Text-Messaging Behind the Wheel

theodp writes "TIME interviews 21-year-old Taylor Leming, creator of the 600-member Facebook group I Text Message People While Driving and I Haven't Crashed Yet! While Alaska and Louisiana just became the latest states to pass laws banning text-messaging behind the wheel, Virginia resident Leming is still happily texting away while driving despite some near-accidents. 'Sometimes it just seems easier to text 'Be there in 5' instead of calling,' explains Taylor."

Comments

As has often be said

[Anonymous Coward]

the really effective way to make people drive more careful is to replace the airbag in all cars with a big pointy spike aimed at the driver's head.

Here's A Challenge For The Statisticians...

[DieByWire]

Given that at some point the rate of new members signing up will equal the rate that existing members die, calculate the maximum number of members of 'I Text Message People While Driving and I Haven't Crashed Yet!'

Get robbed

[Joebert]

Just because you haven't crashed doesn't mean the extra few seconds it takes you to catch on to what's going on around you doesn't irritate the shit out of everyone else on the road an cause roadrage.

Don't get mad when I smash out your car window with a tire iron and take your phone at a green light, if you were paying attention it wouldn't have happened.

Stop Texting and Drive...

[Anonymous Coward]

I ride a Motorcycle, and I can truly say that I am sick and tired of almost being hit by idiots that are text messaging or chatting on their cell phones...
I have seen people read books, news papers, work papers, shave, eat cereal out of a bowl, put on makeup, etc...and texting or talking on the cell both rank up there with "extremely stupid" behaviors while behind the wheel...
The next person who nearly hits me ... well, I am building an EMP cannon, it should have an effective range of about 20 feet, and should be able to destroy small electronics, possibly an ECU...

Re:Stop Texting and Drive...

[kesuki]

http://www.dhbolton.com/articles/diy-emp-generator.html

the site suggests making the entire device DIY, but i think finding a nice titanium alloy tube that is extremely thin, and extremely strong, to propel a shotgun/handgun round pushing a magnet through EMP coils would be easier, and would launch a much stronger, larger EMP shockwave... the ignition chamber can be thick iron, just the tube needs to be extremely thin and long enough, to create the EMP wave. the coils are going to be a real expensive part, because tightly wound coils cost a lot to make. if you doubt me, just consider the development cost of magnetic containment fusion devices... they're in the millions, for conventional magnetic devices, and tens of millions for superconductive super magnetic coils.

besides, i somehow doubt a nail would create enough electrical charge pushed through coils no matter how thin or however tightly wound to create a large enough EMP to kill a cell phone..

Re:Darwin

[Anonymous Coward]

God: Where are you?

Idiot: Be there in 5 mins.

CRASH!! BANG!!

Makes sense to me.

Re:Make Organ Donor Mandatory for These Idiots!

[gnasher719]

I would like to make organ donation compulsory for these people. At least they can be of some use after they crash.

I like the idea of compulsory organ donation, but why wait until after they crash, when the organs might get damaged?

Re:Darwin

[eugene ts wong]

God: Where are you?

Idiot: Be there in 5 mins.

CRASH!! BANG!!

God: That didn't seem like 5 minutes to me.

Re:Darwin

[Daengbo]

Driving and calling (even hands free), texting, or doing anything else (tuning the radio, setting up your nav system) for that matter is just dangerous.

My taxi driver the other day was obsessed with his nav system while driving me home -- He was playing solitaire on it. If I had been able to communicate with him, I would have cursed him out.

Re:Darwin

[gemada]

The best example yet of this occurred here in Canada. A teenage girl was driving her parents' minivan and got into an accident while texting her boyfriend.....and here is the kicker....HE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT!

Re:Idiot

[Anonymous Coward]

"Did ANY of you actually RTFA "

You must be new here.

Re:Idiot

[kirbysuperstar]

But surely if she considers it irresponsible, she shouldn't do it, EVEN if it is not specifically illegal?

Bit of a case of "do as I say, not as I do". And don't call me Shirley.

Re:Darwin

[__aamnbm3774]

it took him 10 seconds to decide if he wanted to send the text message. linky

Re:Darwin

[brownsteve]

The girl's name is Taylor Leming. This cannot be a coincidence.

Re:Darwin

[canUbeleiveIT]

Pedant is also a noun.

Calvin

[Rob the Bold]

Text used to be a noun, now it's used both interchangeably as a verb and a noun. So many words in modern English are starting to be used like this.

Verbing weirds language.

Re:Darwin

[eugene ts wong]

Why couldn't you SMS him? Did you at least try to ask him for a phone number? After all, he's right there.

Re:Darwin

[eugene ts wong]

I don't want to discourage you from being a skeptic. By all means, be a skeptic. ;^) But did you even read what he said? He said, "Canadians". ;^p

Texting and driving should be illegal

[commodoresloat]

I mean, really, folks. If you've constantly got that phone in your hand pushing buttons, how the hell are you supposed to hold on to your beer?

They should totally amalgamate groups!

[Cathoderoytube]

There's another group on Facebook called 'I've had unprotected sex with 258 crack whores I've picked up at homeless shelters and I haven't caught any life threatening STD's yet'. I think that group and the text messaging while driving group should join forces. They could rename the groups 'we're a gaggle of stupid morons who're really pushing it'