How many of you remember “Car Talk”, the wildly popular NPR show with Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers”? Not only were they brothers, but both graduated from MIT. They were walking encyclopedias of automotive wisdom. And common sense.
To them, car safety meant more than just mechanics. It meant drivers should be smart about their motoring. Their popular bumper sticker read “Drive Now, Talk Later”.
They meant talking on cellphones, of course. But to update their mantra you could add “Text Later.”
That’s actually the law in Connecticut: All drivers must use hands-free devices for phone calls, and it is illegal to text or use any hand-held mobile device while operating a motor vehicle. If you’re under age 18 you’re not allowed to use any cell phone, hands-free or otherwise, while driving.
Last year’s “Put the phone away or pay” campaign in East Hartford and Manchester saw 365 tickets issued in a single month while State Police tallied almost 600 citations in the same period. And we’re talking a $200 to $625 fine.
But I see it every day … people can’t put down their phones. I’m behind a guy at a red light. It changes to green and he doesn’t move, obviously checking his phone. A slight tap on the horn (after a very patient 10 seconds) and he finally takes off.
Are we all so addicted? I honestly wonder what parents with an SUV full of kids are thinking when they drive down busy streets juggling a latte in one hand and a cellphone in the other.
Once, when stuck in crawling traffic on I-95, I actually saw a guy reading a book. I’ve seen other drivers shaving or putting on make-up. Give me a break!
But I’d carry that message of attentive commuting to other travel environments as well, especially on the train.
Several years ago, while serving on the CT Rail Commuter Council, I tried to persuade Metro-North to establish “Quiet Cars” on their trains … cellphone free environments where riders seeking peace wouldn’t need to hear some self-centered hedge-fund dealer yelling at his trading desk in a voice that carries through the entire car.
“Hey. It’s me.” Who cares? “I’m on the train”. Yeah, I know. “Just thought I’d check in on that last trade.” I wish I could check out.
Years after Amtrak and other commuter rail systems adopted “Quiet Cars,” Metro-North finally agreed to give it a try in 2011. But they never enforced the rules and dropped the plan, using COVID as the excuse.
If we used to have smoking and non-smoking cars, why can’t we have “Quiet Cars” as well? The problems of annoying chatter persist. A ticket on the train buys you transportation, not the right to annoy your fellow passengers with a recitation of your woes.
A friend on Metro-North says she was seated next to a woman on the phone complaining to a friend about her day and a splitting headache. When she hung up my friend asked if she needed a Tylenol. Cell-lady gave her a “Hrumph” and accused her of eavesdropping.
What’s the proper etiquette for cellphone use on the train?
Try to make the call short and at a low speaking volume, and cup your hand around the mouthpiece. If a longer call is necessary, get out of your seat and talk in the vestibule. And to make sure that incoming calls don’t bother anyone, leave your phone on vibrate.
It’s just a matter of consideration of your fellow riders.
Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.