Readers sound off about bad drivers

By Journal staff | Monday, October 22, 2007

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

In this age of cell phones and text messaging, distracted driving has become a hot topic on the roadways. Each year, more than 40,000 people are killed in vehicle crashes. More than half of those are the result of distracted driving.

We asked Journal readers to send us their tales of distracted driving. What is the strangest thing they've seen someone do while driving?

We had a huge response on the Rapid Reply feature on our Web site, www.rapidcityjournal.com. Here are some unedited excerpts:

Posted by MB

"The worst thing I have ever seen is a woman driving in the Gap with a baby held up to breastfeed. ... Pull over to feed Jr. instead of using him/her for airbag!"

Posted by RESPONSE TO CAN'T TOP THIS

"Almost every morning I see what appear to be high school students (usually girls) eating bowls of cereal in their car, which also requires both hands. I'm just waiting until the day when one of them drops their cereal in their lap and tries to keep driving while milk is running in their laps. Hopefully they won't smash into somebody else while this happens. ..."

Posted by CONCERNED

"I've seen a few great distractions. The first that comes to mind was the lady driving down the interstate with a parrot on top of the steering wheel!"

Posted by CAN'T TOP THIS

"Actually saw a woman with a plate of food in one hand and a fork in the other. She was attempting to get a fork-full of food while balancing the plate on the steering wheel while making a left hand turn through an intersection. Talk about multi-tasking."

Posted by XYZ

"Recently one morning while I was on my way to work, I pulled up next to a car whose driver was texting on his cell phone with one hand, steering with his knee, smoking and drinking a cup of coffee with his other hand, and from the number of children in the back seat, it appeared that he may have been on his way to drop off the next generation of bad drivers."

Posted by DOGS & SEX

"Years ago, I was the passenger in a semi truck. While passing a vehicle, I looked down and saw a couple having sex while driving on the interstate. ... What I see happening regularly now is people who have their dogs hanging out the drivers window with their left arm under the dog. This leaves only one arm free to steer. If the dog moves around it could easily get tangled in the steering wheel while the driver is turning."

Posted by DRAMMAS

"... The two grandchildren of very dear friends lived in the country. The 16 yr. old female would drive her 10 yr. old brother to school each morning. She usually didn't get up early enough to allow time to apply her makeup at home. As soon as they reached the service road, the 10 yr. old boy would reach over to take the wheel while she applied her makeup. He would tell her when to apply the brakes, etc. She would finish her mascara about the time they reached his school. ... They thought it was pretty cool that they had worked out the perfect solution."

Posted by MS

"I saw a lady reading a book while she was driving. What the heck, how about keeping your eyes on the road."

Posted by JUDASPRIEST

"Can you top this? I know of a woman who can complete an entire novel while driving I-90 from Rapid to Soo Falls! Do you think I ever ride with her? Not on your life (or mine, for that matter.)!"

Posted by KEVIN

"I saw this situation this morning on my walk. A lady driving north on ninth street with a cigarette in her left hand, the phone in her right and behind her was a woman putting on eye makeup with both hands. Both women nonchalantly drove through the stop sign at fairview and ninth. Neither driver noticed the kids walking to school, crossing the street."

Posted by WITHHELD

"I know someone who drives with his knee while drinking coffee and dialing his cell phone or looking something up in his phone book or some other assortment of distractions, all while going 80 mph down I-90 ... and he says he's a good driver."

Posted by TEXTING

"Saw a guy a couple weeks ago driving up Cambell on a motorcycle at the same time texting on his cell phone. Didn't see the car in front of him put the brakes on at the last second to make a turn into Arby's, and the guy on the bike darn near rear-ended that car as he slammed on his brakes and skidded. The cell phone went flying, and he missed the back of the car by inches..."

Posted by CELL STORY

"A few years ago, I used to pound pavement as a salesperson. I witnessed a young lady walking two dogs downtown. I admit I watched too close as she was attractive but the story is better for my attention to detail. She was obeying the traffic signals and the walk signal came on. She looked both ways and proceeded to try and cross the road. Just then, a woman in a high end auto, possibly an Audi, whipped around a corner and caught the lead dogs legs under the tire. Not only had she disobeyed the red light, the no turn on red sign, but had no idea what was going on around her, as she was on her cell phone the whole time. To make it worse, as I ran to help the distraught woman, and her now crippled puppy, the Audi(?) sped away, not even realizing she just crushed the legs of someone's beloved pet..."

Posted by SAM

"A former co-worker of my wife commuted 50 miles one way to work. When she arrived late for work one morning, she explained that she was pulled over for speeding on I-90. While telling the story, she related that the trooper asked her if she knew how fast she was going. She said (true story) 'I told him, "I must have been distracted; I was putting on my makeup."' This is the same woman who, when asked about a serious burn on her chest one morning, advised, 'Never iron your dress while you're wearing it.' True story, I swear."

Posted by HONDA ACCORD GIRL

"Car is swerving back and forth from the center line. I pull up beside her, cigarette in LEFT hand, cell phone in the RIGHT hand. Car is a stick shift. She takes off, steering with her knee, reaches across her body to shift, still maintaining her cigarette, and cell still glued to her ear. A quick honk and she looks at me like I'm the idiot."

Posted by CONFISCATE CELL PHONES

"A family member was sleeping on the passenger side with her daughter driving at 75 mph on I90. She awoke to find said daughter steering with her knees while text messaging a friend. Needless to say, daughter lost her driving privileges immediately."

Posted by L

"Last year I was living in Rapid and going to Black Hills State in Spearfish. Every morning I saw the same girl on I-90. And every morning she was reading a book while driving."

Posted by HOW?

"How can you safely steer a vehicle with your elbow while on the phone, smoking and drinking coffee? I saw it on I-90."

Posted by GLAD I WAS DRIVING EAST

"Around 1 pm today I saw a motorcycle driver with a nervous-looking little dog standing up crosswise on his lap heading west on I90 near Sturgis."

Posted by MOTORCYCLE MAP READER

"I was headed toward Deadwood in Boulder Canyon. I saw a motorcycle and thought 'this guy has to be drunk.' Nope, he was driving down the road, steering with his right hand while trying to read a map, he was going all of 10-15 mph (I suppose so the map wouldn't blow around) and they blame the majority of the accidents on automobiles."

Posted by DUMB PEOPLE

"Cell phones, laptops, newspapers, fast food, make out sessions, makeup application, and electric razors. And of course my personal favorite of which I am guilty, checking out hot chicks walking down the sidewalk."

Posted by KID IN LAP

"One morning very recently I saw a man driving in a pickup truck with a little girl on his lap. She was about 3 or 4 and she had her back up against the driver's side door so she was sitting sideways in the man's lap. She was playing with his hair and face and he was trying to drive with his left arm around her. ..."