Man gets out of car and shouts at mobile phone user

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Comments

  • JB3JB3 Posts: 9,308
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    Gilbertoo wrote: »
    But what road law states that drinking and whilst we're at it, eating is completely banned whilst behind the wheel?
    It would have been better if I had worded in the same terms as venusinflares.

    It's about being in full control of your vehicle.
  • towerstowers Posts: 12,183
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    jenzie wrote: »
    simply no enforcement!

    they'd be bothered if they had their cars taken away from them THEN!!!

    I wouldn't be surprised if the law is made tougher on this over the next few years, too many people are ignoring the rules when it comes to using a phone whilst driving. Most people 'buckle up' now and most people don't drink and drive - I hope - but this law is just ignored by too many people.
  • Nessun DormaNessun Dorma Posts: 12,846
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    Gilbertoo wrote: »
    But what road law states that drinking and whilst we're at it, eating is completely banned whilst behind the wheel?

    The Road Traffic Act.
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    I was driving home and stopped at some lights. I heard a shout and looked over to the third lane (they were turning right) and some guy has got out of his car and shouting at the top of his voice "get off the bloody phone" to the car behind him. The person in the car just continued with phone pressed up to his ear.

    The irate man then just got back in his car and drove off. How bizarre.

    I do agree using your mobile can be dangerous though I'm not sure I'd have gone to the lengths of this concerned citizen.
    Good for him though it obviously fell on deaf ears.:rolleyes:

    I've lost count of the number of folk i've been driving behind with the car pottering along and veering about as the driver has a mobile glued to the ear. :mad:
  • SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    Alexis07 wrote: »
    I wish I had the nerve to confront all the young women who text as they are driving behind me going to work . I keep expecting to get shunted from behind .

    I see them every day on the motorway but at least they have the sense to drive at about 50 in the middle lane with a massive gap ahead of them. At traffic lights in the rear view mirror they look like chickens pecking at corn.
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    I was driving home and stopped at some lights. I heard a shout and looked over to the third lane (they were turning right) and some guy has got out of his car and shouting at the top of his voice "get off the bloody phone" to the car behind him. The person in the car just continued with phone pressed up to his ear.

    The irate man then just got back in his car and drove off. How bizarre.

    I do agree using your mobile can be dangerous though I'm not sure I'd have gone to the lengths of this concerned citizen.

    I swear this is true...

    I was driving along the M6 a few years ago, in the outside lane, and one of the cars I overtook was a black Astra van and the driver was one the phone and was tailgating the car in front.

    A few seconds later the traffic stopped, I stopped, the car behind me stopped but then there were smashing noises all around me and the car behind me got shunted into me several times (fortunately, I'd left sufficient gap that I didn't get shunted into anybody else).

    When the carnage subsided, I got out of the car and there were cars smashed into each other in all 3 lanes, tailing back for a dozen cars or more.

    I walked back so see if anybody was hurt and there was this Astra van with the entire front mashed up and the driver was still talking on his phone.
    I knocked on his window, he rolled the window down and I heard him say "Look, I've got to go now. There's been an accident up ahead of me" before putting the phone down. :rolleyes:

    Incidentally, a few minutes later some old fart came shambling down the road with a kid of about 13, pointed at my car and said "Y'see, son. That's the c**t who caused it all". :o
  • Mr DangerousMr Dangerous Posts: 902
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    I often scream at drivers who are on their phone.....been doing this even before it was illegal..

    I've never had to the nerve to have a pop at a copper on the phone, you will be surprised how many coppers break this law.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 267
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    Once when me and two friends had just got back in the car from ASDA, this taxi pulled up besides my friend (who was driving) and said "Oh, she's on her phone, that's why she's driving all over the ****ing place."

    My friend, who most certainly was NOT driving all over the place, nor was she on her phone (she had just pulled out her phone to check her messages as the stopped at the lights) just laughed, not wanting to cause a scene. Me on the other-hand, was not prepared to let a taxi driver give out any criticism on someone's driving. So I rolled down the window and said "Is this coming from a ****ing taxi driver? Pipe the **** down." and my friend pulled off.
  • SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    Your friend will be one of those who holds up the queue until they realise the lights have gone green.
  • MrQuikeMrQuike Posts: 18,175
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »

    Incidentally, a few minutes later some old fart came shambling down the road with a kid of about 13, pointed at my car and said "Y'see, son. That's the c**t who caused it all". :o


    I really felt the pain there.

    Tailgating and mobile phone use are bad enough but the crude injustice in that last bit is just gob smacking.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    RemyClarke wrote: »
    (she had just pulled out her phone to check her messages as the stopped at the lights)
    Why was she using her phone when she should have been concentrating on driving - ie aware of the traffic around her and if the lights might change at any second?
  • davidmcndavidmcn Posts: 12,086
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    degsyhufc wrote: »
    But you may or do have the intent to drive whist consuming alcohol.

    Intending to drink alcohol isn't an offence, and even if you do drink alcohol it isn't an offence until you reach the designated blood-alcohol level. Other places (e.g. some US states) have laws about having any open alcohol containers in the car.
    Gilbertoo wrote: »
    But what road law states that drinking and whilst we're at it, eating is completely banned whilst behind the wheel?
    The Road Traffic Act.

    Er, no, pretty much the only thing with a strict ban is using a handheld phone. For anything else the police would need evidence that your control of the vehicle had been adversely affected by what you were doing.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    davidmcn wrote: »
    For anything else the police would need evidence that your control of the vehicle had been adversely affected by what you were doing.
    I think this guy got off in the end.
  • zoepaulpennyzoepaulpenny Posts: 15,951
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    InMyArms wrote: »
    I love being shunted from behind.

    From a fast young model.with the right length and girth..:D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 267
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    tealady wrote: »
    Why was she using her phone when she should have been concentrating on driving - ie aware of the traffic around her and if the lights might change at any second?

    The lights had just turned Red, so of course, it was going to be a minute of two before they changed again. She wasn't using her phone. She simply LOOKED at it to see if a message she was waiting for had come through. She glanced at it for like a second and put it back down. Unfortunately, the taxi driver pulled up the second she glanced at her phone, and made the wrong assumption she was driving whilst she was on her phone.
  • roland ratroland rat Posts: 13,829
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    I do agree using your mobile can be dangerous though I'm not sure I'd have gone to the lengths of this concerned citizen.
    Take a note of the car registration no, the exact place where you seen the car, and the time he was on the phone, if you have a camera, you could also take a photo

    Then pass all of this onto the police, when the police check the phone it should show a call at x time, and the photo just backs this up
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    The Road Traffic Act.

    I don't think so.
  • roland ratroland rat Posts: 13,829
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    Fines increase to £90, to little

    Here what I would have

    £150 fine
    7 points on licence
    4 week driving ban
    Motor insurance invalid for 4 weeks

    so if someone in the family uses the car aswell, for that 4 weeks the car cant be used
  • SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    RemyClarke wrote: »
    The lights had just turned Red, so of course, it was going to be a minute of two before they changed again. She wasn't using her phone. She simply LOOKED at it to see if a message she was waiting for had come through. She glanced at it for like a second and put it back down. Unfortunately, the taxi driver pulled up the second she glanced at her phone, and made the wrong assumption she was driving whilst she was on her phone.

    And If there had been a message and the lights were only one minute and not two then bingo there you are stuck behind her at the green lights. She'd also be oblivious to any pedestrians or cyclists who had turned up when she realises the lights are green and suddenly pulls away.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 267
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    SaturnV wrote: »
    And If there had been a message and the lights were only one minute and not two then bingo there you are stuck behind her at the green lights. She'd also be oblivious to any pedestrians or cyclists who had turned up when she realises the lights are green and suddenly pulls away.

    Having known her for years, I can assure you she most certainly would NOT have read the message had there been one. How extremely presumptuous of you.

    Like I said, she had a mere glance. Had there been a message, she would have waited until we arrived home before she read it. She's an extremely sensible driver. It was nothing more than a 1 second glimpse, equal to someone quickly checking their watch or looking through their rear-view mirror. There was no phone unlocking, no password typing, no nothing.
  • macsmurraymacsmurray Posts: 2,134
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    blueblade wrote: »
    I'd never do that, although I can see his point of view.

    The woman in front of me wouldn't move when the lights changed to green a couple of days ago, due to the fact that she had her head down, presumably texting.

    I had to give a pap of my horn before she'd go (bet somebody will tell me that's illegal)

    It's legal, it's officially known a 'New York Minute'
  • SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    RemyClarke wrote: »
    Having known her for years, I can assure you she most certainly would NOT have read the message had there been one. How extremely presumptuous of you.

    Like I said, she had a mere glance. Had there been a message, she would have waited until we arrived home before she read it. She's an extremely sensible driver. It was nothing more than a 1 second glimpse, equal to someone quickly checking their watch or looking through their rear-view mirror. There was no phone unlocking, no password typing, no nothing.

    Fair enough. My comment only applies to those that do use their phones at the lights.
  • Nessun DormaNessun Dorma Posts: 12,846
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    RemyClarke wrote: »
    Once when me and two friends had just got back in the car from ASDA, this taxi pulled up besides my friend (who was driving) and said "Oh, she's on her phone, that's why she's driving all over the ****ing place."

    My friend, who most certainly was NOT driving all over the place, nor was she on her phone (she had just pulled out her phone to check her messages as the stopped at the lights) just laughed, not wanting to cause a scene. Me on the other-hand, was not prepared to let a taxi driver give out any criticism on someone's driving. So I rolled down the window and said "Is this coming from a ****ing taxi driver? Pipe the **** down." and my friend pulled off.

    Charming. :eek:

    She should not have been "looking" at her phone, even at the traffic lights.
  • Nessun DormaNessun Dorma Posts: 12,846
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    davidmcn wrote: »
    Intending to drink alcohol isn't an offence, and even if you do drink alcohol it isn't an offence until you reach the designated blood-alcohol level. Other places (e.g. some US states) have laws about having any open alcohol containers in the car.





    Er, no, pretty much the only thing with a strict ban is using a handheld phone. For anything else the police would need evidence that your control of the vehicle had been adversely affected by what you were doing.

    Sorry, it wasn't the RTA, it is The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regulation 104.

    No person shall drive or cause or permit any other person to drive, a motor vehicle on a road if he is in such a position that he cannot have proper control of the vehicle or have a full view of the road and traffic ahead.
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