they are restraining all our freedoms

Suffolk County, NY passed this bill this week as well. Such a crock. One, it's going to go even more unenforced than the cell phone driving ban, and two, when are we going to outlaw turning the dial on your radio?

/I text at red lights, so what?

If common sense was common MOST laws would be unnecessary.

What ever happened to common sense, anyways?.

Umm, submitter is wrong on both counts. It is texting that was made illegal, and the law doesn't start until Jan 1. (as Borg pointed correctly out)

borg: It's not illegal yet!

the law takes effect Jan. 1.

So how do you intend to spend your minutes then?

It's California. They're one of the most law fetishistic states in the preposterously law fetishistic USA. What did you expect? Personal responsibility?

CygnusDarius: What ever happened to common sense, anyways?.

It was legislated out of existence. The government is now your mommy.

Having lived 28 years in that fine state I can safely say that the bigger issue is "driving while oriental"

/or any illigal alien

You mean I can't even text my passengers? How the hell am I supposed to tell them LOLZ now?

deevo: Suffolk County, NY passed this bill this week as well. Such a crock. One, it's going to go even more unenforced than the cell phone driving ban, and two, when are we going to outlaw turning the dial on your radio?

/I text at red lights, so what?

How about don't? Is that message THAT farking important? Did you just become the next billionaire or did you just want to bullshiat with someone? Pull the fark over. It's just that easy. Your insurance company thanks you already.

That explains why the Out-of-Office messages I get say, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH."

When blackberrys first came out and they were issued to attorneys at my old firm... yeah, I'm fairly certain everyone was texting while driving to court, to depo, meetings, wherever.

One would think its common sense not to do such a dumb thing, but it took me 2 or 3 times, where I'm handling a steering wheel and a b-berry device and swerving off the road or into another car, when I finally came to the obvious conclusion that this is not the best idea. Worse, a month latter, a partner walked around and told everyone to stop texting while driving, because she almost had an accident with those things. Thanks Sherlock.

/Never claimed lawyers are genuises.
//That's why we went to law school instead of medical school, engineering or finance.

Like my high school physics teacher used to paraphrase some famous dead guy, "Common sense ain't so common."

Barnacles!: I text all the time while driving

Then you, good sir, are an asshat.

common sense and driving in California often don't occur together. Especially in SoCal.

/Native Californian

GeidiPrime: When blackberrys first came out and they were issued to attorneys at my old firm... yeah, I'm fairly certain everyone was texting while driving to court, to depo, meetings, wherever.

One would think its common sense not to do such a dumb thing, but it took me 2 or 3 times, where I'm handling a steering wheel and a b-berry device and swerving off the road or into another car, when I finally came to the obvious conclusion that this is not the best idea. Worse, a month latter, a partner walked around and told everyone to stop texting while driving, because she almost had an accident with those things. Thanks Sherlock.

/Never claimed lawyers are genuises.
//That's why we went to law school instead of medical school, engineering or finance science.

T,FTFY. Finance is what people do when they can't get into law school.

This is such bullshiat. I'm driving home from work right now and I'm fark, you don't se

----Carrier Lost----

Cue the idiots that insist that they can txt and drive at the same time.

Get a farking Clue! You are a farking menace! The only reason that you haven"t farking hit me is that I have farking ducked.

As someone who drives on Californian roads, I'm glad of this.

Of course, I've neither sent nor received a text, so don't understand the urgency ... but if it can't wait until after you drive, it's important enough to pull over.

You can not cure stupidity by passing laws.

OK, I live in Orange County CA, I am driving on the 5 freeway yesterday and I swear the guy in front of me in the fast lane is drunk or on drugs. He is swerving back an forth using the BOTS dots as braille and I can see his his head nodding up and down. I pull up next to him and the SOB is texting!!!
People like this scare the hell out of me.
I personally know my own distraction limits, like talking on a phone or eating a burger, but texting you have got to be farking stupid.

RevMercutio: common sense and driving in California often don't occur together. Especially in SoCal.

/Native Californian

Native CA guy too. It's nationwide. Here in Raleigh, NC a month ago I screamed at some lady at a light for swerving lanes on an off ramp. On her cell, toddler jumping around the seats, no carseat. I got a loud F**K YOU from her window. Nice job MOM. Your 4 yr old learned a new word today.

The next week, same off ramp, some guy trying to text (he wasn't trying to hide it) drives right into the back end of a pickup and flips his car into the ditch. Now we're all stuck for 20 minutes.

You people that think you can text and drive are fooling yourselves. We ALL see it. Even in the smaller cities. You're as bad as drunk drivers. Just at 9 AM and not 12 AM.

mr_zero: You can not cure stupidity by passing laws.

agreed, the more laws they pass, the dumber they get...

our state is going to go bankrupt, and these clowns are passing legislation that amounts to a waste-of-time ticket...nice work.
Increase the fine to something meaningful, or don't pass the law.

I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

tovette: I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

Idiot #1

tovette: I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

no problem.. you go right ahead. I'm sure your insurance company won't mind.

I can do alot of things at once. But when I'm driving.. I'm DRIVING. I'm not texting, talking on my cell phone, watching a movie, reading a book or anything else that requires taking my eyes off the road.

I agree that the law is stupid. You shouldn't have to legislate stupidity. But as we can see here.. there are stupid people driving.

tovette
You may be very gifted and think you can text and drive at the same time, but if it came down to an accident where my two young girls were killed in an accident while you were texting (like the train accident in CA recently,) I am not sure what I would do to you, but if my girls were dead I would not care.

Laz Long: tovette: I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

Idiot #1

This. That. Those. and These. You're not a chameleon baby, your eyes can't focus on traffic and your boyfriend's text at the same time. It's just not going to happen.

Uncle Wiggly: That explains why the Out-of-Office messages I get say, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH."

You liar.
They wouldn't bother to write AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, they'd just say it.

This is getting a lot of attention because it is believed the engineer of that commuter train that crashed in Orange County was texting and failed to stop at the signal. This lead to the crash and death of 25 commuters Link to story for those that missed that (new window)

And yes I agree put the farking phone down and drive peoples, quit being asshats

rcain: Uncle Wiggly: That explains why the Out-of-Office messages I get say, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH."

You liar.
They wouldn't bother to write AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, they'd just say it.

maybe they were dictating

I am an idiot and I sometimes text and drive. I honestly need to start putting my phone in the glove compartment when I drive. Except then, if it rang, I'd lean over to get it and SURELY have an accident. Because God knows I'm Pavlov's dog with that thing and I couldn't resist the sweet, sweet chiming sound.

Yes, I really am this pathetic.

ender44: Umm, submitter is wrong on both counts. It is texting that was made illegal, and the law doesn't start until Jan 1. (as Borg pointed correctly out)

from TFA: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday signed into law a measure banning motorists from text-messaging and e-mailing while operating a vehicle.

would you like to change your statement?

A voice-to-text package would solve this problem for me, since I clearly cannot rely on my own self-control and decency to deter me from this obviously irresponsible and reckless behavior.

kellynoel: A voice-to-text package would solve this problem for me, since I clearly cannot rely on my own self-control and decency to deter me from this obviously irresponsible and reckless behavior.

Turn it off. Not that hard. Before you get into the car.

fanbladesaresharp: Turn it off. Not that hard. Before you get into the car.

Stop talking sensibly.

Some people are able to text while they drive. Others cannot. More at 11.

/I can't text ever don't yell at me

tovette: I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

I can drink and drive just fine, too. Why am I being oppressed?

Well, just wait until a deaf person gets ticketed for texting while driving and has the law voided in court on the grounds that it is discrimination because if hearing people can still use their cell phones then deaf people should still be allowed to text message.

/Don't give me that crap about texting being more dangerous than yammering away on a cell phone...I've seen too many teens and deafies texting without even looking at their damned devices...both texting and cellphone calls are equally dangerous.

//Personally think the use of ALL cell phone/pager/texting/PDAs should be prohibited while driving.

///SLASHIES!

tovette: I text and drive and I pay well attention what's going on around me. Yeah, I can do two things at once.

Well... no, you can't. You're a danger to those around you, and when you crash, I hope it's into a tree and not into someone else.

So how are the police going to tell the difference between someone texting and someone simply dialing the phone? I text with one hand (while driving sometimes) and other than hitting more than 10 buttons, what's the difference?

/It's all a racket anyway...the bluetooth lobby got the handsfree law passed, and now I'm sure someone will benefit from this garbage. Oh and I see just as many folks with cell phones up to their ear on the 60 as before that ban went into place too.

CygnusDarius: What ever happened to common sense, anyways?.

It's been replaced by the use of two punctuation marks at the end of a sentence.

A $20 fine for sending a $20 text message!