The Cellphone Ban
 

I read on USAToday's website that New York has become the first state in the nation to ban handheld cellphone use while driving. However, it mentioned that since the September 11th attacks, some people are looking at the use of cellphones in a different light, including schools. Once thought to be distractive and used for drug dealing (when I was growing up, it was pagers), even schools are considering revising their policies.

I know that I've almost been in numerous accidents because other people talking on their cellphones have come very close to hitting me.:mad: However, I'm also guilty of using my cellphone while driving even if it isn't very often.:o I'm also guilty of eating behind the wheel, too, but that is an art that must be mastered with time.:p

Do you think that using a hands-free device is better or no cellphone use at all?

How many of you are guilty of driving while talking?

Should students be allowed to have cellphones at school in cases of emergency or is it unnecessary?

I currently teach at a high school. Electronic devices are currently banned(cell phones, pagers, etc.). However, students continue to bring them to school on a daily basis. First of all, I don't think that a fourteen-year-old child should even have a cell phone, much less bring it to school. The biggest emergency that may happen during the school day is that they need someone to pick them up due to illness or other reasons. They can make those calls in the attendance office. If they need to get a ride home after school, there are plenty of pay phones on campus. Nothing warrants them carrying or operating a cell on school grounds.

It really goes back to the parents. They are the ones who buy their children these phones and pay the bills on them(keep in mind that they rarely buy them for "emergency" purposes). What they need to do is buy the kids some school supplies instead, but that's another thread entirely.

I understand that emergencies occur, but most public schools allow students to call home from the office if the need arises. Most of these kids have phones for "flossing" purposes.

You know, I read the topic of this thread as "The CELLOPHANE (sp?) Ban" and I was so interested to know where they banned cellophane!;)

I don't know where my head is sometimes!

Since I'm here I may as well answer since I live in NY...I talk while driving but ONLY when using my handsfree. It's actually a cute little set that comes with different sized earpieces. My ear is a small--I can't imagine who could possibly wear a large because it seems huge! I think it's a great law because I know I myself get distracted when holding my phone and talking. The only drawback...you have to connect your phone BEFORE you start driving because it's not safe to do while in motion. And I always forget....

I think it's a great law. But I still don't think kids should have them at school. The probability of needing it in an emergency is relatively small...but many people would take advantage of being allowed to have it if they were allowed. As a teacher, I think I would SCREAM if a cell phone went off in my class. But then again, I teach kindergarten so I doubt that would happen! :)

I think a lot of the school and cell phones talk started after the shooing in Columbine as well. The kids with phones helped the police track the shooters movement through the building so they could zero in on their location.

While I think they did help in that situation, I think you have to weigh the likelihood of needing them against the distraction of having them. It may be more important to have all teachers have cell phones or walkie talkies or something in an emergency than the students.

Also as far as the driving things, I have almost been hit and have also been known to talk at the same time. They say studies show talking on the phone is equally distracting whether it is hands free or not. I don't personally agree that is true. I think the hands free way is much less distracting and more like talking to your passenger. The differences is the person you are talking to cannot watch traffic to know when you have other things to pay attention to since they can’t see the road and don’t know when you are in a hazardous situation.. But I am quick to tell somebody to hold on, I am concentrating on traffic if I need to ignore them for a minute to see what these crazy MD drivers are doing! For emergencies, I think the key is to have a phone available not o talk on it while driving. Same for airplanes (as we have all learned) and any situation when an emergency arises.

I'm guilty
 

Not only of driving while talking, but of also causing an accident while talking. Well, I wasn't even talking, I was dialing. It was a really bad accident, I totalled my car.

So I say, hands-free, voice-activated dialing is the best. You'd be surprised what could happen in 1 second, or even a split second. I sure was. It was the single scariest thing to ever happen to me.

As far as students having cell phones, I personally think that's ridiculous. Kids don't need that kind of stuff. You're in school, if there is an emergency, your parents can call the school, just like back in the day, or they can just come and pick you up. Now, high school, that's a little different. I think it's cool for them to have the cell phones, but not in class. Turn them off, it's a distraction. I mean, really, now that I think about it, who are they talking to? Aren't all of their friends in school, too??? :confused:

What ever happened to passing notes in the hallway?

Ban? Say it ain't so...say it ain't so.

Man, I could shift, talk, change the station and DRIVE, without causing any havoc with my car. I'm multi-tasked like that. ;) Let' s not mention putting on make-up and eating. Why do we have to suffer for those who cannot do more than one thing at a time? ;) :p

The kids at school have their pages and phones. However, they cannot use them during school hours. Last year at the dances, we had to take the phones and pagers from the students for safety reasons. This year, they didn't do that. We just told them they could not use the phone while in the dance.

Multi-tasking at its best
 

I drive, change the station, talk on the phone, and eat all at the same time. But, I do use the hands free microphone for my cell phone. I clip it to my seat belt so I only have to put the piece in my ear when it rings.

I see no need for school students to have cell phones. There really is no emergency that they might have during school hours. Actually, teenagers don't really have that many friends who would be calling them. It's probably only their mothers and/or best friend calling.