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British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
New York Times Public Editor Has To Explain His Paper's Reckless Driving Habits
NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
Ford CEO Forced To Learn How To Drive
Shia LaBeouf Busted for DUI
Prince Harry Accused of Reckless Driving

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BlinkyMcChuck
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
Horrifying. Yes, put it on.
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
this is your car. this is your car if you drive and text.

shorter
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Pope John Peeps II
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
Does british television put on a seven minute commercials? Where would this be shown, exactly?
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gooneruk
08/24/09

@Pope John Peeps II: It'd usually be on at some godforsaken hour in the middle of the night on an obscure channel. Occasionally it'll pop up on one of the main five channels, but it'll be close to midnight if it does.

With this one, however, I reckon there'll be a 30-second edit for normal ad breaks, with a tagline like "see the full version online at: ", with the hope of it going viral.

These kids with their myfacebook and twitters...
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Magister
08/24/09

@Pope John Peeps II: An upload of the original says it'll be shown in schools, but the main text is in Russian or something, so I don't know its accuracy.
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MissNormaDesmond
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
I see people texting while driving all the time. It's something I'd never do, as I don't even text while not driving, so I feel no need to watch this myself, but damn straight people who are texting while driving should be looking at it. I don't give a damn if it traumatizes them. They're risking people's lives and I'm supposed to be worried about their poor feelings?
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Benny
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
I'm surprised by the fuss over this. We've had these kinds of commercials (some far more graphic than this one) for as long as I can remember in Australia. Is there none of this kind of advertising in the States?
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Magister
08/24/09

@Benny: I've seen some of Australia's work via YouTube or similar sites, but in the States, we really don't have a lot of places to put a 4:15 commercial unless somebody pays for it.

Certainly the thing is graphic and it definitely drives the point home, but unless a director were to put it in front of their next blockbuster or the unless the government were to underwrite its distribution, it's pretty much up to the whims of YouTube.
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Edited by Magister at 08/24/09 3:29 AM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred

Benny
08/24/09

@Magister: Interesting. Ours typically aren't as long as this one, but I've seen so many people die horribly in these kinds of ads over the years that, to be honest, I've probably become a bit desensitised.

Here's one which shows an impact with a pedestrian in super slow motion while detailing the specifics of his individual injuries, for example.

[www.youtube.com]
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Airvault
08/24/09

In reply to British Texting While Driving PSA Will Make You Think Twice, Squirm
Obama could use some smart advertising like this. Imagine if this commercial ended with the screen reading "I bet you wish you had that public option now."
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DeadliestSin
07/26/09

In reply to New York Times Public Editor Has To Explain His Paper's Reckless Driving Habits
I've been putting off replace my battered, old flip phone for one of these "keyboard" phones because I can text with one hand, without looking at the keypad. I do alot of highway driving, as opposed to those who try to text in rush hour city traffic.
There's no way I'd ever attempt to drive and text with an iphone or the style of phone in the picture.
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ChillbearLatrigue
07/26/09

In reply to New York Times Public Editor Has To Explain His Paper's Reckless Driving Habits
Perhaps we should all just embrace texting while driving. We could all just assume a greater danger on the roads. This would possibly cause a reduction in peoples' recreational driving. Less driving means fewer emissions and lower fuel consumption.
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LoveHandles
07/26/09

@ChillbearLatrigue: This sounds better than the fuel emmision standards. Well done
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Lizawithazee
07/26/09

@ChillbearLatrigue: It would certainly cause a reduction in people, so you might be onto something.
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sarrible
07/26/09

@LoveHandles: Yeah, but have you ever seen a hybrid ambulance? Those dirty-burning boxes would be doing big business.
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ChillbearLatrigue
07/26/09

@sarrible: Yeah, but there would be no prohibition to keep ambulance drivers from texting. So, who knows how helpful that they would be.
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naugahydeinplainsight
07/26/09

In reply to New York Times Public Editor Has To Explain His Paper's Reckless Driving Habits
That photo was striking -- which means it did its job -- and I remember being curious about the ethics behind it, so thanks for pointing out Hoyt's column. I think he was right that the controversy was predictable and easily forestalled with a short explanation.
But dear, dear Foster, a couple things:
First, I don't know when -- or whether -- this Public Editor's column ran in the print edition but it wasn't today and the online version is dated 5 days ago.
Second, you describe this picture alternately as a photo illustration and a "real" photo. It is the latter, only. Definition of a photo illustration varies, but basically it is either an image that has been staged or one manipulated through technology. As the photographer describes it, this was a real live moment in the lives of real (stupid) kids. Labeling is important (see "sponsored posts")
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naugahydeinplainsight
07/26/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: You changed "today" to lately in your lede, didn't you, you rascal you.
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Foster Kamer
07/26/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: heh. shouldn't have been there in the first place! the "today" i implied was "we're covering this today" as a follow up to last weekend's story. but: you were right! i also changed all the references to photo/photo illustration. good catches. thanks for not being a dick while doing it, however. nicely played!
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DoctorNine
07/20/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
Texting! When I was a teen, the problem was bench style front seats, and girlfriends in low-cut cashmere sweaters. Let me tell you, you didn't get Blackberry thumb working that cashmere... nosirree...
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Payka
07/20/09

@DoctorNine's D9 Cat:
Speak english old man!
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DoctorNine
07/20/09

@Payka: Whippersnappers... I oughta lay into you with my cane...
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allyzay
07/19/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
True story: I know a guy who was thrown in the tombs for a whole night due to car texting cell phone usage! He was a drug dealer, with a lot on him being as it was a Friday night, and the wonderful glorious cops never actually searched the car they impounded. handed it back over to him at 4 or 5 am and he went off on his way with a ticket. And obviously down several hundred dollars due to being...otherwise occupied on peak business hours but hey. So, if you are a drug dealer, text away in your car, it might save your ass one day.
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naugahydeinplainsight
07/19/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
It's illegal where I live to drive while using a hands-on cell phone, but enforcement is almost non-existent. Until that changes, or until it becomes actually uncool to use a phone while driving (as is increasingly true for driving after drinking) all the laws in the world won't make us any safer.
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Conchie Birdie
07/20/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: Hmm, well in SF it's actually the only law they really enforce. I got a ticket for having my parents on speakerphone (reason being they had just landed at sfo) while in traffic on the Embarcadero. That same weekend my friend had a knife pulled on him by a homeless guy who was upset we didn't give him our change as we walked by - and, when the cops finally arrived, they let the guy go (and remain sitting on the same corner) and told us to head to another neighborhood. Nice. I'm glad I'm paying taxes for this kinda stuff.
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happymisanthrope
07/19/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
Your first task while driving a car should be driving the car, because you're sharing the road with idiots texting and need to watch out for their mistakes.
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Pinekatz
07/19/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
My daughter and I marveled at the guy next to us this week, at a cool 70 mph, madly texting, sipping his refreshment and smoothly changing lanes when necessary. He was about 38. Maybe its an age thing? This is probably why we ask ex-military 40-somethings to fly the space shuttle.

And every single time, I want a 40/50-something ex-military flying my commercial flight out of here. Just get this done right. Get me there without us all dying. I trust you.
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MissNormaDesmond
07/19/09

@Pinekatz: I hate to be all public service announcement, but please don't feed the idea that this is something people can do safely if they're just smart and slick enough. It's not. It's possible to play Russian roulette without killing yourself -- that doesn't mean it's not idiotically risky. Your texting driver did fine because luckily nothing unexpected happened. If it had, while he was texting, he'd have been fucked, and might well have taken you with him.
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Natasha VC
07/19/09

In reply to NYT To America's Teenage Drivers: Stop Texing, Goddamnit!
I'm a monorail driver by trade but my first passion is texting.
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