The Examiner reports today that our local fuzz has been cracking down on chatty motorists.
Richmond officers also have given out hundreds of tickets this year to chatty motorists, more than anywhere else in The City, according to police station Capt. Richard Corriea. Already in 2010, Richmond police have given out 282 tickets for talking while driving, compared to 1,388 citywide.
Most of the focus has been on the major thoroughfares in the district such as Park Presidio Boulevard and Fulton Avenue. The stretch on Fulton between 10th and 25th Avenues is considered one of the most dangerous.
Bicyclists are not exempt either. Captain Correia said they will warn or cite bicyclists who don’t follow traffic laws.
So be careful driving around the neighborhood while talking on your cell phone. Do yourself and your fellow drivers a favor and invest in a headset or better yet, pull over to make that call or send that incredibly important text message.
Sarah B.
didn’t i just read that cell phone talkers, while walking, were least likely to notice their surroundings, walked slower, and in a more zigzag pattern? i can’t find where, but if that is just wakling and talking, why do we think doing it with both hands free will be ok?
it’s not like i’ve ever really been able to get speaker phone or a headset to work great anyway.
would be nice if cops weren’t blatantly on their cell phones while cruising along.
It looks like some people need to be cited for driving with their animals in their laps, too! I think that’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen–far more stupid than driving while talking on the phone.
My favorite example was a woman driving an SUV and busily chatting as she made a left-hand turn, the wrong way, onto one-way traffic on Pine Street. Dismayed at the approaching error, I honked loudly, but she managed to make a rude gesture towards me at the same time as she made the disastrous turn.