Take your damned cell phone and shove it

[CoolBreeze]

How many trains, subways and buses are going to continue to kill and injure people as moronic administrators allow cell phones and especially texting to continue. This is the second major crash due to texting in a year.

Transit chief: Operators will be barred from bringing cellphones aboard

Boston:

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said today he would ban the possession of cellphones by the operators of trolleys, trains, and buses on the public transit system, after a trolley crash Friday night that officials believe happened when a driver was texting on his cellphone.

"Leave it at home. Leave it in your car. Leave it with a friend. Leave it in a locker. But you are not to get on board that bus, or board a trolley, or a train to operate that train and have a cellphone on your person or in the cab. Period," he said.

"This is going to be a true zero-tolerance policy," he said. "If you are found in possession of a cellphone while in the course of your duties, you will be terminated."

Passengers were startled, screaming, and more than a few were bloodied when the collision between two trolleys occurred without warning at 7:18 p.m. on the Green Line near Government Center. The operator of one trolley was text-messaging his girlfriend when his trolley smashed into the trolley in front of him, the Globe reported this morning. Forty-nine people were hurt, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

More....
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaki ... _serv.html

[AmpedNow]

Why is this such a big problem all at once?

Shouldn't the guy be terminated, sued, and prosecuted for his own lack of discretion? What about the other operators who responsibly use their phones by keeping them in standby and only answering when stopped at the end of the line?

It's a shame they all have to suffer because of one idiot. Not to make light of this accident, but this response just seems draconian to me.

[genlock]

Depraved indifference is the term use all the time on Law & Order.

[Jet Black]

Constant communication is the Opiate of the Masses. ---- Karl Graham Marx

[Big Media]

Why is this such a big problem all at once?

It seems to be catching on with the 24+ crowd, who until recently, did not use texting.

Text messaging used to be an afterthough add on to cell phones. Now, the entire design of most phones is centered around texting.

I don't get it. I see no possible benefit to typing out a message rather than picking up the phone and calling them instead. I guess I am just old.

[Bob Campbell]

I'm sorry, what was the original post? I was too busy texting too read it.

[Arp2]

I don't get it. I see no possible benefit to typing out a message rather than picking up the phone and calling them instead.

I don't get it, either.

First line in a "conversation" I've had a number of times: "Do you realize we've just spent 20 minutes 'chatting' about what could have been taken care of in 20 seconds on the phone?"

I think text-based conversation is a Chinese or Indian plot of some kind....while we're spending all our time in email, chat, and texting thinking we're doing stuff and being busy while accomplishing absolutely nothing, they're doing all the actual work.

[fearpeddler]

I think text-based conversation is a Chinese or Indian plot of some kind....while we're spending all our time in email, chat, and texting thinking we're doing stuff and being busy while accomplishing absolutely nothing, they're doing all the actual work.

i like this theory

[AmpedNow]

Texting is ok if you have a phone with a querty keyboard, but not with a simple number pad.

I just make a call if it requires details.

[Ace Purple]

There are times where texting is preferred, such as at loud events like concerts or football games. But, in general, I'm not a big fan of texting.

[Jay Nunley]

I'm not a fan of texting other than the convenience of short burst messages. It becomes massively inconvenient when you are forced to do an actual conversation that way.

[genlock]

A short text is preferred when communicating with someone you don't want to talk to.