Hang Up and Drive Jacksonville!
Justanet's 2008-11 Free T-Shirt Save a
Life Project
Have you ever driven down the road only to be cut off by someone that
damn near runs you off the road? Have you been driving down
the road only to watch some inconsiderate idiot pull out in front of you with
their one hand on the wheel and the other holding their cell phone to their ear?
They looked right at you and pulled out anyway. Why? Because they
aren't paying attention even though their head was a spinning around on their
shoulders like a scene from Poltergeist. Have you ever pulled up behind
someone waiting for them to turn when traffic clears and when it does, they just
sit there? You blow your horn to wake them up and you see they have been
yacking on their cell phone and haven't a clue why you were blowing your horn at
them. But as they squeak through the traffic break making their turn, with
cell phone still attached to their head, you must sit and wait another 5 minutes
for a break in traffic so you can turn.
It may seem a bit trivial to complain about people that should know better,
but I am sorry to say, as a motorcycle rider, I have had so many close calls
(actually hit twice now) because of people preoccupied with their cell phones it's a very scary situation
on our roads. It's bad enough we have the traffic congestion we do here in
Jacksonville (80,000 vehicles pass JustaNet everyday), but to compound the
problem with people that may as well have their heads in a bag while driving,
it's just damned frightening. And to do so with children in the car, what are they thinking??????
I make it a point not to answer my cell phone while I am driving, there's
nothing that can't wait. My daughter, gave me a ride home in her car one
day, answers her cell phone. Woah!! STOP the car. Let me out
or hang up and drive. I am so committed to this, I'll not talk to you if I
find out you're driving when I call you. I'll simply say, call me back
when you reach your destination or have pulled over. I don't wish to be
responsible for getting anyone hurt or possibly killed. Yes, possibly
killed.
My daughter recently had a wake up call when a woman digging thru her purse
and talking on the cell phone at the same time, while driving, rear ended my
daughters car at a red light. She saw it coming in the rearview mirror.
BANG!!. And went without her car for 4 weeks. The woman admitted she
was on the phone..... and she had three kids in the car!
Well..... If you're a BIKER, drive your bike to our shop, I'll give you
a Hang Up and Drive T-shirt Free. No strings, except you should wear it
when riding occasionally or when you're out in public.
Call me in advance at 904-221-3634 to make sure I have your size available.
I don't print a lot in advance, but can whip them out pretty quickly. Send
me your shirt slogan suggestions.
Let your voice be heard, seen, and worn. Hang Up and Drive Folks.
Here's a statistic, that should get your attention. It would seem there is
a larger silent war going on right here at home which is totally preventable.
Traffic jams and death Cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and
330,000 injuries in the United States every year, according to the
journal's publisher, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.