OT: Billy Mays' Autopsy

[The Daring Dufas]

I often have to answer a call while driving but like the more intelligent people, I pull over if I have to write something down.

TDD

[Red Green]

The Daring Dufas wrote in news:h5nfa5$fpb$ [e-mail]:

Oh, it's a good thing the guy who hit me head on, totaled my car and resulted in damage to two other cars wasn't writing something down. Could have been a serious acident.

[The Daring Dufas]

I don't try to carry on an involved conversation and I won't try to argue with someone over the phone while driving. I'm quite able to answer the phone, say I'm driving right now, I'll call you later or I'll be there in 10 minutes, goodbye. In truth, my cellphone is usually turned off and my pager is the point of contact. I rarely take my eyes off the road while driving.

TDD

[SteveB]

What scares the shit out of me is those stupid 17 year olds in a hurry, talking or texting. I have none of the symptoms you related. After an accident a year and a half ago, I was blood tested. State lab came back with .000 for everything, although I take the medicine regularly. I guess I metabolize it well, and don't have any side effects other than pain relief.

I have been driving 46 years now, and am a good operator. I say operator rather than driver because a driver merely knows how to make a car go and stop. I've driven a lot of big stuff, big equipment, and big cranes. I think you'd rather see me on the highway than some twit just a' twittering her little ass off. I can drive better impaired than a lot of people can stone sober.

YMMV

Steve

[SteveB]

God, I hope the camera crew were able to get in there and get real close ups. Maybe some good footage through the curtains in the ER. And don't forget the funeral home, and graveside services. Man, that's REAL "news"!

Talk about stupid.

Heeeere's yer sign.

Steve

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sun 09 Aug 2009 08:48:09a, SteveB told us...

I won't be a hypocrite. I graduated high school in 1963 and up to then had never tried any drug except an occasional beer or highball. When I was in college I tried marijuana numerous times, but no other drugs. My dad was a doctor and I knew quite a bit about pharmacology. Frankly, I was scared to death of taking anything else. When I was out on my own and working, alcohol became my "drug" of choice, particularly cocktails, as was the habit within my circle of friends. A decade later I almost stopped drinking complete, except for the occasional martini when going out to dinner. These days I can't even remember the last drink I had.

I agree with what you said above. It's really too bad.

[Oren]

Here's a sign!

[aemeijers]

SteveB wrote: (snip)

At some point, when the TV crew does an ambush interview of the grieving widow, there must have been an occasion when the widow or her relatives simply said 'you asshole', and decked the reporter and the cameraman. How come we never see that video?

-- aem sends...

[Red Green]

The Daring Dufas wrote in news:h5nkqr$qu5$ [e-mail]:

IMO it's not the eyes on the road with cells, it's the mind.

In early cell phone years I had one for a year. As soon as I talked to anyone I found myself not correcteing to the center of the lane as I normally would. I found my speed was not as constant as it normally would be. Other things as well and my eyes were on the road in a normal manner. There was no display/screen on those except for the number dialed. It was WHILE talking that was the issue. And the thing is, surprising to me, it's totally different than talking to someone who sitting in the vehicle. I don't know why.

[The Daring Dufas]

I suppose it depends on how your mind works and whether or not you can multi-task. The same sort of problems happen when some drivers tune the radio or adjust the heat or air conditioning and worst of all, scream at a carload of kids. The most dangerous to me have been two women in a car yacking away. It's not just cellphones, it's any inattentive or distracted driving.

TDD

[SteveB]

Crap, video? They could do an hour a night, and not have the same show on for a month.

Steve

[Tom Horne]

[e-mail]:

OK So I'll ask. Who or what is Bill.

-- Tom Horne

[Red Green]

Tom Horne wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Bill, aka Bill W., aka Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[Brandon McCombs]

Those some progress communities probably also believe that the actions a person performs is out of their control and that we should just chalk it up to something out of their control such as a disease. That means they aren't responsible for their actions. However they have to make a conscious choice to go to someone on the street and buy more drugs or alcohol or whatever. They made the choice. They could have said no. The reward for using the substance was too great for them to do so though.

[Ed Pawlowski]

The cellphone thing is well proven to be a big distraction. As for safety, it does depend on circumstances, traffic, etc. Cruising on the interstate with no other cars visible on a sunny day is not so bad, but in heavy fast traffic, it can bite you.

[The Daring Dufas]

Back in the mid 80's before cellphones really took off, probably because the handhelds were called bricks because of their size and because of the $2,000.00 price tag, I was traveling down the expressway when a car pulled on to the road, cut across three lanes in front of me causing to spin out to avoid the car and about 50 cars behind me locked up their brakes to keep from hitting me, (lucky, no accidents) since I was pointing the wrong way. GEEZ! I took off after that actinic sphincter to give him a hand signal but when I pulled up next to the car, I could see two women yacking to each other completely oblivious to potential carnage they almost caused. It's not the fault of the cellphone, it's the nut behind the wheel! Blaming cellphones for accidents is like blaming water for drownings. Hum... or guns for murder.

TDD

[aemeijers]

40+ years ago, Ian Fleming noted that the only thing that scared him in traffic was a car with two or more women in it, because women cannot have a conversation without looking at each other. And if one of them is driving, well...

Ever since then, I've watched out for that, and have found his words to be true more often than not.

-- aem sends...

[TD]

aemeijers wrote in news:OLGdnTJWh4aWcx3XnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

What a statement from a smoker/drinker "I have always smoked and drunk and loved too much. In fact I have lived not too long but too much. One day the Iron Crab will get me. Then I shall have died of living too much."

[The Daring Dufas]

I pulled up behind a couple of women at a red light some years ago and noticed that they were having a very animated conversation. When the light changed, the car sat there with the two women still going at it without pause. I waited a polite few seconds then blew the horn, no movement, another toot, no movement. By this time, the other drivers were getting impatient and started honking, I laid down on the horn again, still nothing. I then flashed my lights and the driver of the car looked up, waved and drove on. It was then, that I realized that the animated conversation was in American Sign Language.

TDD

[Lisa BB.]

The Daring Dufas wrote in news:h5r2r5$80k$ [e-mail]:

Luv it! It's like a Reader's Digest moment.