Anonymous Poll: Do you text or talk on the cell phone while driving?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I will admit to having talked on the cell phone for short calls while driving. I do not text. Hands free operations do not count in this poll. This poll is anonymous.

 

I'm not sure if I made this poll so that you can choose more than one option (which you would need to do to answer both the texting and the cell phone usage question.) Oops. Never do a poll when your mind is not all there. . .

Edited November 21, 2010 by Jean in Newcastle

[hsmom]

I use the phone while driving, more than I should. Now it is not illegal here to do so. It is only illegal to text and read texts while driving.

 

Now hands free items are on our Christmas lists.

[kitten18]

Can you change the poll to allow for multiple selections? :)

[Nestof3]

I have never texted while driving.

 

I have used the cell phone very sparingly. I have dropped the phone in my lap in order to turn before -- that's how careful I am about talking on the phone while driving. I have only used it for a quick, "I'm on my way" sort of thing and never while in traffic. I'm just not a cell-phone user, really, and I rarely even talk on the phone at home.

 

I guess that's the benefit of having so few friends, LOL.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Can you change the poll to allow for multiple selections? :)

 

I've tried. I don't think so. Perhaps I should try again with a new poll. Sigh!

[Parrothead]

Yes, in the past I have talked on the cell phone, hands on. I no longer talk on the phone while driving. I am trying to get dh to stop doing it. I will strongly advise dd not to when it comes time for her to be driving.

 

We do not text at all.

[Margo out of lurking]

I often talk on my cell phone while driving. I'm driving an hour to and from a part time job right now, and I'm trying to use my time wisely.

 

It's legal in VA. I don't do it at night or in bad weather. I occasionally talk when my kids are in the car, but only brief conversations with dh to touch base about whatever.

[kalanamak]

Is it the ubiquitous other, or the inevitable or invaluable or advised other?

 

I find cell phones distracting while I drive: hubby is shoving it towards me, and I'm flailing my loose arm all about, calling out "get that thing away from me". :D

[Caitilin]

Talking yes, texting never. That's what the kids are for. :)

This is me too. There're lots of empty roads in South Dakota. ;)

[Carrie12345]

I don't text, but I do talk, hands-on, while I'm in PA. When I cross the boarder to NJ, where it's illegal, I don't.

 

It's usually when I'm on the highway. I won't talk when I have to focus on turns and signs, and especially, unlike too many people, when I'm trying to navigate a parking lot! My kids aren't even supposed to talk to me when I'm doing that!

[Mom2J112903]

I *only* talk on the phone if it is one of J's doctor's calling. I try my hardest not to be out when I am expecting a call from them.

 

There are some *very* graphic videos on youtube showing what happens when you text and drive.

 

I honestly can not understand what can be *so* important that people feel the need to text and drive. Pull over, make your call, place your text, and go on.

[RoughCollie]

Texting is a skill I can't do well even when I'm focused solely on that task. Two days ago, I learned how to delete mistakes so my texts don't look like this: xbdYexs I waill rsupik U up. Translation: Yes I will pick you up. Someday I will learn how to text numbers, so I can finish that sentence with "at 3:30".

 

I don't talk on the phone and drive either. If I have to talk to someone, I pull over or one of my passengers answers the phone and does the talking for me.

Edited November 22, 2010 by RoughCollie

[duckens]

Never. I pull over.

 

I really hadn't thought about it, but Loverboy is adamant about it. His first and only brand new car was rear-ended within a month of purchase by a cell-phone-talker. (Less than 250mi).

 

We already talk to dd3.5 about how we don't talk on the phone when driving in our family. (If the phone rings, she knows we ignore it or pull over; she has heard me give my cell number to others, but remind them that I don't answer the phone when driving.)

[Mama Anna]

I have a cell phone. I'm not fond of it. A lot of it is early conditioning: "Hey! You only call my cell phone in an emergency, understand?" Um. Sorry! Of course, that was back when cell phones were actually rare.

 

Most of the rest of it is how I got the cell phone.

 

Dh said one day, "BTW, your mom wanted to get you a cell phone."

Me: "Really? Well, I'd rather not."

Dh: "Umm . . . I think she already did . . ."

Me: "What?!? Do I want one? No! Aaaaahhhh . . ."

 

The box arrived the next day or so. It wasn't high on my priority list, so I didn't open it for a couple of days. By the time I fought my way through the Quick Start Guide and figured out how to turn the confounded thing on, I already had some wierd little icon on the screen. Mumbling to myself, I went back to the instruction book to find out what it was supposed to mean. "New Voice Message." Really? I had to set up my Voicemail and everything in order to get it. Guess what it was?

 

My mother.

 

"Mama Anna, this phone isn't going to do you any good if you don't turn it on!" (You know that sing-song effect we moms have when we're stating the obvious to our children? Yeah, it sounded that way.)

 

Grrrrrrr

 

<sigh> All that to say, I cordially despise my cellphone and have it turned off whenever possible just so it doesn't ring while I'm driving.

 

However (tiny little voice here), I have occasionally used it to call dh for the "I'm on my way" type of call while I'm driving. It's not illegal to do that here or anything. I'm just fully aware that, with my driving record, driving a standard in city traffic while talking on a cell phone is stupid.

 

So. There you have my confession.

 

Mama Anna

 

PS: I don't text. I don't want to learn how. I'm dragging my heels for all I'm worth . . .

Edited November 22, 2010 by Mama Anna