Cell Phone Conversations & Distracted Driving

[headborg]

Well my morning got off to a bad start today.

I dead headed out of the TA truckstop this morning bound for
San Clemente to pick up a load by 8am- didn't get the load info and out of the truckstop until 6:45am. 54mile deadhead---so it was tight( little did I know at the time- it was already late- as it was suppose to be picked up Friday)

I start down I-15 when the phone rings: it's Mom. I've been trying to reach
her for 3 days to let her know, I won't be home for Christmas...electing to Run instead out here to Cal- and planning on rescheduling Christmas later.

So, she asks when I'll be over to 'fetch' her to bring her over for the Holiday.

Well, Mom-- I'm in Cal...yada...yada..yada...

She doesn't believe me....".it's that wife of yours---you just don't want me over for the holiday.....you're a bad son....."

Anyway, for 15minutes after the conversation...I'm still thinking about the "bad son" deal. By this time I'm driving into the rising sun.
I get on the CB, and ask---"If the sun- rises in the east, sets in the west, and I'm headed SOUTH ON I-5----WHY AM I DRIVING INTO THE SUN.

THE ANSWER I GET BACK IS----FIRST OFF, YOU'RE NOT ON I-5!


Now I'm driving into a rising sun, looking at my atlas trying to "locate" myself---because I drove right past CA-91---I'm way down in Lake Elsinore.

There's no way over that mountain, and now---I'm still looking to find how far south I actually am,
At this point we run into another problem---the map of southern California cuts off about the Riverside/San Diego county line( the blow up pg 17),
pg 18 has the blow up of San Diego( which I seem to be headed towards)

then there's that space BETWEEN those two maps- on pg. 15------but before I realize that( still driving into that rising sun) I miss the one exit-
Ca-76 to Oceanside-
So, I end up running all the way down to Escondido and back tracking back
up Ca-78 to Oceanside then NORTH back to San Clemente.

126mile "scenic route"

__________________________________________________ ___________

[kahlana]

sorry convo with mom was rough enough to get ya off course... maybe "that wife of yours" could go get mom?? :shock: lol just a thought (mental note.. do not give borg my truck number.. tires are spendy :shock: )

[Lunker]

Driving a big rig takes way too much concentration to just keep driving, wondering where you are while pondering the last phone call. Pull off on a ramp, get your bearings, get help if possible on the cb, just don't keep driving wasting fuel and time, cause that's when bad things will most likely happen.

[headborg]

Driving a big rig takes way too much concentration to just keep driving, wondering where you are while pondering the last phone call. Pull off on a ramp, get your bearings, get help if possible on the cb, just don't keep driving wasting fuel and time, cause that's when bad things will most likely happen.

@ Luker ---normally this would all be excellent advice.
he only problems are with these specific circumstances; they complicate the safety of pulling off on a ramp or shoulder.
Normally, it's considered unsafe to drive into a rising sun or setting sun--because visibility is impaired--not only your's but the motorist following you- in this circumstance is just like driving in FOG---you're advised not to pull off the roadway or stop- unless you can get far off the roadway. Cars aim for the tail of traffic ahead of them when visibility is impaired.

2nd problem is I-15 has several exit ramps with 0 return ramps- once you exit now you're really lost.
3rd problem is California until just recently never used exit numbers, and it's hard to find mile markers--so pulling off the road in the middle of no where- to figure out "where" you are--doesn't work very well.

This is the first time--I've really wished I'd had a GPS device with some kind of warning buzzer--then I would have been alerted when I went off course.

It was a bad situation- topographically & geographically----there are no truck routes over the Santa Ana Mountain range back to the coast. Once
I realized I was in Lake Elsinore- it was 50/50 either way---now later, running it on pc*miler- if I had turned around- 116miles that way. And 126-continuing on making the big circle.

[Darin Younce]

Cell Phone use can be a big distraction and a danger. I can't count the
times I have seen drivers making turns, going thru intersections, passing cars and so forth with a phone glued to their ear. I will not answer my phone when I am in any situation other than a long open road , even there I will try to limit the conservation.