soaringhiggy wrote:
DOT gives a truck driver a 3,500 fine and the company they work for a 11,000 dollar fine for texting, should be for all.

Yet, it surprises me how many commercial drivers are still holding that phone up to their ear My company went all the way. No cell phone use, period! Not even hands free. We are only allowed to use the cell phone when we are safely off the highway, parked legally and parking brakes applied. We are almost back to a perfect safety rating with the USDOT and the boss made it very clear that he wants it keep that way.


Also (back on track ). I was hauling pit run (sand with 6" rock) for my buddy in Boise yesterday for a new job site. Been up and down Eagle Rd. (probably the busiest road in the Boise area) and seen two rear end accidents in a 2 hour period. I think Boise just went to a texting ban this week.

We did the same, we also banned all electronics not built into the truck, mp3, cameras, etc.

We do have handhelds for the trucks that broadcast telemetry back to the base for speed etc that they can not turn off.

Accident rate is down. We do not have to many trucks, about 60 and 120 drivers.

I spend most of my winter in WA. State, Dry side, 30 miles out of town!
When ever I see a county, state, US Gov. Vehicle( USFS, BP, HLS, St Trooper, BIA, BLM, DOT, Sheriff, City cop,Fish N Feathers,DNR, and others, almost everyone has a cell phone in there ear?????
DO I start calling 911 with the license plate #'s??
What is the consensus out there?
GT

In Washington State all those agencies are exempt from the cell phone laws. A police officer recently ran over and killed a person while on his phone either talking or texting.

I got rear ended a little while ago. A Mazda Protege ran right into the back of my Tundra. Totaled the Protege. I got out, walked back, surveyed the damage and said to the guy "Jesus! You scratched my trailer hitch there, man".

[quote="58Skylane"][quote="soaringhiggy"




Good for you guys and your employer,

During the last 11 years of my airline career I banned their use in my cockpits...... while taxiing, in flight and even on the ground at the gate. Prior to doing that I had the damned things go off during the take off roll and during other flight regimes...which startled the crap out of me. I had copilots and flight engineers talking on their cell phones while we were in movement or trying to do checklist. The final straw came when I was briefing my first officer on the very complex departure proceedure out of Washington National Airport(now Reagan.) Anyhow when I noticed that his comments were not responsive to my briefing I looked up from the departure proceedure chart to find that he had his cell phone in is right ear and was talking to his stock broker.

That ended it for me. A handful of my crewmembers strongly objected to my policy....but that was the nice thing about being the captain in command. One first officer objected so strongly that I removed him from my crew and had scheduling get me a new copilot. As the word begin to get around I had full cooperation.

One of our pilots was violated and had his certificate revoked for 120 days. He taxied across an active runway at LAX....while talking on his cell phone. Still our airline refused to forbid them. It was left up to the individual captain. I have a friend who flies tankers in the Air Force Reserve. They have a rack outside of the cockpit where all cell phones must be stored upon entering the cockpit. The airlines should do the same thing. Should be a rule for all airline, bus, semi, taxis, limos, etc. Everyone engaged in transportation for hire.

After retirement I no longer have to deal with such issues in my personal environment. But I watch drivers swerve, slow and speed up on the highways all of the time.....just like a drunk . Sure enough they are nearly always on their cell phones.

duplicate

any stories out there about getting rear ended by a plane?.....

Since living in WA state fior the last 6 years, I've been hit 4 times. Three of those by uninsured motorists. The 4th time was getting T-boned by my wife in the parking lot after our boys' football game. At least she had good insurance, but I didn't get anything out of that one either

Mike-

stearmann4 wrote:.... getting T-boned by my wife in the parking lot after our boys' football game...........

Priceless! She probably convinced you it was an accident, too.

Just one question.....

Was it on the drivers side?
(the homicide?)

Sorry, hada ask
lc

....I banned their use in my cockpits......

Good for you, z3.

I agree, they should be banned in all commercial transportation-with strict enforcement.

For that matter-everyone should 'Hang up and drive!'
But I have to admit-knowing what's 'right'-is a lot easier than ALWAYS 'doing what's right'.....

lc