I’ll Hands-Free You Right In the Bluetooth If You Don’t Keep That Thing In The Car.
15. Jan, 2010 
6 Comments
So as we were all warned, there’s no more cell-phone use allowed while driving in Canada, unless you enjoy being fined around $200. Well, in most of Canada anyways (BC, Saskatchewan and Ontario are in; Alberta, Manitoba, and the Yukon Territory have laws in the works. Meanwhile, you can still drive, text and gab all you want in Quebec, the Maritimes, and those crazy, crazy, Northwest Territories). That is of course, unless you’re equipped with one of the government’s latest mandated cash-grabs (accusation and solid proof pending): the Bluetooth hands-free device.
The gist of the law is that anyone who watches the screen of an electronic device (cellphone, GPS, mp3 player, DVD player, video games, or Sean Avery distracting Martin Brodeur, which also required a new law legislation) while driving violates the law; unless it’s installed correctly, and doesn’t obstruct the driver’s view of the road. To read the more detailed version of the BC Law, click here.
Now, with all that being said, let’s get to the real issue at hand with this law:
IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AROUND IN PUBLIC TALKING ON HANDS-FREE DEVICES.
Ok, I get it Government of Canada, you want to keep motorists and pedestrians alike, safe. Great, good plan. I appreciate your concern for my well-being. Honestly, I’m one of the better and safer driving talk and texter’s out there; but I’ll conform for the sake of the greater good. But for crying out loud, if I have to see one more person walking around talking into thin air, using their outside voice while clearly within hearing and visual range of myself and others, waving both their arms around like they just got their mental institute shackles off, I’m going to grab that little “lifesaver” right off their ear, turn it sideways, and show them where they can stick it: back in their car, so they can put it back on when they start driving again (what did you think I was going to suggest?)
I used to work at a local irrigation supply store in Kelowna, and we had this dealer rep from one of the companies we ordered products from that would regularly drop by our store to visit the owner and talk turkey. Fine by all accounts; probably good business and PR. The only problem was, this larger, portly, balding, booming bass voiced man (my friend and co-worker, Jayson Zilkie pointed out a startling Homer Simpson resemblance) would stroll into our store, mid-conversation, with his hands-free device inserted in his ear, and his speech burrowing into the goodwill-towards-men shield of my rage.
From the moment our door-chime went off, this guy was already 5 sentences deep. He would come in, flail his arms around, flaunt his apparent ability to solve problems on the spot for everyone in the store to hear, walk a few laps around our store, walk out the back door, come back in, repeat the process, and then one time I seem to recall, he actually left and drove off without ever even actually talking to anyone in our store. This happened A LOT while I was employed there. The guy was lucky I didn’t see him pulling that routine after our order of sharp garden tools came in and were displayed near the front desk.
So if you’re one of those people who uses a hands-free device outside of your car, out in public, on display for everyone to see and hear, remember this:
YOU’RE BOTHERING EVERYONE.
Do us all a favour; disconnect the hands-free when you turn off your car
and get out, and if you get a call, talk on the phone, like a normal human being. We may be thwarting road-rage with this law, but we may also be inventing Bluetooth-rage. When I got my headset (which I won off the radio for being the first caller), I made a vow to keep that thing in the car at all times. My suggestion to all of you is that you do the same, for all our sakes. And your own safety.
read more of Dave at Serenity Now… The SDC Blogs http://davecunning.wordpress.com
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could not agree more!
haha, thanks! You’ve made your opinion on this matter quite vocal and clear.
You think that’s bad? I was walking around campus the other day and someone was using that device that reads your texts out loud while walking to class. It was a bit muffled (I wasn’t THAT close… didn’t want to seem creepy) but It was like “ha ha yeah I am go-ing to class too L-O-L” (in that really annoying monotone voice)
I wanted to shoot myself.
So yes, I agree, Bluetooth’s, if they must be used, should be kept in one’s car.
My boyfriend was telling me a story about his friend (this sounds like the opening of, “Freaky Stories” … ‘It happened to a friend of a friend of mine’ [Whatever happened to that show]) Anyways… I’m getting off track, but yes, someone was using their Bluetooth at the urinal and having a conversation. Unfortuantely, the guy next to him didn’t know he so he was answering his questions. I don’t know much more detail than that… but that’s how bad it has gotten… they’re using them while using the bathroom.
Dave, keep it up the interesting and amazing blogs. I myself can one-hundred percent relate, and I am sure many more can as well!
Hah! Love it! I agree. Everytime I see this, I think I’m in the downtown east side of Vancouver, BC! Of course, those people don’t have Bluetooth…
April,
I’ve never heard of the text reading bluetooth people before, but now that I have, they’re on my list too. Thanks for the heads up. Amazing that in 2010, we can’t do better than Windows ‘95 computer reading broken words back.
You should tell your boyfriend to punch the next guy who uses one in the bathroom; clearly off limits there as well!
Thanks for the support April! Glad to have to reading, and participating in the conversation.
Grant,
oooo, cheap shot at the poor eastsiders…