Is it appropriate to beep cellphone users on the highway? Text messagers?

I beeped a woman yakking on her cellphone while she was weaving from one side of her lane to the other, and her turn signal was flashing. She slammed on the brakes as soon as she heard the honk. Almost caused an accident...

She slammed on the brakes as soon as she heard me beep. Almost caused an accident...


That right there should already answer your question, your scaring an already unaware driver and then YOU could cause an accident by doing this. Them texting/talking is causing them to drive like morons, you trying to teach them a lesson by scaring them is more likely kill someone.

Not a wise decision IMHO.

While talking/texting may be unsafe; beeping at them apparently isn't safe either. Try a PIT maneuver next time. The cops seem to get away with it. [goofydrunk]

YES, it is very appropriate in those situations...lol. Appropriate even if they're not on the phone, and doing something else.

I hate distracted drivers, drives me nuts! get it, drives me? whoa, anyway

She shouldn't have been on the phone, there is no need to be texting while driving. People who cause accidents while on the cell phone(w/o a headset) or texting. Should lose their license for a year, and then should go through a driving course. And then should have to take a written and driving test to regain their license. There is a kid here in oklahoma that killed someone while texting on the phone. Beep at them and get there attention. If they cause a wreck it's their fault!

^^^Two dead high school kids right here in Helena within the past year...both texting while trying to drive.

Beeping at them isn't going to change their ways though.
They figure it's their "right" to endanger everyone else on the road regardless.
Till we pass a law and enforce it, I can only see more people getting killed. [:(]

I have had five friends get into accidents because of texting/talking on a cell phone. One was in the hospital for almost 2 months. I always leave my texting to my passeneger or I text at stop signs/lights.

Id say they brought it upon themselves I have 0% respect for half-wited cellphone drivers.

Till we pass a law and enforce it, I can only see more people getting killed. [:(]

We have laws in California. They are not enforced. How do you enforce it? When the laws first went into effect, they had CHP units sitting idle on overpasses and onramps watching traffic go by looking for people with the tell-tale hand to the head. That lasted a few weeks. Now I see tons of people blabbing away and texting their fingers off because there's no way to permanently enforce a law like that.

I say honk the crap out of that idiot. There are plenty of good hands-free solutions that do not spoil the quality of the call. And for crying out loud, a text message can WAIT. I HATE how obsessed our society is with INSTANT everything, everything has to happen NOW.

new york has laws too.... but florida does not, even the cops drive and talk on the cell phone down here.

but i don't think you should honk at them, just drive up next to them and give them the bird!!!!! make sure you have their attention(im not responsible for anybody getting shot for doing this [gunfire])....

im all about diking someone who is being stupid, but you just have to be safe about it.....

people on cell phones make me [mad]

Some claim hands free phones are safer. I say its not what the hands are doing, the mind is still more focused on the call instead of driving!

Honk till your horn doesn't work anymore.

I don't even feel sorry for whoever else gets involved in said wreck.

Why? Because these are the measures that NEED to be taken for this RETARDED country to realize that they are RETARDED. Oh and multiply these principles by 1,000,000. Trust me- this place needs much more. Cut the hands of thieves, public firing squads...the whole 9.

Before anyone asks- I was born and raised in rural Indiana. Caucasian through and through. It's just that everyone in any kind of power does nothing.

We need something done. NOW. We aren't even on the brink of something horrible...we've passed it...and how we're still here I'll never know.

This country (which I Love by the way- just NOT most of the people!) is probably one of the worst tyrants on the face of the Earth.

Everyone else around the world knows it...but no one will do anything about it.

So sad that this is what it's come to.

Look unless your a cop in a cop car it is not your job to police the roads and honk at people becuase there talking on there phones. Read your drivers handbook that you can pick up at any DMV, USE YOUR HORN TO AVOID ACCIDNETS ONLY!. Not to cause one because your pissed off that someone cant drive. This is the same as people who drive 65 in the fast lane because thats the speed limit and no one should be going faster than them.

But you know what? It's the RESPONSIBILITY, AND OBLIGATION of American citizens to do this. Why? Ever read the Constitution? Do you know why we left Britain in the first place?

We broke apart from a government that was too strong THEN, and we NEED to do the same NOW. Regardless of the loss.

I'm telling all of you right now. This country is going down. Hard. You may laugh, cry, call bs, whatever. It's going to happen. I just hope you're not on the wrong side when it does.

I agree it is our responsability to watch out for our nation, but getting raod rage and honking at people is nit protecting our nation, its making more people pissed off at the nation as a whole.

Look if I see some one run out of a store and an empolyee yelling theif stop him behind, Im going to tackle the hell out of the dude. But thats differant then endangering others by alomost causing a accident.

Plus lets say you honk and you and the cell phone driver hit the police show up and you tell them you scraded them becuase they were talking on the phone, the fault is going to be put on you.

Plus lets say you honk and you and the cell phone driver hit the police show up and you tell them you scraded them becuase they were talking on the phone, the fault is going to be put on you.


Would you really expect the person who has caused the accident to actually take the fault in this case? They will bail, and if they did stay I hope they get nailed to the wall for being irresponsible.

Lets use some intelligence here, PEOPLE, IF YOU CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY HONKING AT A UNAWARE DRIVER YOUR JUST AS STUPID AS THE PERSON ON THE PHONE!

wow......

Lets use some intelligence here, PEOPLE, IF YOU CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY HONKING AT A UNAWARE DRIVER YOUR JUST AS STUPID AS THE PERSON ON THE PHONE!

(a) I can't speak for the others, but I was somewhat tongue-in-cheek although I would still possibly do it depending on the situation.

(b) The correct word usage here would be the contraction "you're" not your.

[thankyou]

Would you really expect the person who has caused the accident to actually take the fault in this case? They will bail
The cellphone call record is the evidence. They wouldn't stand a chance in court. Matter of fact, if I needed a new car, I'd be tempted to get them to rear-end my old car and maybe get phantom whiplash.... The law in most states reads that drivers have to keep control of their vehicle at all times. Cellphone use is very good evidence that the driver was not in control... The judge is very likely to find her 100% liable.

The breakdown for me in deciding this question of honk or not is whether innocent third parties could be hurt in an accident. If it's just me and her, I'd honk.

The breakdown for me in deciding this question of honk or not is whether innocent third parties could be hurt in an accident. If it's just me and her, I'd honk.

Thats the common sense I was hoping to hear, at least in this case its simply the idiot drivers problem and not a worry to some soccer mom with a van full of kids or simply the average Joe.

While I still believe its not the best idea b/c a person could go their whole lives talking and driving and not once have an issue, then one day someone could scare them and make them kill themselves and the passengers. Its not our place to enforce these laws, and if the police won't then do the leg work and get your state governor more aware about the issue.

Four words, people: Theory of natural selection.

I don't mind people who off themselves by being idiots. Get their DNA out of my gene pool, please and thank you.

Now when it comes to them offing other people, that's just gonna happen as a side effect.

The driving population is comprised of anyone who can read, write, see, and operate a set of mechanical controls that are simpler than most modern cell phones. Take that whole group of qualifiers, put them behind the wheel of 2,500 MINIMUM pounds of steel, and let them get that weight up to 75 mph. Then group them all together on the world's most expansive and diverse highway system, with stupid amounts of crowding in urban areas.

Sounds to me like a recipe for some casualties. But then, we enjoy the freedom to come and go as we please, so the inherent risk is well worth it in my opinion.

(b) The correct word usage here would be the contraction "you're" not your.

[thankyou]

Thanks but I'm sure everyone gets what I was trying to say, to be honest I always had issues with proper spelling and punctuation.

[thumb]

This is why they emphasize DRIVING DEFENSIVELY in drivers education classes folks,in case you come across people who aren't paying attention to their driving!

this is why they emphasize driving defensively in drivers education classes folks,in case you come across people who aren't paying attention to their driving!

ding ding ding!

Its not our place to enforce these laws, and if the police won't then do the leg work and get your state governor more aware about the issue.


Sounds nice, but this fairy tale really hasn't worked for the last 30 or some years for this country now has it?

I'm only going to say this once here. This country is beyond the breaking point. How it's still standing I do not know. This is probably the least responsible government/ country in the world. Extremely drastic measures NEED to be taken, just as they were 200 some years ago.

/off soapbox. [rolleyes]

i have to admit, yes, i use my sync handsfree bluetooth in my focus infrequently but the calls are quick. if i see a person driving wrecklessly in front of me i do one of two things. stay far behind them or if there are enough lanes, get in the lane furthest away from them and pass them quickly

5 girls where killed last year by my house because they wherent smart enough to txt and drive and passed a car and swerved back into the oncoming lane to get her phone and hit a 19 wheeler head on at 70 mph.

5 girls where killed last year near where I live because they wherent smart enough to txt and drive and passed a car and swerved back into the oncoming lane to get her phone and hit a 19 wheeler head on at 70 mph.

It took me a few reads of this comment to figure out that turboguy wasn't the one who killed these girls. I figured I'd help him out with a little editing.

Sorry about that. Thanks for the fix. I am limited on pc time at work and was in a hurry.

Thats the common sense I was hoping to hear, at least in this case its simply the idiot drivers problem and not a worry to some soccer mom with a van full of kids or simply the average Joe.

While I still believe its not the best idea b/c a person could go their whole lives talking and driving and not once have an issue, then one day someone could scare them and make them kill themselves and the passengers. Its not our place to enforce these laws, and if the police won't then do the leg work and get your state governor more aware about the issue.
I have to respectfully take issue with the last two sentences. As a chauffeur, I feel that is is absolutely Our responsibility to make sure that the roads are as safe as possible, whether it be calling non emergency numbers to have debris in the road reported, or informing the genius on the phone of Their basic idiocy bby honking. The way I see it, if a person is so skittish that a honking horn would(or could) make Them lose control and wreck Their car, They shouldn't be on the road in the first place. I'm not saying bearing down on Their bumper, horn blaring and flashing high beams, just rolling up next to Them and give the horn a tap. IF They look, give 'em the old, "WTF" look, and be on Your way. They probably won't get it, but that's fine.

Average commuters have very little idea of the scope and scale of stupid things people will do behind the wheel just to save time, things that put far more people at risk than honking at an idiot.

Man you guys seem like you would be more ok with drunk drivers then cell phone users...


I say text your heads and hands off!!! The world is over populated anyway :)

Say what you will, but I have a 139db horn on my motorcycle for just these sorts of occasions. I don't go around blasting the horn at everyone on a cell phone, but if they start drifting toward my lane they get the horn.

Say what you will, but I have a 139db horn on my motorcycle for just these sorts of occasions. I don't go around blasting the horn at everyone on a cell phone, but if they start drifting toward my lane they get the horn.

When my wife was pregnant with our oldest son, and she was almost ran off the road my someone that was on the phone.

I text while driving, sorry people. If I get honked at I'll just have some words and a finger for ya.

I hate when people hook their horns. I want to rip them out..

I prefer to roll down the window and throw whatever is rolling around the car. I since stop letting things roll around the car.

We have laws in California. They are not enforced. How do you enforce it? When the laws first went into effect, they had CHP units sitting idle on overpasses and onramps watching traffic go by looking for people with the tell-tale hand to the head. That lasted a few weeks. Now I see tons of people blabbing away and texting their fingers off because there's no way to permanently enforce a law like that.

I say honk the crap out of that idiot. There are plenty of good hands-free solutions that do not spoil the quality of the call.
Many states have laws against using cellphones while driving, or at least usage has to be hands-free.
What about truckers and CB radios? Do they have the same restrictions? If not, why not?

Because *most* trucker's don't hold 'conversations' over the CB. It's usually short chatter- 'come on over', 'your blinker is on', 'got one at the 115 nb' etc.

They do have CB's that have Bluetooth now though.

Most accidents involving big trucks isn't the trucker's fault anyways. It's someone in a car/pickup truck etc.

Usually some ass hat on the phone, cuts off a truck, and then wonders why their car is now a pancake.

Honk away, America! Better yet let's just use shotguns...

I hear ya about the fact that something needs to happen for stupidity to stop. But Endangering others lives are not the way to do it. Those lives are some one else Loved one ...

This country is still very young and the world has many issues all over besides here.
So yes love the country but don't hate the wrong actions just help better them and learn so that mistakes don't happen again. It takes time.
Just like a child. You love them but the test all the wrongs. You can't hate them but you can help make their wrong actions turned for the better. And it takes patience. Not everything changes in a day.

**Edit** Sleepy Only read first page... didn't read the rest of the thread ... but anyways. Things will be done in time.

-Ray-