PSA - Think twice before you drive and text..

[eits]

Slipping and falling because of a banana peel is an accident; being run-over by a drunk driver is an accident; being hit by lightning is accident; texting while driving is sheer stupidity; doing that while on the way to drop off your son to school is inexcusable stupidity.

That she loved him so much and did so much for him before, that is the tragic part.

I appreciate that you want to stand up for Mindy, but we should not let this teachable moment get away from any of us, which is - "DON'T BE STUPID".

I only hope Mindy never gets to read my comments; she'll have enough guilt as such to last her lifetime.

i hear what you're saying, but i just think it's pretty damn harsh some of the things people are saying about her, as if they've never made casual mistakes or something irresponsible. is texting and driving irresponsible? yes. but that doesn't mean she is stupid. it doesn't mean she is irresponsible. it just means she did something that was irresponsible and out of the probably thousands of times she's done it, the one time is was ended up being fatal.

you've never done anything irresponsible?

if this happened if she was speeding, would you be on her case about speeding?

i'm not excusing what she did. i'm just saying that before everyone gets all up her ass about how horrible she is or that she was a bad mom, think to yourself how often you've done something irresponsible and thought you'd be just fine because you've done it a bunch of times. driving a little faster in the snow, not having your lights on when it's cloudy or raining, speeding, talking on the phone while you drive, reaching for something you dropped while you were driving, yelling at the kids fighting in the back seat... and of these things could cause a wreck. but, yeah, either way, you're right... it's tragic and it's such a damn shame. diego was full of life, love, and laughter... i cried last night realizing imagining diego and imagining the pain of guilt that would absolutely kill mindy when she wakes up and finds out.

either way, i'm gonna go spend time with her at the hospital everyday this weekend. her family is about an hour away... my ex and i live only 10 minutes from the hospital. my ex is reading 'hunger games' to her.

 

[Pheran]

Why does the OP say that she was talking and driving, while the linked article says she was texting and driving? Huge difference there.

 

[SP33Demon]

Why does the OP say that she was talking and driving, while the linked article says she was texting and driving? Huge difference there.

Exactly, change the title of this dam thread to TEXTING and driving. Because texting is way way more dangerous than talking on the phone. For example, in my state, only texting is illegal but talking on the phone (yes even without handsfree) is perfectly legal.

 

[Blieb]

the pain of guilt that would absolutely kill mindy when she wakes up and finds out.

Fsck.

All around just very sad.

 

[Pheran]

Techboy/eits - I'm sorry for your loss.

If the article is accurate about the texting and driving, she did something extremely stupid and paid a horrible, terrible price for it. This is just incredibly sad all around. The only thing remotely positive I can say is that at least no one in the other car was killed as a result of this.

 

[rh71]

I have been riding my bicycle on the road since I'm a young lad, and the idiots have increased 5 fold within the last 5 years.

I will always lose in a collision, so I am always vigilant. When someone almost runs me over? They're either looking at their phone or have it on their ear.

You know you're fighting a losing battle. Why not just drive a car and not give your loved ones grief?

 

[eits]

the fact that techboy and i, two people who have never met each other in real life and only know each other through these forums, had ties to mindy and diego is testament to just how many people cared about them both and how good a person mindy is and how infectious diego's smile, love, laughter, and light was.

 

[drebo]

You know you're fighting a losing battle. Why not just drive a car and not give your loved ones grief?

Yeah, one reason I will never ride a bike to work is because I have to go through a 2-lane round-a-bout. I have seen so many near misses because people don't know what the fuck they're doing or just plain don't pay attention it's not even funny. I don't even like driving through it in a car.

 

[Saint Nick]

Made this post in another thread...

When I was a sophomore in college, I met a guy named Andrew. He was a cool dude and had a sweet old red car (maybe a Chevelle or something). Anyways, we hung out a few times, usually just skateboarding. At some point we stopped talking and hanging out...our friendship was weird. I always saw him at the same time, and on specific days...had something to do with his class schedule. He was a real good dude and meant well to everyone.

He was killed driving back home one day a few years ago...his pickup (not his cool red car) crossed the center line on the highway. A semi hit him head on. I am guessing he was texting...hopefully not me...

Obituatry
http://www.revbluejeans.com/AndrewMuhle.html

Article
http://fremonttribune.com/news/local/article_c62c2b44-51d1-5e5d-b36c-796122090144.html

That is what made me stop texting while driving.

Lots of accidents happening because of this. I hate driving down the street/highway and look over to see moms with kids, teenagers with friends, all texting and driving. You are putting your passengers' life on the line. Just stop.

Also, FWIW, I think that drivers in general are entirely too angry. I have had cars accelerate towards me while I am walking across the street and clip my jacket. Oh no, I crossed the street and might have set you back an entire 10 seconds! I sure hope that accelerating in your massive car, and careening towards my body makes you feel better and gets you to your destination faster.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32733982&postcount=19

 

[TechBoyJK]

the fact that techboy and i, two people who have never met each other in real life and only know each other through these forums, had ties to mindy and diego is testament to just how many people cared about them both and how good a person mindy is and how infectious diego's smile, love, laughter, and light was.

I've met Mindy several times, actually quite a few times, but it was mostly nearly 6-10 years ago I think. It was also because of Jesus R. He's good friends with a lot of my friends, so many times after a night on the town, someone would offer up a place to hang out, and Jesus offered sometimes. Mindy would always be over there and with him. I didn't know him well and short of seeing him out (but not talking to him) I hadn't seen him in a while, but I'm sure he'd still know me by my name. He occasionally comments on my facebook posts and anytime I've seen him in the past it was always 'whats up J!" (name is Jason). I've sat at the bar a few times and done shots with him and our friends, etc.

So yea, I don't know Mindy that well. I don't think she'd recognize me.. I'm sure I'd seem like more than a face in the crowd, but not much more. BUt I know more than enough about Jesus to know he's a super nice guy and I'm having a hard enough time wondering what he's going through right now.

 

[TechBoyJK]

older pic

 

[TechBoyJK]

Last night I had a huge discussion with gf about her texting and driving. I know she does it, and when we drove up to Chicago a few weekends ago I damn near slapped the phone out of her hand. She's an incredibly busy senior in college taking a full load, with a full time job, and involved with various school social projects and constantly dealing with dozens of people trying to talk 'school biz' with her. She's also specializing in social networking, so of course she's glued to her twitter/facebook/etc. She's just always 'checking'.

Car accidents hurt. I've been in a few. Never anything that hospitalized me, but one in particular (rear ended someone doing 60mph.. no braking) and oh my god did my joints and back hurt for weeks. I had to go to rehab for it. I was fortunately buckled up, but I felt 'the force' that would have sent me through the windshield had I not been buckled up. With that accident, I think I would have been ripped in half going through the windshield (lower torso caugh on dash). So I know and have enough of a bad association to never want to get in a fender bender again. much less drive head on into oncoming traffic.

 

[alkemyst]

hey guise...texting <> talking on a cell phone.

 

[alkemyst]

The number of deaths per year from drunk driving have been cut in half over the last 25 years.

as have almost all traffic deaths...cars are getting better.

 

[xboxist]

Condolences to those affected by this. These stories are always horrible.

There is no way to sugarcoat it. If you text while driving, you are selfish to the core, and lack a certain centerpoint of common sense required to be qualified to operate a 2-ton metal death machine.

 

[OverVolt]

Condolences to those affected by this. These stories are always horrible.

There is no way to sugarcoat it. If you text while driving, you are selfish to the core, and lack a certain centerpoint of common sense required to be qualified to operate a 2-ton metal death machine.

Can't fix stupid. I have done it at redlights just fine. Previously I used to do it up on top of the dashboard so I could see the light change but since it is vilified I have to look down.

 

[eits]

Condolences to those affected by this. These stories are always horrible.

There is no way to sugarcoat it. If you text while driving, you are selfish to the core, and lack a certain centerpoint of common sense required to be qualified to operate a 2-ton metal death machine.

... that's the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

[hole poked in your statement]mindy is not at all "selfish to the core". she's a very loving, giving person who made a fatal mistake.[/hole poked though your statement]

is it dumb to do? yes. does it make you "selfish to the core"? hell no.

 

[eits]

i just came back from the hospital. here's an update:

she's doing very well. she can respond with slight head gestures and slightly opening her eyes with excitement and is able to slowly move her wrist and forearm slightly. she's very, very sedated. she can hear everything and goes in and out of consciousness. she gets excited to hear visitor voices. she kinda does her own sign language for "i love you, too" and "thank you" and tries to kinda wave goodbye, even though her arm doesn't really move. i'm really happy with how she's doing.

the nurse says she doesn't know about her son yet.

 

[radhak]

... that's the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

[hole poked in your statement]mindy is not at all "selfish to the core". she's a very loving, giving person who made a fatal mistake.[/hole poked though your statement]

is it dumb to do? yes. does it make you "selfish to the core"? hell no.

Please give it rest. You are a devoted friend, we get it. You are frustrated that the world view differs from yours when it comes to mindy, also get that. But you doth protest too much. However good her earlier actions might have been, this will define her life this point on. She'll be known to the rest of the world as the one who got her son killed, and similarly endangered the other victims of the accident too. She (and her family) should be thankful the other party was not seriously hurt or dead - else there would have been more hell to pay (lawsuit, manslaughter charges, etc; not saying that may not happen still). In all this, she cannot escape being accused of being stupid, careless, mindless, dumb, reckless and yes, selfish too.She cared more about her frivolous texting than her son's safety, or that of others on the road.

When somebody goes bungee jumping or cliff diving, they are self-destructive; when they are careless in their driving, they are risking others' life, so they are selfish.

I wonder how many reading this thread are also just as selfish, and also in denial about their ability to be 'able to call/text while driving without harm'. This is real life - no take-backs, no backspaces.

 

[alkemyst]

Condolences to those affected by this. These stories are always horrible.

There is no way to sugarcoat it. If you text while driving, you are selfish to the core, and lack a certain centerpoint of common sense required to be qualified to operate a 2-ton metal death machine.

not really, but you have to understand your text is not paramount to your driving.

 

[Ichinisan]

I've been cellphone free for a couple months now. Only wished I had it twice... and every day when I go take a shit so I have something to do in the stall.

Get an iPod Touch or that Samsung thing.

 

[fatpat268]

I find it amazing how there's a group of people that will defend texting while driving as only a simple mistake.

So I guess the next time a drunk driver kills a family, that was a simple mistake? I'm not here to talk shit on anyone, but impaired driving is impaired driving.

My condolences to all parties involved though, regardless of stupidity or not, I wouldn't wish this kind of stuff on anyone.

 

[drebo]

If you hold your phone up to your ear, you are impairing your ability to see the full field of view since you are less capable/likely to turn your head that way. I always put it on speaker. Bluetooth sucks too much battery.

Tragic for the loss of the kid... have two near-4-year-olds and wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Or, maybe, if you need to look left/right, you take your phone away from your ear while you do so.

 

[drebo]

I find it amazing how there's a group of people that will defend texting while driving as only a simple mistake.

So I guess the next time a drunk driver kills a family, that was a simple mistake? I'm not here to talk shit on anyone, but impaired driving is impaired driving.

My condolences to all parties involved though, regardless of stupidity or not, I wouldn't wish this kind of stuff on anyone.

It IS a stupid mistake. The key word, though, is "stupid" not "mistake."

A "mistake" is accidentally telling someone that 340*19 = 6400, while it actually is 6460. "Stupid" is doing something that is deliberately incorrect, dangerous, or reckless.

Anyone can make a mistake...running through a red light at an empty intersection because you've driven the route 1,000 times and your subconscious thought it was a stop sign.

Making a stupid mistake should be universally avoidable...running through a red light because you were looking at your phone instead of the light.

Of course, all mistakes could be avoidable with the proper level of concentration.

People like to blame everything but themselves. No one and nothing is at fault here except the driver. The cellphone may have enabled her, but if she's too stupid not to turn her cellphone off before she gets in the car because she knows she can't keep her eyes off her flittering social life...well, that's on her, not the cellphone.

 

[eits]

It IS a stupid mistake. The key word, though, is "stupid" not "mistake."

A "mistake" is accidentally telling someone that 340*19 = 6400, while it actually is 6460. "Stupid" is doing something that is deliberately incorrect, dangerous, or reckless.

Anyone can make a mistake...running through a red light at an empty intersection because you've driven the route 1,000 times and your subconscious thought it was a stop sign.

Making a stupid mistake should be universally avoidable...running through a red light because you were looking at your phone instead of the light.

Of course, all mistakes could be avoidable with the proper level of concentration.

People like to blame everything but themselves. No one and nothing is at fault here except the driver. The cellphone may have enabled her, but if she's too stupid not to turn her cellphone off before she gets in the car because she knows she can't keep her eyes off her flittering social life...well, that's on her, not the cellphone.

she was texting to see if her sister wanted her to pick up her son and drop him off at daycare... it wasn't a social life thing. also, it was early in the morning and no other cars were around to watch what happened, except the one she hit.

i'm not excusing what she did or making excuses for her. what i'm saying, though, is that a lot of times, you guys can be extremely black and white about things regardless of the fact that you, your best friends, and your family members probably do the same thing. if the same thing happened to them, i'm sure you wouldn't sit back and call them "selfish to the core" or anything like that (unless you know they actually are).

i'm not defending her actions. i'm defending her character. her actions don't define her character. did she do something stupid, reckless, and negligent? yes. is that the kind of person she is? no. did she deserve any of this? no.

that's all i'm trying to say.