When driving how do you use your cell phone?
 

I don't want to do the whole driving and talking on the cell phone rant, I'm sure that has been done to death. For the record I don't use the cell phone while driving and if it rings I ignore until I can park then check the message. Anyhoo, during my forty-five minute commute to and from work I see MANY people driving and chatting away on their phone and it occured to me, "What the heck are they talking about?" I mean are they business calls, important communications (ie: calling a school to say a child is sick or a doctors office or some such) or are people just chatting away to pass the time while driving. I can't imagine many phone calls that would be important enough for me to make while driving so I have no idea how/why people use phones while driving. So the question is, if you use a phone while driving what do you use it for, why, and how often?"

I use them while driving when I need to coordinate with my friends and family. The conversations rarely last more than a minute, and it's more or less stuff along the lines of "I'll be there in about ten minutes, traffic's clogged up because some asshole on a cellphone crashed into a busload of orphans."

Or something similar.

My jeep is so loud - it's old, it's a ragtop, the suspension is useless - I could never hear my phone on a freeway.

I'm guilty of driving with my cellphone. I'm also guilty of dialing my cell phone, checking my messages .. and smoking at the same time.
When driving a stick, this all can be pretty hazardous. Maybe I should cut back on that or something.

i usually only use it on the road to let people know that i'm on my way, to give an ETA if i'm gonna be late or early. or if there's other info i need.

what i think is really funny, and you all should look for this, but it seems like 99% of the people i see talking on the cell while driving lean towards the center of the car, doesn't matter which hand they use to hold the phone.

If it's urgent, I pull into a parking lot, and talk on the phone, when I'm done, I drive off. Cops pulled up on me once, and asked what I was doing, told them "would you rather me use my cell phone here, or while driving down the street?" They drove off.

If I get a call while driving I wait till I'm at my destination to check it, if they call twice (ie. Urgent), I'll pull over, and check the message and call them if I didn't have enough time to pick up.

Guilty -- sometimes I use it because I'm tired and talking to someone will keep me awake. This is especially true when driving home from work. Sometimes I answer in case it is the kids. If the road is crowded, I wait and check the message later.

Appreciate the replies! I want to be clear though, I'm not using this thread to judge people on their cell phone/driving usage, I'm just curious to find out what most people that talk and drive are actually using that talk/drive time for. I have looked around the net and while I find a lot of debates about driving and cell usage (usually devolving into fruitless arguments) I haven't found open and honest info about what exactly people are doing with the phones. In this thread I hope no one is judged or flamed about whatever they do. I am just curious, if one does drive and phone, whats the reason?

PS: Hannukah Harry I haven't noticed the the center lean thing but I am definately going to look for it from now on.

mainly fone sex!!!!!
auto-erotica!!!


HAHAAAA!!!!

just kinding i don't have a cell fone and i think they should be banned from automobiles....i know i'm straying a little here.

mr b

Yea I will drive with a cell phone. For the long distance drives I will use a headset, it is a great way to kill time. For short drives I rarely use it, unless someone calls me. I use to text message people at stop lights, but that one was a little unsafe.

I use my cell phone as little as possible - especially in the car.
I don't like 'em much.
I don't like talking on the phone in general and do it only for business or necessity.

I pray that people call my cell phone. I keep it set on vibrate and down my pants. Sometimes, i set my computer up to redial continuously and I drive around drooling out the window.

I use a headset. It is still a slight distraction, but less than trying to look out the left window while changing lanes with a cell to my face.
I also eat, pick my nose, scratch parts of my body, listen to cds, yell at other people, and shift gears all at once. You can count on one hand how many times I have been beeped at for being inattentive while driving.

I bust out full Text Message conversations while I drive down the highway. I've learned to type 1 handed, without looking at the screen once.

So you just kind of guess at what their replies are?

haha good point. I set myself up for that one. I meant not looking at what I was typing:)

I hate to drive and talk at the same time. I will take a call and make it as short as possible.
Most calls I make are to my wife to "check in" and let her know I'm on my way home :rolleyes:

I prefer a headset. Sometimes the phone rings and I don't have the headset ready so I just answer it but make the call short. There's been too many times I witness others who are holding their cell phone while driving, and 99% of the time, they do things that obviously show distraction from their driving.

I am unfortunately tied to the telephone due to my work. It saves me from having to travel as much as I used to. I used to be an out on Monday back late on Thursday or early afternoon on Friday traveler for work and the cell phone saves me from this.

I do talk on the phone while driving but I will only do it when I am not in heavy traffic, while using an earpiece so it's hands free, and in an area that I know very well. :( It's not optimal but I do it as safely as I can.

I'm one of the guilty ones too. I don't have any particular rule about what sort of conversation rises to the level of "important enough to take in the car". Which translates to: I talk about anything and everything while I'm driving.

I only talk in the car with a headset, though. Both hands stay on the wheel. And if I'm in heavy traffic or dealing with something on the road that needs my attention, I'll hang up and call back.

I rarely talk on the cell while driving. If I need to make a call, I have a headset, never make the call more than a minute, and never call "just to see how you're doing". If it isn't important, I don't make the call. And I never pick up the phone if I don't already have my headset on. If it's important they'll leave a message and I'll get to them asap.

I talk in my cell when the traffic is appropriate. Rush hour driving 75 mph = hell no. Sunday am on the highway = no problem. I have a tendency to ignore my cell phone when I'm to busy dealing with traffic. Plus, my music is usually so loud I can't hear it anyways.

I mainly use to coordinate the days activities with the wife.

When I drive, I have my music on.

Music is a must when I drive, and I play it loud enough that you cant hear it ringing.

And no I dont call others when driving, whats the rush?

sometimes business, sometimes coordinating plans, sometimes just shooting the shit.

I've had 2 headsets and both of them were pieces of crap, breaking within the first 2 months. I can't bring myself to go and spend another 30 bucks on one when I know it's just gonna break again.

when I'm in NY though I hardly use the phone, since I have no headset and I don't wanna get pulled over :)

I pull over to answer it if I'm expecting a call.

I have never found any reason important enough to need me to make any outbound calls that couldn't wait until I arrived at my destination.

In Bangkok, about 2 years ago, they made a law that you can only talk on a cell phone in a car if
A) you're not the driver of the vehicle
B) you're using a hands free system.
C) you're pulled over
I think that's a pretty wise idea.

When I am driving my hands are usually occupied with a burger and a beer, so I use a headset and dial with my left foot between gear shifts.

you should all use it in JAIL since it's illegal to use them while driving now!

It makes my blood boil to see a typical soccer mom driving her SUV and talking on the cell phone while doing make up. However I find myself talking on the phone sometimes. Bad habit. IBaaad habit.

I'm in NY State where it is now law that you have to have a headset or earphone. I think it's a great law.

we have that law in dc too. but i think it's like $25 for a violation though. i think it should be more than that.

not where i live.

I would get bored during a long commute I used to do. My fiancee at the time and I would talk to each other. Just talk about our day or how much we loved each other. It's a way to keep from shooting the guy that just cut me off.

i have phone sex, phone in one hand, dick in the other, steer with my knee.

my car has a built-in bluetooth link-up, so I can take calls without my hands leaving the steering wheel.

If only more cars had this....

well i havnt driven in 10 months... but when i did drive i dont think i used my phone much.
and short calls dont really matter, it is answering and hanging up that take your eyes off the road.

i can drive, eat, talk on the phone, look at a map all at the same time and still have more awareness than 90% of the drivers out there.

awwwww shit. :)