[geeks] Stuff fo' sale

[wa2egp at att.net]

> Well, most speed limits are (or atleast were) imposed by the Federal Government 
> in response to a gas crisis back in the '70s - if you didn't have 55 as your top 
> speed limit you couldn't get federal highway funds...

Not that they improved the highways any.  NJ was the last state on the eastern 
seaboard to drop it AFAIK.  Not that anybody followed it....

> I would *love* to see an absolute crack down on folks that talk on cell phones 
> while driving (without handsfree). It is illegal in NJ, and as I understand it, 
> it is considered a primary offense, meaning it is sufficient cause to pull a 
> driver over and write them a summons. Also, I'd love to see insurance companies 
> follow up and see if folks were on their cell phone at the time of the accident, 
> and DENY CLAIMS if they were breaking the law when the accident occured by 
> talking on their cellphones while driving...

It is illegal but I have never seen anybody pulled over for it that I can 
positively say it was for that.  The only problem I would have is for my ham
radio equipment. Some overzealous rookie might pull that on me.  I think my
federal license might trump the state law since it says I can work mobile
on the license but I don't want to be the test case. :)  Of course I have
a cell phone too and they are different in the way they are used.  The
radio is simplex by hardware, cell simplex by usage.  I've found that to
make a big difference in attention paid to driving, at least for me.
 
> Maybe I should invent a camera that detects cell phone activity in the area and 
> starts shooting pictures of drivers to see if they are hands-free or holding 
> their cell phone.

That could be done.  Detect RF in that part of the spectrum and start snapping pictures.
 
> A girl in a VW beetle was busy reading her mapquest directions, talking on her 
> cell phone (hand-held), and nearly rammed the side of a car because she was 
> doing all this while merging from the shoulder on to the highway and failed to 
> notice there were other cars on the road...

A candidate for the Darwin Awards..
 
> Lionel
> (I'm slowly becoming a cranky old man ;^) 

Like that's a bad thing?  I've been thinking a designing a cell phone jammer for
my immediate area (radius 25').  Might help with the knuckleheads driving and for
me not being looked at like an idiot because I thought someone jabbering on a cell
phone in a store with the earpiece (corded or bluetooth) was actually talking to 
me.  Now I can't tell if these people are actually crazy, have a cell phone or 
both!

Bob