We have previously discussed drivers doing their makeup or reading while driving, including some captured on our own cellphones. However, a cyclist hit the jackpot n Aberdeen with this guy who is wearing earphones in both ears with his laptop open near his lap while reading his cellphone.
The cyclist confronts the man who drives off with evidence embarrassment.
This driver shows the statistical margin of drivers who clearly will not respond to any level of educational or even deterrent programs. Despite the widespread stories on distracted driving and laws combatting such practices, this guy combined all three of the most common forms of distraction in a drive down a highway.
Keep us posted, Aridog. I’m pulling for you. 🙂
Karen S…. thanks for the vote of confidence. I will prevail, if for no other reason than to not to do so is anathema to me. This go round is actually far less threatening to me than some prior issues, such as with my spine thanks to sports in high school and college….plus my affinity with anything to do with horses and dogs over my whole life.
Aridog – I am so happy that you are on the road to health. Keep us posted on your progress. I know you can wean yourself off nicotine.
Good luck and best wishes!
Wow. It wasn’t CA.
This is similar to drunk driving. If you need to work on your commute, then you need to carpool or take a bus/train.
Paul C … during my three years sans cigarettes and nicotine I don’t recall being testy or difficult, just antsy and jittery. What I am doing now is an “in between” thing, nicotine without the fire and tar of tobacco. I’m not exactly happy with my approach, but it seems to work for now. As I go through the Sports Med Pulmonary Rehab I hope to defeat it all once again. These same Sports Med people got me out of a wheel chair circa 1987 with careful rehab of my spine and I did not require surgery when they were done. It wasn’t fun, but it was successful…and I expect the same now.
slohrss29…thanks for the encouragement. I am lucky that I value life so much and have never felt difficulties to be a reason for depression. Don’t know if that is courage, but I do know it is an outlook that has made all of my 72 years worthwhile to me. That’s why I was somewhat surprised by the questions about depression and suicidal thoughts. It is apparently an issue with others who have my case issues, and I truly feel sad for those who are so desperate. I wake up every morning happy to see the sun rise and to see our dog bouncing around wanting to get the “day going” so to speak. There have been times when that certainty wasn’t so certain, long ago, but I never seemed to feel hopeless….every day just had to be better than the last day.
I’ve related in the past my experience when Judi was struck down by an rupturing aneurysm in the brain. It was her positive attitude and cheer that kept me from gong nuts…funny how the patient healed the observer who loved her. When we walked back in to her ICU a month after she was released, unimpaired but for the scar and buzz haircut, everyone cheered her, even the grumpy RN administrator who usually kept a stone faced demeanor, and thanked us for the small gifts we brought to say thanks. A “walkie-talkie” survivor is rare there I gather….and that’s the term they all used. No doubt in my mind that her attitude and cheer made it possible along with the fine care she received. She sure inspired me and reinforced my values and beliefs. Eight plus years later and she still inspires me.
Best of luck Aridog! I know you’ll face the road ahead with courage and will be an example of how to navigate the challenging times in life.
On the subject of smokers…I did my post cancer treatment and remediation intake interview for Pulmonary Rehab today, 3 hours long. The next 3 months are gong to be a bit arduous I suspect….but I will try. The dedicated Sports Medicine facility I will be using brooks no excuses. We did discuss the “vape” device and no one saw it as an impediment. That may change, of course, but for now I’m not guilty of impeding the rehab. I also mentioned, in the intake drill, that I hoped to be weaned of nicotine by year end…the three years of no smoking made me a little nuts after 3 packs of Camel or Winstons per day for 55 years, which tends to addict one so to speak…and no, you do not lose the urge after quiting cold turkey for three years….no matter what others might tell me. The vape device was the easy answer. As for the intake, I was a little surprised at the questions about suicidal thoughts, asked three different times and ways…it has never occurred to me, my life has been saved, again, why would I consider it? Apparently some do of they questions would not have been there.
The rehab therapy includes exercise and weight work, coupled with proper breathing techniques, and when I recover some of my old vitality I expect to again be able to quit the nicotine. No matter what happens, the vape device is far superior to cigarettes or cigars or a pipe…both in ease of use and lack of tar and fire. When driving it is not a distraction, which various tobacco items definitely were to some extent as you fumbled for the next one or to keep the current one lit, if a cigar. Ideally, for me, no smart phones upside my head and no vape device either…we’ll see.
Aridog – I quit smoking cold turkey. I was up to three packs a day and had been smoking for some 20 years. Every time I tried some crutch to help me stop smoking, I went back to smoking and it was worse than before.
I wish you the best. Tell your loved ones to stay out of your way for a couple of weeks. You are going to be miserable and you are going to make everyone around you miserable. But it is worth it. BTW, you get to buy a new wardrobe. 🙂
Correction: “…in in their lap texting…” = “…or in their lap texting.”
Pogo …voice provided by a hands free device is fine with me, and most modern vehicles have that feature either. I’d have a problem if the person using a smart phone didn’t pre-set it for their destination…that defeats the purpose of hands free.
Jim22 …. well said, enforcement of laws is more important than more laws, unless there are no laws. Unfortunately in my community about 8 out of ten drivers are not using the smart phone blue-tooth feature in their cars that do have the capability…no, they drive around with the thing smack dab upside their head yakking away…in in their lap texting. Go figure. When caught I want them to feel some pain, in the wallet and maybe at the licensing bureau.
Footnote: BTW…for the smokers out there, go to a good “vape” shop and buy a decent vape device, such as the Aspire Nautilus which doesn’t require an ash tray, or risk a burned seat or carpet, and doesn’t require fiddling around to fetch and light up. It is only glycol and nicotine, no fire, no tar, no odor, and only an odorless vaper mist upon exhaling. Both my better half and I are ex-smokers so trust me, one of us would notice. The is no hacking cough or excess spitting either. You control the Aspire device by a button, which if not pushed everything remains inert. When I’m driving in the city I use mine only at stop lights, even then, so as not to be distracted. Best part, with the right “juice” it can taste exactly like whatever cigarette you liked, and is much smoother to draw and use than any cigarette or cigar….let alone, yee Gawd, a pipe…which is more distracting that a dang smart phone to manage. Had such deices been around long ago I’d have switched in a minute, max….and my kid is down to 2 cigarettes per day, using the vape device most of the time…by month end she will be free of the fire & tar altogether. As for nicotine…YMMV….but you can also limit the amount of nicotine in your “juice” as well…12 mg or less should do it for most former smokers….which is about half what you get from a cigarette pack.
Yuck!