John and I are having a bit of a controversy, so I thought I'd take it to my readers and get their thoughts on it. Of course, I already know how the answers will play out -- the men will say yes, and most of the women (except the under-bus throwers!) will say no. But what the hell, I'll put it out there anyway.
I think I'm a pretty good driver. Not perfect, but good. And I observe the laws. When it comes to cell phones and driving, I don't believe they're a good mix. Personally, I think people who text and drive at the same time should have their phones taken away AND their licenses revoked for a good while. I don't even talk on the phone in the car, even with a hands-free device, which is perfectly legal. It's distracting. When the car is moving, I need to be focused.
However, I will admit to looking at my phone when I'm idling at a red light. If I'm stuck at a long light and I can see that I have new emails, for example, I'll glance at them while I'm waiting. As soon as the light turns green, I put the phone back down.
The other night, I was driving home from the gym (it was past dark) and I was stuck on a busy boulevard. My phone had been off for the couple of hours I was in the gym, so now it was on and I could see (and hear from the notification sounds) that I had new messages. When I stopped for a red light, with a ton of cars ahead of me, I knew I'd be there for a while. So, with my foot safely on the brake and one hand on the wheel, I picked up my phone and thumbed through the new messages, seeing if there was anything of interest.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed into my car, filling the front seat, startling the hell out of me and making me jump. Looking over to my right, I saw a police car idling next to mine. The cop in the driver's seat was looking right at me, and smirking. His expression was clearly one of "Ha, ha, gotcha!" Smug bastard.
Feeling rather embarrassed, I shrugged, smiled at him and mouthed, "Sorryyyy!" Then I turned off the phone and put it on the seat, holding my breath. The light turned green, and we both drove on. He did not pull me over.
This weekend, I told John what had happened. "You broke the law!" he exclaimed. "You were checking email on your phone while operating a motor vehicle! You should be punished."
"The car was stopped!" I protested.
"Was the key in the ignition?"
"Yes."
"Was the car turned on?"
"Yes."
"Then it was in operation.'
Oh, please. Give me a break. Who doesn't look at their phone when the car is stopped? And they keep on looking at it and futzing with it once the car starts up again -- I don't! But of course, John gleefully kept up his insistence that I did a bad thing and I should be punished for it.
"If the damn cop didn't see fit to pull me over for it, then I didn't do anything wrong," I said tartly.
"Did you smile at him? He just let you off because you were cute." Again -- oh, please. That does not happen with me. I have never, ever gotten out of anything with a cop -- a ticket, etc. -- no matter how charming and contrite I was. (Don't get me started on women who get away with everything, especially where men are concerned. Apparently, over-the-top sexual prowess is involved.) This cop didn't pull me over because the freaking car was stopped and I didn't do anything wrong, not because he was letting me off. How is glancing at a phone when the car is stopped any different from looking at the radio and changing the station?
It didn't matter what argument I presented. John couldn't be swayed from his opinion. Big surprise there, huh? I'm supposed to tell Steve about this.
So what do y'all think? Yes, should I be punished, or no, should I not? Come on, let's hear it. Let's see who my friends are. ;-)
Hope everyone has had a good weekend. And to our veterans -- past and present -- thank you. ♥
John my friend YOU are wrong and Erica is right. If your car is stopped you can look at your phone. The officer flashing his light was a nice way of telling Erica don't drive with that in your hand I'm watching. No law was broken.
ReplyDeletearchedone
You are wrong. Lucky for you, the officer left you off with a warning!
ReplyDeleteYou should be punished.
Hope we can still be friends.
PS This is a major pet peeve of mine; drivers who use their cell phones while behind the wheel.
I think in your case you should be let off, because you WERE stopped and we all know you wouldn't drive while reading your emails.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Steve might see this as a black and white situation and punish you for it.
A roleplay might be fun. Does he have a cop's hat?
Hugs,
Hermione
It really annoys me people who drive whilst talking on their phones but as you had stopped, I don't you shouldn't be punished.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Hermione, fun role play. I'd laugh if I read tomorrow Steve turned up with a policeman's hat.
Punishmen: 60 spankings haha :)
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, is stupid to punish who's playing with phone at the traffic light, is like to punich a kid that's bullying a doll.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the danger?
The laws in your state might tell you the answer. In mine it's legal as long as you are stopped. The neighboring state if you're on the road in the drivers seat you can't. Here you can get a DUI for being in the drivers seat in a parking lot asleep with the engine running to keep warm. I bet other states you have to be driving to get the DUI. I don't think you should be punished unless your state law says you should be!
ReplyDeleteI don't know, but I am sure you will be spanked because of it. Please give us a good report with videos.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Erica. I have the same strong feelings as you as far as texting and driving and talking on a cell phone and driving. I admit, I do the same thing you did but only when I am stopped. If I am going to be longer, like if I am expecting a message I will pull over. If you always texted or used your phone while driving I would agree with John, but not in this case. I hope you win, sort of :-)
ReplyDeleteYou need punishment. Texting while stopped leads to texting while only going slowly and so forth. Hopefully you will be able to sit easily in less than a week.
ReplyDeleteArchedone -- thank you, thank you. :-)
ReplyDeleteEnzo -- it's a peeve of mine, too. Which is why I don't do it when the car is moving. :-) Of course we're still friends.
Paolo -- I suppose they think I should wait until I get home to look at my messages. But yes, I was fully stopped, so I say "what's the harm" as well!
Anonymous -- good point. California can be pretty strict about this stuff. I've never really bothered to find out the fine points. I probably should, huh.
Anonymous2 -- you know I will. :-)
Kaki -- thanks! Well, you know John. Any reason possible to get me in trouble.
Anonymous3 -- I would agree, had I been texting. But I was not texting. I was glancing at my email.
Ronnie -- I wouldn't be surprised. Then again, I've gotten to the point with him where little surprises me!
Hermione -- black and white situation, hah! Was that pun intended? Hmmm... don't know if he has a cop's hat. I've never been into the cop fantasy, but you never know.
I turn my phone off the minute I get into my car. It stays off for the duration of the trip. There's nothing so important (and I have major elder care issues) that can't wait until I'm safely at my destination. Personally, I think Steve needs to take you across his lap and give you a good hard one to drive this point home. ;)
ReplyDeleteMike
Mike -- I would think you'd leave it on, if for nothing else, being available for an emergency call. But I can't argue with you; your way is the safest. :-)
ReplyDeleteI use the phone also when i'm driving, because of google maps, but to call people i use the speakerphone, connected with the car. I don't think is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the person who is by the side of the road, with the key in the ignition, the engine is running and they are on the phone? According to John, the car is in operation just because the key is in the ignition and the motor is running.
ReplyDeleteIt is legal to be on the side of the road with the engine running and be talking on the phone as far as I know. Find a cop and ask about it. That will settle the argument.
Erica, I don't want to reinforce the behavior but I think an extended, bare-bottomed spanking is in order. To make it even more memorable, I think John should require you to respond to a certain number of emails (or delete 100 spam messages individually), say, *while* you're over his lap with your bottom turning crimson. Just MO . Best to you!
ReplyDeleteYes , Spanked and Grounded from your phone for a day
ReplyDeleteBobbie Jo -- good question. I suppose I could find a CA cop and ask him/her.
ReplyDeleteD -- last time I checked, I was 56, not 16. No one "grounds" me from anything. :-)
Hey you might look cute all dressed up like a teenager ... :-P
DeleteI won't give any judgmement on CA State Law from this side of the big pond. I am even not generalizing on the point of whether you might always het away caus´ you´re a gal. But I do think that your generic denial of the possibility that the guy found you cute counts as a seriously spankable offence.
ReplyDeleteMrJ -- well, that's a rather sweet take on it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the cop role play suggestion! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the cop was being playful about his warning to not proceed once the light changed. You don't DESERVE a spanking for your actions, but I imagine you're in for a battle of will arguing your point w Steve. :)
Christ! I remember being in the car with my father when I was a kid. He drove one handed typically w a joint in the other and usually an open can of beer between his legs! I never recall us getting pulled over though. LOL
Kelly -- it was a different time, for sure, especially when I was a kid. Seat belts optional, kids in the front seat, parents smoking in the car... blech!
ReplyDeleteHi Erica -- I don't think you should be punished, you were stopped :-) You didn't do anything wrong.But I know Steve will give you a good hard bare bottom spanking anyway.I hope you win this argument with Steve :-) Please do a video that would be COOL. I am surprised that John didn't spank you LOL :-) Much Love and hugs from naughty girl Jade
ReplyDeleteJade -- well, actually, the "discussion" was with John, not Steve. Steve doesn't know about this yet (unless he's reading this, who knows). John kind of leaves the spanking up to him these days. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, of course you should be punished, but I don't think you did anything wrong. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCraig -- *major snort* :-)
ReplyDeleteErica. the reason the cop let you off the hook, is because he saw in you the most beautiful 'spanko', in the world. But in my humble opinion, if I had been the cop. I would right there and then, turned you over the hood of your car, raised your dress waist high, took down your panties, and walloped that delicious. delightful bare bottom of yours. I can dream can't I. XXX Luv ya
ReplyDeleteSince there are people who think you have "a great enema ass" of which, by the way, I happen to agree them. (...and that's intended as a huge compliment!) Instead of punishing you with a spanking or paddling he could give you a warm, soapy 2-qt. enema. I think that would be a suitable compromise.
ReplyDeleteSix -- LOL. Seems that you'd be a cop with a hidden agenda.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous -- you may consider it a compliment, but I do not.
Okay, I am an unapologetic "lurker". when in doubt I keep my mouth shut.
DeleteButt: In answer to your controversy, let me relate an incident that happened to me a few years ago.
I was stopped for traffic on a heavily travelled road and like you situation, it appeared that I would be sitting there for awhile. While waiting, my text-capable beeper (not mobile phone) started beeping. I checked the message, then set the beeper down.
With my mind on the message instead of where I was and what I *SHOULD* have been doing, I simply resumed driving - right into the rear of the car in front of me.
You were damn lucky.
Please don't do it again.
Anonymous -- that's a scary story. I'm sorry that happened to you. And you're right, it's very easy to get distracted.
ReplyDeleteI have to side with John on this one for two reasons:
ReplyDelete1. Any distraction while operating a vehicle (operation defined here as the vehicle is on and in traffic, stopped or not) is dangerous. It's a bad idea to look at one's phone even if the car is stopped as it takes awareness away from potential issues.
2. You want to get spanked, right? I mean, why wouldn't you want to get punished!?!?
Anonymous -- good point with #1. But with #2... why? It's the principle of the thing! :-)
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think you should be in trouble for it. If the cop didn't even get after you for it then your top shouldn't. I have a friend in NJ who DID get a ticket for that when she was doing something on her phone while stopped in this major traffic jam where nobody had moved for almost an hour. IMO, that cop was just being a dick.
ReplyDeleteLea -- I agree, that's majorly dickish.
ReplyDelete