stories filed under: "texting"
Boston Trolley Accident Sadly Shows, Again, That Cell Phone Bans Alone Don't Really Work
from the accountability? dept
The driver of a Boston trolley that caused a crash that injured about 50 people was apparently sending text messages at the time of the accident, despite a transit authority ban on such activity. This latest incident comes after the horrible crash in California last year that killed scores of people, in which the train conductor was said to be texting, and highlights how bans like this, whether covering the drivers of trains or cars, really aren't effective. A reasonably intelligent person driving a trolley or other mass-transit vehicle doesn't need a ban to tell them that texting while driving isn't such a good idea. If they aren't smart enough to figure that out, they're probably just going to ignore the ban anyway, like this driver in Boston, undermining the point of the rule. Again, it goes back to personal responsibility, something that politicians and rulemakers won't be able to conjure up out of legislation, try as they might. This isn't to say that people like trolley drivers should be allowed to text while working -- far from it. But to think that putting a ban into place will, in itself, simply and easily eliminate the problem and make everybody safer is misguided.Do We Really Need Laws Banning Texting While Walking?
from the there-oughta-be-a-law dept
Over at CNET, a blogger is decrying the latest epidemic to hit New York City: people walking while texting on their phone. One imagines this has been happening in the city (and plenty of other places) for some time and people have been managing to survive, but this blogger apparently just arrived there on a business trip and noticed. It's the typical "man-these-people-are-annoying" type of thing, but his final suggestion is that "some fine district attorneys might find it in themselves to create a little misdemeanor out of this peculiar habit." Sure, it's annoying to get run into by somebody walking down the street and paying more attention to their phone than the sidewalk, but it's not too much more annoying than getting run into by somebody lost in a newspaper, or daydreaming. Perhaps we should codify laws making that stuff a crime, too, if we're looking for suggestions on how to waste police time. As has been pointed out before, this phenomenon really isn't anything new, but rather the latest iteration of the intersection of pedestrians and technology. Jaywalking laws haven't stopped people from jaywalking; pointless bans on doing certain activities while walking aren't likely to stamp out that behavior, either.High School Girl Arrested For Refusing To Stop Texting In Class
from the whatever-happened-to-school-discipline dept
Thanks to everyone who sent in this story, about a 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin, who apparently refused to stop text messaging in class... and was arrested because of it. Yes, the teacher apparently called the cops, and they arrested her for "disorderly conduct." Obviously, the girl was being insubordinate in class, but isn't that what detention/suspension/etc. rules are for? Calling in the cops (and then having the girl arrested) seems a bit extreme.Filed Under: arrest, class, discipline, texting
Texting Making Today's Youth All Thumbs
from the opposable dept
There's been a lot of talk about how the rise of text messaging is affecting people and how they communicate. We've seen reports about texting's impact on families (verdict: not clear), on the English language (verdict: it's safe), and on students' grammar (it's okay too). But one more area texting is having an impact: young people aren't using their index fingers as much. Apparently because younger people are using their thumbs to text all the time, it's become the digit of choice for activities like ringing doorbells. So will index fingers go the way of the appendix and become some extraneous appendage unneeded by modern man? I just tried typing this post with only my thumbs, and based on that, I think they, and their six other friends, are safe for some time yet.Chill Out On The Texting While Walking Bans, Says Professor
from the voice-of-reason dept
At the University of Virginia, there's a professor who studies "the historic relationship between pedestrians and motorists." Lately, he's been looking at pedestrians texting on their phones while crossing the street, and he says that the phenomenon really isn't anything new, rather it's just the latest iteration of a historically recurring issue. He points out that a century ago, people crossing the street with their nose buried in a book were causing problems. The historical example is a little extreme, but it's valid nonetheless. Banning all sorts of activities, like talking on the phone while crossing the street, really isn't likely to be effective, as the professor notes. He points out that jaywalking laws didn't do much to stop people from crossing the street anywhere they liked, that in fact it was the stigma of being called a "jaywalker" (along with, presumably, the danger of getting run over) that had the biggest effect. He suggests calling people who text while they cross the street "textlemmings". That doesn't seem especially likely to catch on, but the underlying point is that, sadly, you can't ban stupidity, and laws banning things like texting while walking, don't really make people safer, and won't save stupid people from themselves. If you're already not paying attention to traffic while you walk and text, why would you suddenly pay attention to a difficult-to-enforce law?Filed Under: texting, textlemming, walking
The Family That Texts Together...
from the chats-together dept
There's been a perception among some, that the introduction of certain technologies into the household has made it more difficult for families to communicate. For example, some have complained that kids with mobile phones use them to spend all their time talking to and texting with friends, rather than with their family. However, some new research notes that this is mostly a myth, and families that have mobile phones tend to use them to communicate with each other quite a bit. Of course, now we'll hear people complaining about how this constant contact makes it impossible for kids to make decisions on their own. There's always something to complain about. And, to be fair, not all of the study suggests that all this communicating is a good thing. While people do communicate more with their family members, they're not as satisfied with family leisure time as those who aren't as technology-enabled.Filed Under: communications, family, kids, texting
Forget Driving While Texting, Now There's Train Conducting While Texting...
from the im-nt-pying-attntn dept
As you probably heard, Friday afternoon there was a tragic train crash in California, killing a bunch of people. There were some rumors going around over the weekend, and now the press is picking up on a report that the engineer of the Metrolink train that missed a signal leading to the crash may have been text-messaging with someone moments before the accident. It's the type of story that the press loves, though there's not that much evidence other than the claims of the kid on the other end of the text messages. Just as politicians are now pushing through "driving-while-texting" bans, you have to imagine that this will also help push along those initiatives. But, once again, the same issue comes through. The problem isn't text messaging: it's people in control over big, powerful machines (cars or trains) not paying attention the way they're supposed to be paying attention.ER Doctors Warn About Walking While Texting; When Will We Start Seeing Laws?
from the they're-coming dept
Anyone want to take a guess on when we'll see the first laws proposed to ban the practice of walking-while-texting? We've already seen a few proposals that would ban walking and talking in a crosswalk. And, to add some fuel to the fire, some ER doctors are warning people who walk and text at the same time that it's risky behavior. The doctors say they're seeing a rise in reports of people walking and texting at the same time, leading to some sort of injury, including two people who were hit by a car after paying more attention to their phone than oncoming traffic. Since technopanics always seem to start with a news article, just wait for someone to propose a law against this -- rather than insisting that perhaps it's time to institute a little common sense. Update: Apparently, I'm too late. At least one state has already proposed just such a law.Filed Under: doctors, health, technopanic, texting, walking
