Originally Posted by
sk8erjosh09
No because it still takes you that brief second to look at your phone. I dont take any attention away from the road to grab a cigarette, or a french fry out of a bag wedged in between the e-brake and console. Its natural and instinctual to do either. Whether you look at your phone or not to type, your focused on the message, not your suroundings. Saying a cigarette is dangerous is hypocritical, we all hit the power button on our stereo's or scan/next while looking at the song playing/track number, which easily takes more attention away than a drag off of a cigarette.... I dont know, maybe having a car totalled due to an idiot ramming in to me at 80 from the side makes me look at this differently. I am an extremely deffensive driver, unlike most my age (which is how I am judged). I dont lay back in my seat, I sit completely upright. I dont tailgate or speed, I stay back and scan ahead. Riding has really helped me understand how fragile it all is, thanks to the MSF. Sure I have a little fun, but thinking what if, and applying consideration to, is what keeps me from being a statistic.
Very well put, just never have a lit cig or a hot ash fall into your lap/crotch/seat while driving down the road. I guarantee you you'll spend the majority of your time in the next few seconds with your face pointed straight down (or thereabouts). Depending on your speed and conditions, the pucker factor will skyrocket. I wonder why this topic touched a nerve with you? I know the same can of worms are the seatbelt guys, and the helmet guys. I think those who contribute to their injuries (no helmet/seatbelt) in a wreck should take personal responsibility and be paying for a larger share of their care, even if they were not at fault and it is determined their injuries would be much less if the tools designed/required to prevent injuries were not used (note also in all states seatbelts are required unless an older car is properly licenced/waivered, and helmets are in most jurisdictions). Anyway, peace out, your young, I'm older (notice I didn't say old), life is too short to argue about distracted drivers unless you have been intimately involved with/by one.