Posted on 08/03/2008 1:28:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
MIAMI (CBS) ― The days of using a cell phone to simply talk on have come and passed. Today, it's about smartphones and text messaging. More than 360 billion text messages were sent last year, but now there's a growing trend of injuries incurred while texting, a phenomenon called "Texting Trauma."
"Even when I'm riding my bike on Lincoln Road, I'm holding the handle, and I'm texting on one side," said Manni Maharaj.
Some people text message while driving, which is incredibly dangerous enough, but now ER physicians say texters on bicycles, roller blades, and even on their own two feet are keeping ER's busy, CBS station WFOR-TV in Miami reports.
Most of the texting injuries have been simple. People are distracted and they walk into trees or light posts. Or twist their ankle by stepping off a curb. But, occasionally they step into situations that are much more dangerous.
And doctor's think texters should not think this is "NBD," or no big deal.
"There were multiple injuries sprained ankles, head injuries from texting without paying attention," said Dr. Michael Brazda.
One woman in San Francisco was killed when she stepped into traffic. But, many believe they have simply figured out how to do two things at once, despite the evidence proving most people can't.
"Yeah, I've almost bumped into things, I've learned my lesson and I put my phone away," said Cassandra Gabriel.
And doctors believe that lesson of simply putting the phone away is the best lesson users can possibly learn.
Yeah, I walk into trees if I’m FReeping while strolling through the woods, too.
Texting Trauma is Nature’s way of culling the herd.
My view of the victims I have seen simply reinforces the notion that Nature knows best.
I may be slowing becoming a convert to Gaia...
I don’t think it is nanny state-ism. If I can have full freedom to beat the tar out of someone who injures me while they TEXT MESSAGE driving down the road, I have no issue with the absence of regulations.
I almost get creamed a few weeks back during my commute. (You can relate because you have driven up here, but I think it is the same everywhere)
I have a slightly nasty intersection I have to pass through on my way to work. As I approached the t-shaped intersection on the cross of the T, the person on the right was poised to pull out onto a busy road, so I flashed the lights, gave the right to left arm sweep repeatedly, but the vehicle doesn’t move. I am getting closer and can see the driver more clearly now, wondering why she doesn’t go, and you guessed it.
She is talking on her phone while pulling out into one of the worst intersections in my commute. Completely engrossed in the conversation while her face rotates blankly from side to side making it look like she is watching for an opening, but her eyes had this odd blank look, and you could tell one part of her was doing what she probably did every day, but the talking part was overriding her driving. Her eyes were simply not seeing the road, the cars and the traffic pattern. They were seeing something in the phone conversation.
Predictably, she then comes to life and suddenly realizes she should pull out, but has waited so long a vehicle is on her other side coming from her right in the lane she is going to pull into after she cuts across mine.
She jerks her SUV (Frikking huge Lincoln Navigator) into the intersection and the guy coming up the other side slams on his brakes and almost gets rear-ended. She stops, blocking my lane, all the way out.
I had my signal on the whole time to take the right, and now I came to a complete stop wondering what the hell she is going to do. This is now very dangerous.
I decide to cut behind her and get the hell away from that soon to be glass littered intersection (I thought). The less time you are around that, the less time you have to be plowed into.
So I step on it to go behind her, and the person in the opposite lane (BEHIND the guy who had been approaching and had to lean on his brakes) cuts sharply from his lane with obviously the same thought process I had, but...
...I could not see him and he could not see me. The two of us nearly met BEHIND that damned huge Lincoln Navigator, and we stared wide eyed at each other, both in completely the same shocked state. I wave him ahead of me, and he steps on it with excellent alacrity. He is clearly driving.
I look back at the woman driving this stupid Navigator, and...SHE IS STILL EFFING TALKING ON THE PHONE! Still sitting on top of the lane divider, both lanes stopped and traffic rapidly piling up in both directions, and...she is still looking from side to side talking.
Astounding.
Well, sometimes I really do get whacked across the head by my wife while FReeping.
I have no problem with them culling themselves by running into a utility pole, but...if I have to be culled along with them just because I am driving home...that is problematic.
Most texting in unnecessary, it’s like a toy.
How long have you been waiting to get that off your chest? ;_)
I’ve been physically removed by my children, who wanted to use the computer :-).
We need to talk.
When your pets take over your household, we all may be in trouble...
These people are so self-absorbed it’s unbelievable. Almost any time I’m behind someone driving extremely slow, when I ultimately pass them I’ll take a look only to see that they’re yapping on the phone. They’re totally oblivious to the traffic congestion behind them, caring nothing about other motorists.
I know these clowns think it’s their God-given right to drive and text; drive and talk on the phone; drive and eat. So since we’re stuck with them, why don’t the states make them pass tests to show they’re competent to drive while texting, talking, eating, whatever? (I actually saw one slow driving idiot merging onto the interstate with an ICE CREAM CONE dripping all over her. It was that, and not the traffic, that held her attention.) And if they don’t pass such tests, they should not be allowed to use those devices while driving. Violators should be ticketed and given a huge penalty; maybe something similar to that given to drunk drivers.
What is the difference, anyway? Who cares what the distraction is; these people choose to endanger their lives and ours by selfishly putting us all at risk.
I’ve had it with these morons!
He said every single young lady that entered the bar pulled out her cell phone as she walked in. Each lady would call or text message "somebody" as if they were so important or so very popular.
A couple of my kids are bigger than I am, but if I ever disappear permanently, probably the snake or the dragons got me!
I guess they don’t want to meet people. Maybe it’s the semi-literate version of opening a book ... although when I was a sweet young thing, that seemed to encourage guys to ask about the book!
If a FReeper walks into a tree in the woods & there's no other FReepers around.......do they make a sound?
A “Thud!” on the live thread.
Sadly, the same nuts are driving here in Norfolk and Virginia Beach (many tourists too). They followed me down here. I had to learn patience behind the wheel down here... 3 ticket's will do that. I was behind a car last week where the 2 girls in the car in front of me where trading cell phones with each other while zipping in the left-lane of I 64. The bumper sticker on the care read "God is my co-pilot". I think he decided to skip that drive.
LOL thsz funy thnx 4 pstng anywa......:o)
I don’t see it as nanny state at all. These bozos put everybody around them at risk because of their stupidity and self involvement. I don’t enjoy my daily driving adventure dodging cell phone/texting addicts who mistakenly believe they can safely multi-task at 60 mph.
Heh, I wrote that the day it happened...a similar thread was up on FR...
That was as close as I have come to getting in a glass crackling wreck in the last ten years or more. The guy who cut behind her on the other side as I did on my side had to lock em up as I did, and the two of us stared at each other with eyes as big as saucers.
We both surprised each other...:)
Several years ago I was crossing an intersection on a green light when a young female, yapping away on her phone, failed to look, failed to stop, and turned directly into my lane. When I laid on the horn and got the b@tches attention she gave me the bird. But at least she was not texting.
Wow, we’d better have universal gov’t health care then.
Nearly 150 dead in India temple stampede: police
Yahoo! | Tuesday, August 5, 2008 | AFP
Posted on 08/04/2008 11:13:58 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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