at that speed. That being the case it's perfectly sensible to enforce a speed limit which is suited to the road layout.