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Safety First!

Feds to make phone use while driving more dangerous

Submitted by bsfootprint on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 19:39
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Woman driving while talking on cell phone with one finger on the steering wheel

Here we go again:

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called for a nationwide ban on driving while using what it calls "personal electronic devices" – PEDs – by which they mean mobile phones and, to a lesser extent, fondleslabs.

And when the NTSB says mobile phones, they mean handheld or hands-free, unless the hands-free system is installed by the vehicle's manufacturer.

"No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life," said NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman in a statement, noting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that over 3,000 people were killed last year in accidents caused by what has become known as "distracted driving".

"It is time for all of us to stand up for safety by turning off electronic devices when driving," Hersman said.

Source

Mobile device use while driving isn't inherently dangerous enough for the NTSB. So they want to make it much more dangerous.

How?

By threatening you with fines and jail time if you dare use them while driving. By threatening you with violence.

I'm kidding, right?

Nope. Ask yourself what happens when you fail to yield to a police officer while driving. What happens if you refuse to pay the fines. Then ask yourself what happens when you resist enforcement of the inevitable arrest warrants that follow. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

I live in California, where it's already 'illegal' to use a non hands-free cell phone while driving. I see dozens of people every day with cell phones at their ear while driving. No doubt they use some of their already diminished attention watching for cops. Brilliant!

Look: Driving while distracted, failure to maintain control of your vehicle, driving without due care and caution, and innumerable other things are already violations of state vehicle codes, and can be used to punish people. Do we really need to pile on another prohibition to be ignored?

Sources: 
Feds propose 50-state ban on mobile use while driving (www.theregister.co.uk)
Goebbels (er, Hersman) Appears At The NTSB (market-ticker.org)
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Time to outlaw cancer

Submitted by bsfootprint on Wed, 08/24/2011 - 08:13
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Uh-oh! I see a strong correlation!


Link

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Russia's past, America's future?

Submitted by bsfootprint on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 07:59
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This narrative of a trip to the Soviet Union circa 1982 seems eerily prescient.

When we reached the Finnish-Soviet border, the train groaned to a halt and a half dozen Soviet military thugs clamored on board and began checking everyone's papers. Their modus operandi was almost comical as they threw open doors, slammed them shut, ordered us to "stand!" or "sit!" and vigorously searched our luggage, all the while eyeing us suspiciously as though the next suitcase they opened would contain arms and ammunition or, worse, a copy of The Russians.

Our security obsession seems to be leading us to a time when we can expect to have grim-faced security agents barking orders at us while we attempt to exercise our rights to unfettered travel.

There are more gems in the narrative, go read it and decide if we're slouching towards a similar fate.

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Winning friends and influencing people: Dealing with TSA overreach

Submitted by bsfootprint on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 20:34
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"Stingray" over at Atomic Nerds describes a unique and exciting way to deal with overreaching TSA agents. Not necessarily a recommended course of action but it had me laughing; I wish I'd been there recording it.

Via: Nine Pound Sledge, who says he now has a new hero.

Sources: 
Bad Form, But Satisfying. (www.atomicnerds.com)
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