We all remember the outstanding amount of time Casey was reported to be on her cell phone. It was a combination of just talking, text messages, downloading stuff and some photo sending. It all just amazed me as to how anyone could be so dependent on their phone. I am much more aware of it now because of the Anthony case and it appears to me that if a cell phone is not stuck in someones ear, (I hate those) it is being held to their ear with a free hand and usually while driving.
A while ago I read the story of an off duty cop driving a Lexus and the gas pedal was stuck down. There were three other people in the car and his solution to the problem was to call 911 on his cell phone. He tells the operator that his pedal is stuck and that he is speeding down the road. Being a cop one might think he would use some of his training and experience to stop the car, it can be done. Apparently he thought the 911 operator would have a magic fix or like many of us today, if something happens we grab our cells to call someone to, to say what?. All four people in the car died when it crashed at 120 miles an hour, rolled and burst into flames. You could actually hear the crash on the 911 tape from the cell phone.
I have had a slew of cars, some very old cars in my life and have had the linkage get stuck with a wide open throttle so I know what it is like. Some of these were used for drag racing and would go very fast, not just old puddle jumpers. In fact one, a 1939 Ford caught fire under the hood doing 60 down a highway. The only way to get the extinguisher out of the glove box was to remove the key from the ignition and use it to open the glove box. Like today’s cars the steering wheel locked but I had a choice to make. The road did have a curve ahead and while going through a farmers corn field I removed the fire extinguisher and jumped out and put out the fire. The cop could have used his head instead of the phone to save their lives.
Last night in Orlando it happened again. A young driver around 23 was on the 429 a nice new road driving a Chevy pick-up. Somehow he lost control and went off the road into a retention pond. I have and maybe most of you have seen pictures of cars driven into lakes and rivers for one reason or another. Some are test to see how long it takes to get out and to my surprise it takes quite a long time for a car to sink. Such was the case last night, the driver when in the cab and after entering the water called 911 from inside. He sat there while the truck was sinking and in a rather calm voice told the operator what happened.
Instead of picking up the phone he could have been planning an escape, he lost his escape time by using the phone. He could have found something to break out the window or started using his feet. He could have ripped off the rear-view mirror and slammed it on edge against the window to break it as from what I have seen it is almost impossible to open a door. He choose to pick up the cell phone and it ended his life as he never got out.
Have we all gone nuts with cell phones and how we communicate? Has the phone made us loose all common sense? I believe there is a new generation of people who need to take a serious look at cell phones and common sense. What I am seeing makes no sense to me.
Orlando 911 call, CLICK HERE
