Yay!!! Texting Ban: Columbus Begins Enforcement Today

[FZRMatt]

I tend to agree with this' date=' but don't really see how this can be enforced without some kind of infringement.

You say, "unfortunately"... I say, "show me a fucking warrant"...

No offense intended, but I'm glad to hear the law still recognizes the 4th Amendment.[/quote']

I agree, the 4th Amendment is a beautiful thing. I say unfortunately because there are going to be people that will call in texters to 645-4545 or even 911 and expect officers to take action. And when they don't take action (because they can't) those same people pick up the phone and call I.A. to complain about officers not taking action. This will result in an officer getting a complaint in their file for an unjust reason.

[Zach]

LoLoL... that sucks.

SRSLY' date=' that's a drag, but maybe [b']if the public were educated on what the limitations of the police actually are, instead of being coddled and lied to about protection, then they wouldn't whine as much. Then again, that's prolly not the case, either.

I believe teaching the constitution and its amendments is required in every school curriculum in the country. So everyone has the opportunity to be educated in this manner. If they (or their parents) choose to avoid this education, they deserve the full wrath of their stupidity.

[vfrrwb]

Good!

My wife was run off the road with our kids in the car while the douche was texting away. Thankfully she stopped ok only got a couple of flats out of the deal but still.

[RC51 John]

If you get pulled over enough you won't even pick up your phone while you are driving.

[max power]

I dont have or want texting on my phone. Texting is fucking stupid.

If its not important enough to call me about, I dont need to know.

I absolutely hate when I see people stupid enough to text while driving. It makes me want to put them in the ditch.

[Zach]

I dont have or want texting on my phone. Texting is fucking stupid.

If its not important enough to call me about, I dont need to know.

I absolutely hate when I see people stupid enough to text while driving. It makes me want to put them in the ditch.

texting is actually quite useful if you need to communicate and can't/shouldn't speak out loud.

it's also nice for directions or lists that you would otherwise have to write down. Call the wife, "text me the shopping list". hang up and drive safely instead of trying to shoulder the phone and drive while writing.

[max power]

texting is actually quite useful if you need to communicate and can't/shouldn't speak out loud.

it's also nice for directions or lists that you would otherwise have to write down. Call the wife, "text me the shopping list". hang up and drive safely instead of trying to shoulder the phone and drive while writing.

You are assuming that my pimp hand is weak. She doesnt let me do the shopping and if I should go to the store, I call her while there and ask if there is anything I need to pick up. I find verbal communication to be very easy and convenient.

[FZRMatt]

LoLoL... that sucks.

BTW' date=' it was not my intent to insult you in my previous post. I hope you read past my sarcasm and understand that I appreciate the job you do. I just don't see how/why this is a good law. It's just one more reason that an officer has to pull me over and give me shit about something he has no power to do anything about. Maybe it will scare enough people into avoiding texting while they drive... but I don't want to bank on that kind of "thinking".[/quote']

I didn't take offense, it takes a lot to piss me off.

[smashweights]

i dont think this will be any more effective at preventing texting and driving as a law against speeding prevents speeding. can't see the situation on the road actually improving to the point where we'll notice it.

[John]

$150, that's a lot in my book. You get hit with that once and you will think about it the next time, or at least when a cop is around.

studies show that texting drivers are MORE impaired than drunk drivers. the penalties should be the same. either texting should get you 6 months in jail and 1000 dollar fine, or drunk driving should be 150 bucks.

Unfortunately, we can not legally check phone logs if we stop someone. We have already been told that the only way to check the log is to get a warrant.

hmm... thats strange. so if you pull me over and my car smells like reefer, bingo. probable cause to believe a crime has been commited, and you can search with no warrant.

if i drive past you and you see me hitting a bong, again, you are legally allowed to search me with no warrant needed.

but if you see someone breaking the law texting or have reasonable suspicion to believe that they have broken the law, then you cant search? hows that work?

Edited May 5, 2010 by John

[Likwid]

Holy shit, we got an LEO posting in this thread with more than "I've been told to take the phone from the person and search it... etc etc etc"

@Matt: Glad we got a good response, thanks for chiming in.

Also @John last I'd heard smell of is not probable cause for search, it might be enough cause to get them to call in a drug sniffing dog, but they rely on you caving when the officer insists "You can make this easy..."

[John]

Also @John last I'd heard smell of is not probable cause for search, it might be enough cause to get them to call in a drug sniffing dog, but they rely on you caving when the officer insists "You can make this easy..."

in 2000 the ohio supreme court ruled that smell is probable cause.

when the officer tells you "you can make this easy", what he doesnt tell you is that he means make it easy for HIM lol.

[blake1221]

Great another freedom being taken away by the gubment. One more petty thing to distract cops while real criminals and stealing, raping, and killing. Yayyyyy. Oh and they can profile you for texting hahahaha. What if I'm a mexican with a blackberry? Or an asian with a I phone. Or a hillbilly with a prepaid flip phone. I bet the mexican is gettin ganked. textual profiling I love it.

I happen to be a hillbilly with a 4x4 truck and a blackberry. My truck sits higher than most cop cars. Let'em catch me textin dirty. Hahahaha. If pulled over can they take your phone and check for recent texts? What about OR posts muwhahahahah. This is total bullshit. I hate what this country is becoming. BTW this may or may no have been typed on said blackberry while driving on 71 in columbus.

[Likwid]

in 2000 the ohio supreme court ruled that smell is probable cause.

when the officer tells you "you can make this easy", what he doesnt tell you is that he means make it easy for HIM lol.

just like "anything you say can be used against you in a court of law"

What it SHOULD say is "anything you say WILL be used against you, and nothing you say can be used to help you"!

[ReconRat]

"You need probable cause to believe that they were in fact texting," said Columbus police Sgt. Rich Weiner. "If they can articulate that you were texting, then they can write you a citation."

That cause can be determined by an officer seeing a driver looking down, a vehicle swerving, or changing lanes without signaling.

YES! Turn signals! Wonderful idea! I think everyone should be using turn signals so I know when they are trying to hit me. It's just enough to get out of the way.

I saw two kids miss the bike in front of me today, by a few inches during a lane change (with signal). Rider wasn't happy, they changed back. It happens, just be glad they signaled, it could have been way worse. I could have run over his butt if they knocked him down. (Not really, got lots of brakes.) It was in an area quite well known for lots of lane changing, and I hang back and avoid it. He was right in it, bad place to be. Live and learn. Learn and live.

[ReconRat]

i plan to knock on windows as im riding when i see someone texting and driving.

hahaha, I want to try that...

[Sara_Rides]

I drove past a police officer today....while texting. My bad. Mid text, when I saw him...I held up my phone and smiled

[Disclaimer]

in 2000 the ohio supreme court ruled that smell is probable cause.

What if I smelled you texting?

I drove past a police officer today....while texting. My bad. Mid text, when I saw him...I held up my phone and smiled

Now you're just blatantly trolling...

I think I posted this up before in another discussion, but this is a dumb law. Not because I condone being inattentive behind the wheel of a 55mph, 3000# death machine, but because people hate change. They won't change until something drastic happens... so a small fine won't be enough of a deterrent, and all it's going to force drivers to do is have one MORE distraction of looking for a cop while they text instead of focusing on the road. It could have a reverse effect on what this whole thing is "trying" to accomplish.

[SWing'R]

The city said motorists are considered to be driving even if stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic.

A car must be parked or pulled over to be exempt from enforcement.

Thats a crock of shit. Thats the only time I DO text while in the car, when its safe.

Parked huh. Does that mean if I put it in PARK while at a red light or stopped in traffic that I can text? Hmmmm.

Edited May 6, 2010 by SWing'R

[chevysoldier]

Pretty soon the law will state hands at 10 and 2, no eating, drinking, smoking, radios, phones, talking, no a/c heater changes, no manual transmissions....a law for everything.

[ReconRat]

Thats a crock of shit. Thats the only time I DO text while in the car' date='

when its safe.

Parked huh. Does that mean if I put it in PARK while at a red light or stopped in traffic that I can text? Hmmmm.[/quote']

Yes

[ReconRat]

Pretty soon the law will state hands at 10 and 2, no eating, drinking, smoking, radios, phones, talking, no a/c heater changes, no manual transmissions....a law for everything.

But wait, there's more... it's already illegal in most cities to be eating or drinking anything while driving. Has been for a long long time.

[chevysoldier]

I drive a manual trans?

[chevysoldier]

But wait, there's more... it's already illegal in most cities to be eating or drinking anything while driving. Has been for a long long time.

Oh yes, and that gets enforced all the time I'm sure. To our resident LEO in this thread, how many people have you cited or warned about eating while driving? "Man I got a ticket for being under the influence of food!"

[Disclaimer]

Pretty soon the law will state hands at 10 and 2, no eating, drinking, smoking, radios, phones, talking, no a/c heater changes, no manual transmissions....a law for everything.

F*(k that... I say you make manuals MANDATORY. I guarantee you that'd keep a lot of idiots off the roads... case in point:

http://articles.mcall.com/2010-04-03/news/all-a7_4stick.7227655apr03_1_fountain-hill-police-department-would-be-robber-driver

They need to be tased then castrated.