Sch’dy County Bans Texting While Driving
Posted: Dec 10, 2008 08:17 PM
The next time you get behind the wheel, be sure to keep your cell phone in your pocket. Beginning this coming March, it will be illegal to text and drive in Schenectady County.
County legislators have passed a law prohibiting drivers from using their phone to read or write messages. That makes Schenectady the first county in our area to put such a ban in place.
Supporters say the ban is for your safety.
“When there’s a good idea you don’t have to wait until there’s state legislation, it’s an idea that’s widely recognized and is one that can save lives,” said county legislature chairwoman Susan Savage.
People caught texting while driving face a fine of up to $150.
Some skeptics say it may be difficult for police to enforce the new law.
“In order to make a call you have to press the buttons on your phone. That’s the same activity you make than bans text messaging while driving. The way the bill is written, it’s going to be difficult for someone to prove someone was texting as opposed to making a cell phone call,” said Thomas Carr of Tully Rinckey PLLC.
Schenectady is not the only place with a text message law in place. States like Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington already have texting laws effect.
It’s too hard to text and drive with my phone so I don’t. I do make calls without a bluetooth or speakerphone though, I’ll be looking to buy a bluetooth speakerphone for my nissan since it’s a 5-speed and kind of a pain to shift and use the phone.
It sucks that we need laws for this shit. People are too stupid, I say let people text/call on their phones when driving and when they get in accidents and kill themselves it will weed out the dumb ones, and if they hurt other people they should realize that they should kill themselves for being stupid. If I need to concentrate on driving I won’t use the phone. People have to think for themselves.
Amen. I can stand chatting on the phone while driving even with speaker/headset. Couldn’t imagine focusing on a damn keypad and screen while driving. :wtf
I totally text while I drive, but I can do it pretty efficiently without looking, matter of fact Mr. Hennessy caugh me yacking on my phone in traffic yesterday afternoon :ssh
Regardless of how moronic it is to text and drive this is just another money grab. Okay so you are sitting at a light and look down to change songs on your MP3 player. Your cell happens to be sitting next to you. A cop sees you looking down pressing buttons and pulls you over and proceeds to write you a texting ticket even though you state you were changing songs on your iPod. He says well your cell phone is sitting right there and you could have been texting. Now this is one of those weird cases (like running a stop sign) where there is no hard evidence and it’s your word vs the cops word, aka you are guilty until proven innocent. So you decide to fight it and go to your phone company and get your records stating that you did not send ant texts around the time of being pulled over. The judge says “You could have been using another phone, and not the one you are showing records of, here’s a fine” It’s indefensible depending on the judge. Oh and a similar case to this has happened before so don’t say it wouldn’t happen.
I think texting is gay as shit first off. Yeah I can see a single text, “hey I am sure you are in class, call me later” or something simple… it saves you from calling VM. BUT texting is so blown out of proportion now, it is a fad not and not a usefull utility. When 14year old’s are texting 13000 times a month… and that is no lie I will take the bill from my mother for my little sisters phone… it is bullshit. Pick up the fucking phone and talk to them.
If I ever catch her texting while she drives in a few years I will throw the fucking phone out the window. I am that hypocritical moron, I guess. I talk on my cell phone while driving my turbo charged manual transmission car… BECAUSE I CAN KEEP IT BETWEEN THE FUCKIN LINES AND I DONT REAR END PEOPLE AHEAD OF ME. I pass cops all day long while I am on my cell phone, I have yet to be pulled over for this bullshit.
It is most definatly a bull shit pair of laws. There are other laws that cover the the “aftermath” of texting/talking on a cell while driving. They are failure to stay left/right, following too close, speeding… WHICH ARE 2+ POINTERS. This is thankfully a non-moving and a fine. Remeber when this law started, it was when cell phones really took off and prices came down, and little fucking kids were pampered and given cell phones.
:idiots