Sunday, July 15, 2007

OMG A TRU...

Let me reiterate yet again the fact that I think text messaging is possibly the single most pointless thing on the planet ("Oh, if only I could use this cell phone to communicate with my friend who also has a cell phone...") But text messaging while driving? That raises stupidity to an art form. I mean, that has got to be among the three or four most boneheaded things you could do behind the wheel of a moving motor vehicle, and that's only if we allow "putting your head in a sack" to be number one.
Bailey Goodman was driving her friends to her parents' vacation home when her SUV, which had just passed a car, swerved back into oncoming traffic, hit a tractor-trailer and burst into flames. Five days earlier, the five teenagers had graduated together from high school in Fairport, a Rochester suburb.

Goodman's inexperience at the wheel; evidence she was driving above the speed limit at night on a winding, two-lane highway; and a succession of calls and text messages on her phone were cited Friday by Sheriff Phil Povero as possible factors in the June 28 crash in western New York.

"The records indicate her phone was in use," Povero said. "We will never be able to clearly state that she was the one doing the text messaging.

Un-freakin'-believable.

22 comments:

  1. And the children are supposed to be our future.

    What a depressing future that'll be.

    Think this'll be one for the Darwin Awards?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

    About the only reason I can personally see for Text Messaging is when you're trying to round people up in a nightclub to go home(when you can't hear a damn thing).

    Other than that? Why bother? You have a cell phone!

    ReplyDelete
  3. But, but, but--cheerleaders are sposta be exempt from driving rules. Don't they get a re-do, or something? Waaaaaah!

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you want to smoke yourself, that's fine, but to take four friends and another vehicle out with you? That's extra special stupid. Can't wait to see who her parents sue...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bad experience in high school, phlegm?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Actually, I WAS a cheerleader for about 5 minutes, but had the presence of mind to get kicked off the squaud. That's a mark of distinction, right?

    ReplyDelete
  7. You may have surmised I was kicked off for egregious offenses against spelling and the English language in general.

    [sorry for the excessive commenting, Tam. I'm going to play the airhead card.]

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lawsuit against Sprint in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

    The last time I replaced my wife and my cell phones I specifically told them "No camera, no mp3 player, and turn that stupid text messaging OFF."

    Unfortunately the phone company keeps sending me free spam text messages. I need to have a talk with them about how if they don't stop I'm going to switch to their competition.

    ReplyDelete
  9. "The last time I replaced my wife and my cell phones I specifically told them..."

    I'm sorry, I know what you mean, but all I can think is, 'There's a place that sells both?'

    ReplyDelete
  10. "Oh, if only I could use this cell phone to communicate with my friend who also has a cell phone..."

    I laughed until I cried.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Text messaging has its place. Movies and church come to mind. Just made bruch plans via text this morning while I got right with Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm sorry, I know what you mean, but all I can think is, 'There's a place that sells both?'

    Yeah, I realized what I did after I hit the publish button. I wasn't entirely awake.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's all right bryanp. I got a new car for my wife.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just goes to show that Darwin is continuously re-inventing himself and his law.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I use texting: usually, when i know the person I want to pass info on to is either asleep or working (and therefor unable to get the phone). And there's only a couple people I use it with...

    The way kids use it? Ye gawds... why do the things have speakers and microphones?

    ReplyDelete
  16. If I pay, what, $9.50 or so now, for a movie I damn sure don't want to be interrupted by a text message. As for church, I think there's a special place in hell for people that even bring cell phones to church.

    ReplyDelete
  17. As someone who utterly despises talking on the phone for more than 12-1/2 seconds, I admit to getting devilish enjoyment out of text messaging.

    If you can't get it across in less than 25 characters, whatever you're trying to say probably isn't important.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Text messaging has its place. Movies and church come to mind.

    Movies are not a place for cell phones, regardless of whether you're speaking or texting. You see, the damn thing glows and everyone sitting behind you can see it. It's almost as annoying as actually talking on the phone.

    ReplyDelete
  19. A toy who's place in the museum has already been set aside.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I can't believe how stupid young people sound when they whine about how they have the prerogative to do things as brain dead as this, then whine some more about how older people place no value on their (young people's) opinions. Sorry if I save my sympathy for those who don't bring misfortune on themselves.

    P.S. Darwin Award Winner(s) for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Only thing I've found text messaging to be good for is if the cell system is damaged and/or overloaded. In the aftermath of Katrina I could get & send text messages while the voice functions (cell & walkie-talkie modes) were kaput. Texting uses very little bandwidth, & can wait until there's an opening in the queue to be both sent & received. I think of it as being similar to sending CW when there's too much interference for voice.

    ReplyDelete
  22. More uproar over the five teens who died, possibly as a result of DWT (Driving While Texting)being shown on The Today Show, on NBC - -
    0730 CDT 17JUL2007.

    They make it sound as if they've JUST THIS MINUTE DISCOVERED this unsafe and inadvisable practice.

    I feel the producers of the show must be reading your blog for story ideas. They really oughta credit you . . . .

    JPG

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.