Login
or
Register
Home
»
Trains Magazine
»
Forums
»
General Discussion
»
BNSF Roadmaster Killed & Cell Phone Distraction
Edit post
Edit your reply below.
Post Body
Enter your post below.
<p>[quote user="Flashwave"]</p> <p> <blockquote> <div><img src="/trccs/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> <strong>Bucyrus:</strong></div> <div></div> <p>Cell phones are distracting, and the distraction comes mostly from the conversation, not from dialing and fiddling with the phone. So, hands-free phones do not do much to reduce distraction. </p> <div style="clear:both;"></div> <p> </p> </blockquote> </p> <p>I agree that they can be distracting, but I don't think the distraction is talking. By that l;ogic, me talking to the guy riding shotgun while I drive is a distraction. (Though for some people, it is)</p> <p>Dialing IS a problem, because you are not looking at the road. With Bluetooths, the hand can go instictively to the button in your ear, because it doesn't change. The buttons for your home number however, are different than the ones for your spouse's cell. </p> <p>And regarding cell phones, they DO have a place in railroading. Some relevant conversations, do NOT need to be had over the radio, where people with loud mouths and scanners can go and start things. </p> <p>Actually, I can think of another one. How do you contact your roadforeman if he's in an area not covered by a repeater (not major Class 1) or is not on a clear channel? </p> <div style="clear:both;"></div> <p>[/quote]</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Part of being distracted is not realizing you are distracted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies have found that most of the cell phone distraction comes from the conversational engagement and not the manipulation of the phone as was previously believed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although phone manipulation can also be distracting. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Consider this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">People on cell phone or even just a cordless phone tend to do other things while talking simply because of the freedom of not being tied to a line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I am talking to someone on a cell or cordless phone, I can instantly tell when they do something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they are doing can be almost nothing, and yet I can instantly hear their attention drain away from our conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be something as minimal as them pouring a cup of coffee, or looking out the window to see if the mailman is coming, yet the distraction is as clear as could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course the person doing the task in addition to the phone conversation has no idea that they are distracted, and they will always tell you that talking on the phone never distracts them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I conclude that if a simple task is capable of distracting from a phone conversation, it works the other way around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People on phones are distracted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to be that they sat in a chair and did nothing else but have a phone conversation, so the attention absorption of the conversation did not matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact it made for better communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now they drive cars while having their phone conversations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, it is a matter of degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Distraction can be large or small, and the attention needed for a concomitant task can be large or small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see plenty of people talking on cell phones while driving, and their driving seems fine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p> </p>
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag
Update Reply
Join our Community!
Our community is
FREE
to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Login »
Register »
Search the Community
Newsletter Sign-Up
By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our
privacy policy
More great sites from Kalmbach Media
Terms Of Use
|
Privacy Policy
|
Copyright Policy