Just a short story that hopefully will make people aware of us motorcycle riders. There seems to be a lot of car and motorcycle crashes lately. The other afternoon I was riding my motorcycle south on 58 highway in the right lane and as always being alert about vehicles around me. In the vicinity of the Sonic restaurant a young lady pulled out of the Sonic and stopped in my lane upon seeing me coming.
After stopping, I noticed she was talking on the cell phone. I waved her on out after giving her "the what the heck were you thinking gesture". She looked at me like she didn't understand she was in the middle of my lane, but the sad part was she never stopped talking on the phone for a second.
I understand we have important things going on, but not important enough to risk my life or anyone else's over a phone conversation.
If I hadn't been alert, I might have been a hood ornament on her car.
People please pay attention and watch for us.
Randy Devine
Harrison
* * *
Abusive cellphone use is epidemic on Chattanooga and Hamilton County roads and highways. I see "airheads" all the time talking on their cellphones maneuvering 180-degree curves, going through dangerous intersections and school zones, speeding down the road 10-15 mph over the limit, even with children in their vehicles,
I will never forget one of these "airheads" that I encountered several months ago. This lady was driving down Highway 27 when I drove up behind her going to the Soddy Wal-Mart. I quickly noticed she was driving slow and somewhat erratic and had a cellphone pressed against her left ear.
I drove behind her for about a mile to the Wal-Mart parking lot, where she got out of her vehicle and entered the store right in front of me while still yaking on her cellphone.
I was in the store about 20 minutes and then headed for a cashier.
Lo and behold, the woman was leaving at the same time and still talking on her cellphone while trying to pay for the items in her buggy. Afterward, she headed for the exit - still talking. But the story does not end here. As I exited the store, I saw her pull out of her parking place and drive back down Highway 27 - still yaking as she disappeared in the sunset.
Jim Ashley
jashley41@comcast.net
* * *
I like the hands free idiots with their loud, flailing hands and whack job faces in the middle of the Favorite Market parking lot or Bi-Lo while everybody tries to negotiate around them. What is so important that these people must discuss 24/7?
One time I walked into the car repair place and I was not yet up on the hands free deal. The guy behind the counter was looking at a work sheet or something and he said "Hey Buddy!"
"Hi!" I said, all flattered at the familiarity- guys want to fit in at car places.
"How've ya been?"
"Fine, you?"
"Great, man! Great. How was the hunting trip?"
"Well, I don't really hunt."
"No way!"
"No, I never really have gotten into it. I love to shoot guns, though."
"Six pointer, eh. That was his first?"
This was getting weird. Then our eyes met and I realized I was having this happy jovial conversation with myself. The dude behind the counter was talking to another dude and the black lady who was waiting for her car in the lounge figured it out and busted out laughing when I looked around to see if anybody saw this whole embarrassing thing.
I'd of been laughing too but suddenly, in a place full of machismo, I felt very small and stupid. I did the sissy thing and walked away with my tail betwixt my legs. Took my silly car somewhere else.
I hate cell phones. I hate hands free cell phones even more. Humans are so shameless.
Savage Glascock
* * *
This issue has been mentioned here before and it's a shame that people will not listen and choose to ignore the facts, even though it would save lives and make our streets safer for everyone, especially those that ride motorcycles. The usual response, which I'm sure will soon appear here, given by the public refers to the common practice of motorcycles speeding, riding wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic and the famous "appearing out of nowhere" response.
While some of these practices do occur, it's far from common and usually these antics are performed by those "invincible" young people riding sport bikes. As for motorcycles "appearing out of nowhere", this is nothing less than someone not paying attention to their driving. Motorcycle riders are not magicians appearing out of thin air.
The majority of riders on the roads are older adults between the ages of 30 and 70+, from every walk of life riding large cruising type motorcycles. I know many people that ride and just about all of them are very attentive and courteous to others, unless you try to run us over and kill us forcing us to express our displeasure with you with our hearts pounding. Motorcycles in this group follow the rules of the road a lot more than the average automobile driver. Especially in regards to speed. I've personally ridden on Hwy 153 many times running the 55 mph speed limit. It's amazing how many aggressive drivers in their big vehicles run up behind me or pass me on both sides with various expressions of disgust making me feel like a big rock in the road though I, unlike them, are following every laws of the road.
I'd love to see the law called DWI expanded to Driving While Impaired rather than Driving While Intoxicated. Alcohol is not the only thing that can make a driver to dangerous to be out on a public street. It's amazing the things drivers do while driving. Talking on the cell phone, eating, reading a paper or writing notes in a notebook, putting on makeup and one I personally saw this summer on Hixson Pike: Someone typing on a laptop computer with one hand on the computer and one on the steering wheel. I couldn't see where their eyes were, so your guess is a good as mine.
Like I said, alcohol is not the only thing that produces a DWI, Driving While Impaired, condition. Here are a few of them that have been collected by studies on the issue along with a point system to show the danger rating of the activity.
In a study I read (not while driving by the way) 65 percent of respondents admitted to eating a meal while driving and that activity received a "danger rating" of 3.8 on the five-point scale. Talking on a cell phone was regarded as a 4.0 in danger with 58 percent of drivers acknowledging they talk on a cell phone while driving. Driving while reading a newspaper or book, something only six percent of drivers admit to, though I personally think it's higher, got the top danger rating of 4.9. Writing a text message (4.8), applying makeup or shaving (4.6) and the ever-popular steering with legs and no hands on wheel (4.7) also recorded serious danger rankings from the respondents. Some 25 percent of all drivers say they have steered with no hands at some time in their driving lives, while 14 percent say they have applied makeup or shaved.
As you can see, doing the above tasks while driving can make you just as dangerous to yourself and others, as drinking and driving. It's amazing to me that there are fathers and mothers that would never even dream of drinking and driving an auto with their kids in the car, yet think nothing of it while talking on their cell phone. It's just a shame that a device that didn't exist just a few short years ago has become so important to us that we can't put the darned things down long enough to get from our home to our destination, but would rather risk killing ourselves, our kids, or an innocent person by chit chatting or conducting business while driving a vehicle.
I realize there are some that pull out in front of cars and even large trucks. I suppose there's just no hope for these people at all. But if anyone sees themselves in the above study, maybe it's time to think about your driving habits and change them accordingly. The life you save just might be a family member or friend that rides a motorcycle. It will assuredly be someone that that does not deserve to die because of your calloused, reckless attitude toward your driving responsibilities.
R. Grimsley
Ringgold