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July 2, 2008
Officer Lockett Issues 23123 - Rt. Hand to One of Ours
It took less than 48 hours for a friend of LAist to bring the first V.C. 23123 infraction ticket into LAist HQ. And yes, 23123 is the much-vaunted "Hand-Held Wireless Telephone: Prohibited Use. "The phone rang and I naturally picked it up," said our friend. "My client said it'll be real quick. But it wasn't quick enough." The ticket doesn't indicate a dollar amount (and according to the driver, the phone was actually in his left hand) but according to code, the first 23123 infraction is a $20 fine (subsequent infractions are $50). Are Ofc. Lockett and others out staked out purely to pin the headsetless?
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oooh this is like an LAist blind item, I have $20 on two candidates but I'll protect their innocence and share privately.
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I saw a cop today 7.2.08 driving in Beverly Hills... talking on a cell phone with it to his ear as he was driving.
Where's his ticket?
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Yesterday on the freeway someone almost caused a massive accident when they realized after the split to another freeway began that they weren't in the lane they wanted to be, so they slammed on the brakes and then crossed the divided area and made their way over to where they wanted to be. When I passed them as they were braking and moving at the last minute I noticed they were ON THEIR CELLPHONE--phone to ear. They are the reason why the law exists. I wish I could issue citizen tickets for douchebags like this.
I'm curious, too, who this "friend of LAist" is.
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I believe a number of studies have showed that it is not the HOLDING TO THE EAR of the phone that is the problem - it is simply the distraction of TALKING on a phone while driving (whether holding, bluetooth device, car speaker, whatever). The ability to still TEXT legally - which is probably 100 times more distracting - makes this new law simply ridiculous.
Also, the 20 fine is actually 93 when all is said and done. The secondary fine grand total is 201.
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The "friend of LAist" should also have been ticketed for diving 10MPH! Talk about a hazard.
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Well if people are driving while texting and doing so dangerously - they will ticket you for driving while distract or something to that effect.
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I believe this law is just about bringing in a new revenue stream. There are already traffic laws and consequences for driving in an unsafe and/or reckless way. There is no need to make laws against every behavior that could cause distrcation. There should simply be a law against being distracted to the point of endangering your life and the lives of others. The severity of punishment should depend on the situation (mandatory sentancing is BS but I digress...). When I see people doing stupid things on the road it is true that sometimes they are on the phone but sometimes they are just stupid.
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@polaroidgirl: I agree. While the cellphone law may not have seemed so ridiculous years ago when it was put into place in Chicago and elsewhere, this only encourages more texting.
But another revenue stream -- kinda like the recent no driving while smoking law.