Cell Phones and Volley Blog*
Posted on August 31, 2007 - Filed Under Cell Phones, Tangents, Volley Blog
If you’ve read my “About” section, you’ll have seen my little blurb where I mention that sometimes I think going back a little in time would make life less stressful. Cell phones are one of the things that sometimes make me feel this way, specifically because of things that happen such as what Thomas posted about here on his blog.
Cell phones while driving…I felt safer on the roads when people used to have to actually park their cars, get out of the vehicle, and take a few steps to a phone booth to use a phone. Now, I’m not THAT old or THAT much of a curmudgeon, really, I swear. It’s just that I see no reason why anyone NEEDS to have a little device attached to their head in order to keep a constant conversation going on with someone they probably spend most of their time with anyway, especially. while. operating. a. 2,000+ lb. motor. vehicle. I would think they could survive a little time apart.
It wouldn’t bother me so much if we didn’t have so many accidents where someone on a cell phone is involved. Hands free phones don’t help the situation either. Check out this site for more interesting facts such as how a teenager’s response time changes to that of a person 50 years older when using a cell phone and driving. It all has to do with cognitive thought.
It’s also as though people have no self-discipline anymore. I think most of us have realized that if the phone rings during dinner (do families still have dinner at the table together? – I hope so) that we can ignore it, knowing that the answering machine or service can take a message for us that we can listen to later. So why haven’t we yet realized that we don’t need to answer the cell phone’s every cry for attention? Why haven’t we learned that there is a time and a place for this handy little gadget? Young adults must know by now that having a cell phone doesn’t make you cool or special. EVERYone has one.
I know I get distracted myself when mine rings while I’m driving and I consider myself a disciplined driver after doing it for so many years (I tend not to answer it while driving because I don’t feel comfortable even looking to see who is calling, forget opening the flip phone and chatting). So if I feel myself distracted then, I can only imagine how younger, less experienced people feel when they are driving and talking on a phone, even if they won’t admit it.
I’m not against cell phones in general. They are wonderful pieces of technology that are convenient, especially in an emergency. I think every latch-key kid should have one (I like the ones that come with only three numbers preprogrammed into them so the kids aren’t tempted to rack up a huge bill). I think every responsible young adult (driving age) should have one also. It would help them keep in touch with their parents, calling home to let them know if they’ll be a few minutes late, or to see if they can pick something up for mom on the way home, etc. (how many kids use their phones for that) …just not to be used while driving. But I digress.
Cell phones are a wonderful technology but so are automobiles and they demand we give them our full attention when using them. Someone else always seems to pay the price when we don’t.
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*Volley blog is a term I just coined to define what happens when you read a post and are inspired to write one of your own, either on a similar topic or a different tangent. I’ve challenged Thomas - Technical Blogger to join me in a game. This post was inspired by his post that I linked to in the first paragraph, which I had inspired with an earlier, well-wishes post of my own! Confused? Me too, but I’m having fun!
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7 Responses to “Cell Phones and Volley Blog*”
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I love this post Teeni!! It is absolutely true!! I must admit that I do answer my cell occasionally while driving, but then again barely anyone calls me!! I like having it “just in case”. But there are so many careless cell phone drivers out there! If you see someone who is driving carelessly, or stupidly you usually see them on a cell phone! It is one of my biggest pet peeves. I agree that your response time to anything will be delayed, even with a headset on.
Thanks for the post!!
BTW, we are still a family that eats supper at the table!! It’s one of those things I value.
Hi Melsie! I’m so glad you stopped in! It’s great to see you! I’m also glad to hear your family still sits together during dinner - I think that is sooo important for so many reasons I’d have to do another post! LOL
I don’t use my cellphone as much only for business I have a bad habit of shutting it off. I don’t answer my phone in the car in fact it’s usually off. I find them annoying and have mine for two reasons business, and emergency except those two reasons I rarely talk on it.
I dont talk while driving. All of my roads are 2 lane twisty mountain roads. We are getting a ton of 18 wheeler traffic and over sized loads because of the energy boom, so just getting from point A to point B takes your entire mind…well it takes mine anyway!! I keep mine in my purse, and being hearing impaired, I very seldom hear it if it does ring. LOL But I do use it alot at home. I get unlimited long distance, so I call family and friends on it. now I have texting on it so I can send little chit chat notes to family…. Now I will stop or else my comment will be as long as your post lOL
I agree, no cell phones while driving! I get distracted on the phone, AT HOME, in a car is suicide if you ask me.
Great post!
Ps you WON! Check it out
Teeni ,
I have always said how stupid it is that people seem to need a cell phone attached to them everywhere.
Driving and talking is a lethal combination.
YES before cell phones we didn’t anxiously drive along searching for a pay phone…
Yes, Merri - it is kind of scary how quickly and how thickly integrated cell phones became in our lives.
teeni - My What’s in your Bag? post is my post for volleyblog. In the second line I mentioned cell phone. I did not want to add volleyblog in the post as I wanted the focus to be on the content.
I added a trackback to this post but I don’t see it, the post might have been caught as spam, or awaiting moderation.
Well Wishes > Cell Phone > Backpack contents
I often find cell phones annoying and sometimes watch traffic to see how many people are talking while they are on their phones. It’s absolutely appalling sometimes.
Another thing that irritates me is when people use those bluetooth devices stuck in their ear. I think they look extremely dorky.
I also think it’s extremely rude when someone is talking on a cell phone loudly in a restaurant or checkout line or other similar place. It seems even worse when someone seems to be talking to thin air - and then you see they have one of those dorky devices stuck in their ear.
Beam me up, Scottie!
Hi Mike! Thanks for stopping in! So good to see you! You know what is even scarier? It is so accepted now to have a cell phone glued to your head that the other day when I saw someone chatting away to an invisible person I figured, “Oh another doozie with a phone glued to his head,” and then found out that he really WAS just talking to himself!!!! That is how bad it has gotten. LOL