Today is the day we are supposed to start using hands-free equipment to answer our cell phones while we drive. This is the law that former Democratic legislator Carole Migden (pictured above) pushed for – ironically she went crazy after it passed and hit several cars while driving eratically on the freeway. She said at the time she was on some kind of medication. Now she has been voted out of office entirely!
Migden’s removal from the legislature is just rewards for writing a stupid law. The fact is, experts have already proven that hands-free equipment won’t save you. Being on the phone while driving is distracting even IF you are using a bluetooth ear piece. The problem is that you are driving but your mind is elsewhere. God knows where Migden’s mind was when she took her wild toad ride!
According to published accounts, Migden was reading and talking on the phone while she drove eratically at high speeds, weaving through the lanes and cutting people off. Supposedly Migden yelled at someone during her crazed trip telling them that “I’m a Senator!” Well, not anymore you ding-dong!
Migden also received a $350,000 fine for campaign finance violation. That didn’t help her reelection campaign. “San Francisco and Marin County Democrats threw state Sen. Carole Migden out of office when they chose her challenger, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), by a wide margin,” according to the L.A. Times.
So remember Migden today when you put on your Blue Tooth ear piece. Like so many legislators, current and former, she believed in telling us what to do while she did something entirely different. Thank God the Democratic voters in her district figured her out and tossed her out of office!
As for Migden’s legacy, the law she introduced will “Prohibit all drivers from using handheld, wireless phones while driving. Those age 18 or older can use a hands-free device. Drivers under 18 cannot use wireless phones or hands-free devices.” The penalties: First-time offenders will be fined $20; fines go up to $50 for each additional conviction. (Sacramento Bee).
Apparently you’ve never been behind some chick trying to coax a giant SUV around a parking lot with one hand. If this law just takes care of THAT, I’ll be happy.
I’m not too excited about having to get a Blue Tooth. But then it doesn’t seem like most drivers on the road are as good at driving and talking on the phone as me (and of course you, gentle reader.) 🙂
You see someone going way too slow, or almost missing their turnoff and suddenly getting over at the last minute, or weaving in the middle of the day, or changing lanes without signalling, and chances are they’re blabbing on their cell phone. Probably bitching on their cell phone to the Grate One about how immigrants are ruining our country. So Blue Tooth it is.
i saw that person on the road it was far left vern driving on the wrong side of the road like most of his views ..
far left vern right form the far left playbook .. immigrants are ruining this country .. naannaa you left out the key word vernie . ILLEGAL …
I plan to take this hands free concept to the next level- am working on a design for a hands free cheeseburger that I hope will make me rich!
hey art by the way i found something i am with you on . THIS IS A STUPID LAW .
oh but dont forget we can still text. talking on phone while driving=illegal, texting while driving=legal.
*The English have made driving even with a bluetooth; crashing and killing someone…a felony and you lose your license!
What has to be hilarious is….right now..when
we have an Emergency Vehicle is blaring their
red lights and sirens….nobody moves to the right to get out of the way or stop! Hip Hop Music is not the only reason people can’t hear!
Now we have GPS Maps, IPODS, televisions, 500 watt sound systems along with various back seat drivers…either in the form of children, wives, mothers, fathers, cousins or text messaging hitchhikers….and they want us to add a blue tooth?
The phone rings and people slow down 8 MPH…those
are the figures. You are talking on the phone and
you are overlapping two lanes….those are the figures. You are talking on the phone…and you forget that the light in front of you is changing
to either red or green….those are the figures!
The good news..is that the real cost of the first
ticket is $75 bucks not $20. The second ticket is
closer to $140 bucks….not $70! Two added moving
violations…add Traffic School, the Additional Annual Insurance premium and hey….we could soon
be spending our way out of this terrible recession!
Can you say Nanny State? I knew ya could…
Reckless driving is reckless driving, why is it that we continue to punish EVERYONE for the stupid few? We didn’t need a new law. There are WAY too many now.
Is there even a lawyer that knows them all?
NO, they all specialize. Why?
THERE”S TOO MANY LAWS, most like this address a problem there was already a law against.
What a concept, actually use the laws we have…?
Like illegal fireworks… (they’re already what?)
I think it’s not about too many laws but too many stupid laws. I’ve been behind women putting their make-up on while driving, it’s not very smart. If you cause an accident you cause an accident, end of story.
Wow, I agree with Carl. But what about a Republican trying to make it illegal to drive with your dog in the front seat? Another annoying law.
can you say RINO?… I knew ya could
It is stupid to use a phone while driving•
This law may just introduce more stress on the road. Thanks to this new law, defensive drivers can now be less aware of the chit-chatters. Most drivers on cell phones are obliviously creating hazards and now they get to do it hands free.
DWCP is like DWI.
Mary –
Wow! The more you write, the farther left you go. Government mandated two-hand driving? Ick.
Where I come from there is no cell phone law, no seatbelt law, no helmet law.
There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.
SMS – Live Free or Die
That explains it. 😉
Mary –
Yup. I’m from Boston originally, but spent 5 years in New Hampshire. I swear it’s paradise! I miss it more than anything. NH also has:
no sales tax
no income tax
no corporate income tax over $150,000 gross income…
See? You CAN’T pin the Massachusetts liberal label on me after all. 🙂
SMS
PS: I almost forgot: no compulsory auto insurance law either. I admit – that one’s questionable.
OK, I hate Big Brother as much as anyone, and I’m not sure if I support this particular law. But SOMEBODY HERE has to be the devil’s advocate, if we’ve got Overmyer, Grate One, SMS, Art, and Heather all agreeing. So –
I think it’s not about too many laws but too many stupid laws…If you cause an accident you cause an accident, end of story.
Really, we want to live that way? Nothing preventive at all? Then why have DUI laws? Remember driving is not a right but a privilege, the privilege to propel forward a huge deadly chunk of metal at breakneck speeds in a public place just to get to your destination quicker. (I hate having to take this position, it tweeks my inner New Hampshirite)
THERE”S TOO MANY LAWS, most like this address a problem there was already a law against.
What law is that, Carl? Is there a law I don’t know about, where you can’t be talking into something in your hand while you drive, or what? I agree there’s too many laws.
Can you say Nanny State? I knew ya could…
This law may be an unnecessary nuisance, I don’t know. I’m just finding out that a lot of other states have had the same law for a long time. But it’s strange that you-all seem to find this more of a government intrusion than the illegal eavesdropping in violation of our fourth amendment that I’ve been blogging about for a while here with no comments from all you supposed libertarians!
BTW Carl congratulations on the Second Amendment victory last week. Now shall we fight for other parts of the Constitution this Independence Day?
Sure, Vern even with my bad back…winner takes all? “Duelling bloggers”, you could write a song.
There’s already a law about reckless driving, no matter the cause, eating, shaving, whatever. If you’re driving badly and not paying attention you should get a ticket. If you can handle your cup of coffee, or even a phone call, then you should be fine. Hell, I know people who can’t drive with nothing going on around them, they still get a license and put the rest of us in danger. Why is that? You can’t outlaw stupid!
Here’s your sign….
How many laws are enough? So you’re going to try to cover every unsafe situation in life? Can you say police state? No thank you, consider me the public conscience for liberty.
Vern,
I’m guessing by your silence here your working on a melody, or hook for the, Dueling Bloggers. 😉
While the subject of this post was about our new state law and cell phone usage, not Homeland Security, FISA, NRO, CIA, FBI, the list goes on and on, I will entertain you for a moment’s discussion on the subject.
I have issues with any kind of intrusion by anyone, government or otherwise who wishes to intrude into private spaces, where they do not belong. I have huge issues with the growing police state, which Congress, the Executive branch and the rest of the alphabet soup that are agencies have proffered since 9/11/01. Nor are they the only violators. Data mining is big business and part of the overall processes that both public and private enterprises use everyday.
I also understand we are our own worst enemies. We allow, no we demand, that government provide us with some semblance of security. I use that word purposely as the illusion of security is what we end up with. We give up willingly those things that if forced on us by an occupying army, we would fight tooth and nail to gain back. Nope I do not understand it either Vern. We still know very little about our enemies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Philippines, or wherever they may be and they are everywhere.
Real security is a relative and illusive thing, the better prepared we are as individuals the better we will all be as a society. I also believe we should not give up our freedoms, at the very least without a fight. Daily we sacrifice our Rights at the alter of the new secular god of public safety.
Well written Carl. I guess you’ve found your ‘voice’ already. Congratulations… and again, welcome to the Juice!
SMS
The whole dang county drives “erratically”. That’s what they do! I try to “stay gold” and assume a Zen attitude. Helps me get through the maze. ~M