Stop texting and driving!

[BIGW0RM]

Look, I've done it too. But this is a serious problem these days. Take a look around, in SoCal, 80% of all drivers are driving while looking at there lap!

Today, a 19yr old kid driving his moms mini van full on rammed me while I was parked at a red light.

Thank god I was in neutral and off the brake because he hit me so hard that my rear tires go as high as his hood according to the witnesses.

The kid wasn't even looking when he hit me and tried to throw his phone towards the back of the van after impact but me and a witness saw him do that. Police came and he is 100% at fault and got a ridiculous 170 dollar ticket. Only 170 for texting while driving? That needs to be 1700! I bet it would at least lower the amount people texting while driving to SOME extent.

You can't see it in the pics, but my rear wheel moved forward 1". My passenger side quarter panel has rolls in the metal like water ripples. My bumper is done and my taillight is cracked. My prized 500 dollar megan exhaust was bent up. And Im sure they will find more things wrong once they start tear down.

This is my 2013 6MT I purposely purchased knowing the 6 cylinder was coming. It replaced my 2011 DCT M3 I was bored with.

I'm so bummed!

So, please don't text and drive! And if you see someone call them out on it! This is a serious problem these days.

[Beemdog]

Agreed. Destroying someone's beautiful car is one thing, but maiming or killing someone would really be a life-changing negative event.

I once worked with a guy that killed someone in an intersection who had run the red light. Even though it wasn't my co-worker's fault, the mental anguish stayed with him a long time and really did a number on him.

Texting has become just another thing that humans can get addicted to. They're doing it everywhere, even when the situation they are in at the time is exciting and/or attention demanding.

[javarithms]

Sorry to hear about the accident! Glad to know you are not seriously hurt.

I always look in my rearview mirror to see the face of the driver behind me. If he/she is looking down/at their cell I increase my distance to the car in front of me by +100 feet or I switch lanes. Also, when I'm at a stop light I always pulse my breaks to signal to the cars approaching behind me.

The only "good" thing about this incident is that the guy's insurance will increase (hopefully by a lot) since this is not a cheap car to fix/replace!!

[Alpha///M]

I feel your pain bro. Could have been worse! I see millions of people driving while on there phones here on Long Island. However it seems the young, novice driver has trouble multitasking while driving which results in disaster. My opinion.

BTW: I want to punch that little punk in the mouth, lol!

[VMRWheels]

Oh man sorry to see! Definitely a good PSA. Best of luck to you and glad to see everyone able to walk away from all this

[AriuSen]

man I feel terrible for you. Hope you get what you want!

[w0ady]

$170? That's it? What a joke. Sorry about your car man.

[Hujan]

Good lesson and very sorry to see the damage. Take a day or two and assess your physical state. If you feel any issues, get checked out ASAP. It sounds like a significant collision.

[skins333]

Oh man, this sucks, so sorry!

[gprgeorge]

I see this a lot too. It is an epidemic. Sorry that happened. I have a 6mt. No way I can text and drive with a mt. People just can't wait. Stupid kid is lucky he did not kill anyone or himself. Looks like we have to have our heads on a swivel when we drive.

[BIGW0RM]

Thanks gentlemen. It's unfortunate but I am thankful to be ok and that no one was hurt.

I did however cuss the kid out (I saw him on phone the second before impact) and threw my flip flop at him in frustration.

But yea, it's 170 dollar ticket for texting while driving here in California. I bet our state wouldn't be so broke if we raised that fine to say 1500 bucks.

The cop said he deals with this more than anything else these days and that accidents are up 10 fold or more due to texting.

Anyways, I appreciate all the kind responses.

Thank you.

[thekurgan]

I'd take his thumbs.

[Edward]

This bums me out to see. Glad everyone is ok and it's a big lesson learned for the kid too. Almost all of us are guilty of the occasional text while driving and accidents will always happen.

Hope you have luck in finding a clean replacement because this car will only become more and more difficult to find clean examples as time passes. Yet I don't think the fun factor and experience will diminish in this car for a very long time.

[TrevorM3]

i'm still not sure why phone companies haven't came up with something to block texting when you get into the drivers seat. there is no reason to text if you are in the drivers seat.


that being said, when i see someone texting, AND driving slow in the left lane, i cut directly in front of them to purposely get them to leave a skid mark in their pants a little and pay fucking attention

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

i'm still not sure why phone companies haven't came up with something to block texting when you get into the drivers seat. there is no reason to text if you are in the drivers seat.


that being said, when i see someone texting, AND driving slow in the left lane, i cut directly in front of them to purposely get them to leave a skid mark in their pants a little and pay fucking attention

Exactly! They need to figure out a way to totally disable texting while in the drivers seat.

I'd be willing to help fund this if any business guys wants to get something going.


There must be a way!

[BLACK OPS]

This is disturbing. Glad OP is not injured. $170 fine is just another slap to the face. Hope this ultimately works to OPs favor in the end.

[digitalpersona]

My sympathies. Glad you're ok, though. You can always find a new car.

[Tracyis300]

Mann! That sucks!!!
You should go get checked up by a doctor to be sure that your ok?

I stay in Socal too, and i ride a motorcycle. I see people on their phones non stop. Yesterday i even caught a cop talking on his cell like the law doesn't apply to him?! I called him on it, and he just laughed it off.. Wtf?

[BzsBimmer]

Originally Posted by ILSMKU

Thanks gentlemen. It's unfortunate but I am thankful to be ok and that no one was hurt.

I did however cuss the kid out (I saw him on phone the second before impact) and threw my flip flop at him in frustration.

But yea, it's 170 dollar ticket for texting while driving here in California. I bet our state wouldn't be so broke if we raised that fine to say 1500 bucks.

The cop said he deals with this more than anything else these days and that accidents are up 10 fold or more due to texting.

Anyways, I appreciate all the kind responses.

Thank you.

Fawk... sorry to see that. Hopefully they can get that repaired but at the end of the day, it'll be hard to make you whole since the car was new and not banged up when you bought it!

So what happened after you threw your flip flop at him? Hopefully you tagged him with it. I just had to laugh at that one. I don't think I've ever read someone throwing a flip flop at a person. Usually it's a fist or foot.

There's a thread somewhere on here about accidents, diminished value and such. Might want to give it a read to see what options you'll have. Hopefully the parents have a good insurance company.

[Eau Rouge]

Much empathy for ILSMKU. I'm glad he wasn't injured, but as one that has been rear ended by one that was looking down instead of looking ahead, I can say that it must have been a moment that was most unpleasant.

As for your car, the thought of having to go through the dealing-with-the-insurance-aspect+repair phase (i.e. car is not available) is a downer. My hope is that you're satisfied with what you have after repairs.

I see the idiocy daily and have utter contempt for vehicle operators looking down at their phone rather that paying full attention to what can be a lethal weapon. If only all of them walked instead of driving.

As for those self-absorbed, dimwits that allow themselves to be distracted related to their phone (a.k.a. "my god and life") when behind the wheel, IMO they have no business having a driver's license until they possess enough sense to only engage or continue conversations with whomever is in the vehicle.

As for the phone manufacturers, I'm constantly amazed at how they seem to get a pass from the champions of living a healthy and safety driven life advocates. Where's the gubmint on this? It may take a class action lawsuit on the part of victims injured by the inconsiderate, selfish, callously indifferent about the health and safety of others when they themselves were behind the wheel of a motor vehicle engaged in texting-while-more-or-less-driving to light a fire under the collective asses of the "smartphone" manufacturers to compel their smartphone wizards, supposedly smart people, to go a step further by incorporating in any given phone's firmware the ability to detect motion in excess of walking speed that triggers a signal block. And what's to prevent such firmware from being sufficiently dynamic, thanks to GPS, to recognize whether the phone is likely to be in stop and go traffic (e.g. rush hour in [name of city]. Better still, block everything when speed above 5 mph is registered for two minutes then check again and call it a day.
#lives_spared #insurance_companies_will_lobby_against_such_a_dev elopment

Long post is long, no apologies.

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by BzsBimmer

Fawk... sorry to see that. Hopefully they can get that repaired but at the end of the day, it'll be hard to make you whole since the car was new and not banged up when you bought it!

So what happened after you threw your flip flop at him? Hopefully you tagged him with it. I just had to laugh at that one. I don't think I've ever read someone throwing a flip flop at a person. Usually it's a fist or foot.

There's a thread somewhere on here about accidents, diminished value and such. Might want to give it a read to see what options you'll have. Hopefully the parents have a good insurance company.

LOL. I wear flip flops 24/7 and never have them on when I drive. They get in the way with a 6MT.

So after I was thrown around, it took me a couple seconds to realize that, "that really did just happen"

So I start yelling because my stupid energy drink (I don't normally have them) was literally ALL over my dash and controls. I'm screaming f Bombs and trying to get my effects in order to exit the vehicle . So grab my flops under my seat and open my door to toss them on the ground to put them on, but I held on to them and ran back to see the damage while bare foot. Once I saw the damage I turn around and chuck one at the tall ass 19yr old (pictured) who was terrified of what he did, the witness yelling I saw you on your phone and toss it to the rear of his van after it happened and me screaming at him about texting while driving. He didn't say one word to me the whole time. Not even an apology.

The cops did most of the paperwork exchange and reports so I left with all I needed and car is already authorized to get repaired.

We'll see what the shop says next. That will probably take a few days.

[Saandiaago]

Glad to hear you are okay man. That really sucks. I've got a 2013 too and would be heartbroken as well. Like somebody else said, I do try to check behind me as cars come up to look for that telltale sign that somebody is on their phone and not paying attention. I called out a teen the other day who ran a red. He just looked at me like an idiot and didn't respond. The flip flop action is hilarious. Rainbows? Hahaha.