Cellphone Cyclists

[mimitabby]

we saw someone doing that. i thought she was drunk. Nope, she was on a cellphone. Sometimes my phone rings when i am riding. I slow down find a safe place to stop, then answer phone. Not hard at all.

[F8th637]

I haven't yet seen people talking on their cell phones on the trail but definitely the headphones. I just don't get it either. I get off the trail and answer my phone if it rings too. I hate when you see a driver who seems to be in a world of their own only to pass them and see them on their cell phones. It drives me nuts too!

[li10up]

Guilty as charged. I answer my cell when riding but I immediately tell the person that I'm riding my bike and that I'll call them back. I only do this when on a road with no traffic and/or a wide shoulder. Otherwise I just let it go to VM or pull over and then answer.

[Jo-n-NY]

I am happy to be spastic in this area. I cannot talk on a phone and ride at the same time. If it rings I pull over to the side and stop, otherwise, there is always vm.

~ JoAnn

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most of the people I see on bikes while cell phone talking are wobbling. They are also oblivous to their surroundings, their minds are half somewhere else. You can tell from behind that they are on their cells phones just from their erratic path. Just as bad as driving a car while on the phone. I think they are dangerous to themselves and to the rest of us.

[Zen]

It's not just you.
When will this idiocy end?

[DDH]

I take my cell phone on rides with me, but I pull over and stop if someone calls and I have only had that happen once where I actually heard it. I take it more for my own use, should something happen and I need it, so I just put it in my seat pack so it's unlikely for me to hear it while riding.
I get upset with folks that talk on the phone and drive much less be on a bike.

[dex]

I saw one just last night, actually. But this guy...he was truly special.

The scene: Around 10 p.m., it's just gotten dark in Seattle, moderately busy road (for the Seattlites around, it was 10th Ave near St. Mark's on Cap Hill), a bit of reflective gear catches my attention ahead and off to the right. Then I notice that the stripes of reflective material that I'm seeing are sitting awfully upright for what appears to be a rider on a road bike and not appearing entirely steady. As I get closer I see that this guy is sitting up on his bike, one hand holding a phone up to his ear, the other dangling down by his side. There are lines of cars parked on the shoulder to his right, and plenty of cars driving in the open lane to his left. It was almost like he was daring the universe to turn him into road mess.

I was quite relieved once I was able to pass him (*I* didn't want to be the one accidentally turning him into road mess...besides, I drive a tiny car that could be theoretically totaled in such an accident). I was also pretty annoyed that he was being so stupid.

My thought this morning is: Why spend all that money on lights for your bike (of which he had many) and clothes with lots of reflective material to make yourself visible only to ride like a dumba**? Is it so that all of the drivers are better able to you being stupid? Because that's really effective...

[chickwhorips]

I won't even get on my soap box about this one. Simply, yes it bothers me. I usually carry my phone on my for emergencies. Though anyone that knows me, if I'm out riding, I don't want to be disturbed. Or if I'm running or hiking, those ones annoy me too.

Must... not.... get... on.... soapbox....