What many of you fail to grasp (for whatever reason) is that no one is attacking mobile ham radio use.
Wrong.
Some have whined that ham radio should be distinguished from cell phone use. That sort of logic is what a teenager would use on his parents, trying to manipulate them to get what he wants.
You really support your argument when you claim that those that disagree with you are "whining". You have not provided any proof of your assertion that mobile radio use causes distracted driving - at least, any more so than a regular conversation with a passenger does.
There are some people who just don't like to be told what to do. They don't like to be told to wear a seat belt, they hate a background check when they purchase a gun, they whine about their "rights" whenever there is common sense legislation passed in the interest of public safety. These personalities have a bloated sense of entitlement, and selfishness.
So who made you King? How does wearing a seat belt make one a safer driver? Last time I checked the US was still a free (or relatively free) country. Since when is sticking up for one's rights a subject for ridicule?
I agree with W2RI on his last statement!
What you don't seem to grasp W0DV is that it's not a matter of not liking being told what to do but paying for imbeciles that know they have trouble doing it and wind up hurting someone. Did you expect everyone else to accept to give up their freedom because some can't use common sense and logic based on their own responsibilty to know better what their capable of doing and not doing?
Not logical and guess you weren't using your common sense!
You questioned and I quote "what difference does it make wether it is a microphone or a cell phone". Talk about a teen age no common sense comment!
There's a big difference. For one, you don't have to look down constantly like you would texting. May I had most of the reason for these laws being past is due to cell phone texting.
Second, As for speaking on a cell phone at times people are hard of hearing because the cell phone speaker output is not very good. Ham radio gear has a much larger amplified speaker so your attention isn't being drawn away and tunnel visioned into space going "hah hah, I can't hear you" for the most part. There maybe some variables involved but still not as many ham rigs in the cars as much as there are cell phones ringing in the ears of some clumsy fools driving.
We can compare over and over again the differences but let's mention the obvious. Many many things can distract one from driving. For many a simple eagle flying over head, a hottie with a boottie, and even another accident but the list can go on and on.
Bottom line it is much less complicated to operate a radio as any car sterio and not have to take total attention away from the road as a cell phone would. That's just the pure simple fact. Yet I'll say it again! There are many things to draw away someones attention from the road so disrupting or infringing on someones else's right is just absurd.
Sorry to hear about your accident but maybe just maybe you weren't to observant to see it coming. Just maybe it wouldn't have mattered but a lot of people drive around with their head in a cloud tunnel vissioned driving like their the only person on the road. You have to keep your head on a swivel and next time you could take defensive driving tactics to see it coming and avoid.
I've avoided many accidents because I saw them coming or I anticipated their move before that person made it. It's just something that comes with experience and common sense road practice. How many people drive like that? Probably not many but if everyone had a class to teach them because of lack of common sense of their own maybe they'd be less accidents.
Defensive driving courses are what I think people require instead of walking into a DMV and getting a license. Think about it! Is reading a driving practice exam booklet really the way for a person to get a license. I think not!
You get these people from other countries where they lived all their lives driving like they do then come here and think they can get away with the same crap. Go to India and tell me what you think. Then you'll wonder why alot of Indian's from Queens, NY drive the way they do. No respect for others at all.
I think the solution is a defensive driving course explained by a trained driving instructor to point out the obvious while teaching driving ethics and tactics rather than "demanding" me to remove my rig from my vehicle. It keeps up this way "being told what to do" we'll wind up like China or Russia.
I won't let it!
73!
