Octopus Overlords

I get not texting, but honestly, it's gone too far. Not texting? Fine. Not answering the phone? Yep. Not browsing the web? Sure. Making it a crime to push 'play' or 'skip' on Spotify that's mounted right next to your radio, which also has 'play' and 'skip' buttons that are fine to press? Silly.

Like this guy:

Just have the windshield replacement places call them.

That's not a thing everywhere.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:04 pm Like this guy:

That's not distracted driving. Anyone using their phone would have slammed on the brakes the moment they went through the barrier. This car hits the brakes only after making the jump.

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 5:41 pm
That's not distracted driving. Anyone using their phone would have slammed on the brakes the moment they went through the barrier. This car hits the brakes only after making the jump.

Didn't say it was. This guy was so focused on driving...he drove.

Don't pull out of a parking spot and then stop to put on your seatbelt and get your phone situated and do whatever. Do all that shit before you get out of park.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 2:56 pm I get not texting, but honestly, it's gone too far. Not texting? Fine. Not answering the phone? Yep. Not browsing the web? Sure. Making it a crime to push 'play' or 'skip' on Spotify that's mounted right next to your radio, which also has 'play' and 'skip' buttons that are fine to press? Silly.

But so few people really do just hit skip or play. They repeatedly hit skip, looking for a song they like; or they just out and out search for one. Most systems have voice control for that stuff now. Use it.

I don't think they're going too far at all.

That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Rumpy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:06 pm That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Agreed, and I have a Tesla. At least I can skip or request a song, or control the volume via the steering wheel. But I have to touch the screen for climate control, though that is not much different than fiddling with a knob.

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:02 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 2:56 pm I get not texting, but honestly, it's gone too far. Not texting? Fine. Not answering the phone? Yep. Not browsing the web? Sure. Making it a crime to push 'play' or 'skip' on Spotify that's mounted right next to your radio, which also has 'play' and 'skip' buttons that are fine to press? Silly.

But so few people really do just hit skip or play. They repeatedly hit skip, looking for a song they like; or they just out and out search for one. Most systems have voice control for that stuff now. Use it.

I don't think they're going too far at all.

I have skip and volume controls on the steering wheel of my 6 year-old car. I don't even have to look at them to use them. Surely this is standard now. Or is it a Spotify thing? There are apps I don't use in the car because they don't play nicely with the interface. I just use something else. Can't have every little thing, you're driving a multi-ton death machine for fuck's sake.

And yeah, there's always voice command. Even if the car doesn't have it, the phone does.

So continuing to put on my makeup while driving is cool?
Phew......

If you’re parked, I’m fine with you putting on makeup. What eyeliner do you use these days?

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:33 pm If you’re parked, I’m fine with you putting on makeup. What eyeliner do you use these days?

Ummmm....excuse me....it's not eyeliner.
It's guyliner....

I use 2 black pencils - kohl (for smudging) and gel (for waterline) and usually some kind of darker eyeshadow (bronzer or contour have also worked).

My process: tightline upper and lower waterline and then draw slim lines all around the eyes and smudge with pinky. Then I secure the blending and color with an eyeshadow.

Thanks for asking!!

But again, you’re parked, right?

Well thats....interesting.....and detailed.

Don’t you make sandwiches while you drive?

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:15 pm But again, you’re parked, right?

I try to be, as getting straight lines while doing 60 is kind of a bitch when you're steering with your knees.
But sometimes you're running late and you do whatcha gotta do, right?
I cant let my adoring masses see me at less than my best!!

Whatever technology is standard in cars today will start hitting the poor people in about 10-15 years when those cars are ready for their third owner.

And features like remote control of apps are very likely to either be worn out /defective, or won't play nice with tech more than a decade beyond what they were designed for.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:14 pm

Rumpy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:06 pm That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Agreed, and I have a Tesla. At least I can skip or request a song, or control the volume via the steering wheel. But I have to touch the screen for climate control, though that is not much different than fiddling with a knob.

Also, most of climate control is also voice-controllable. Short of adjusting airflow angle.

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:34 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:14 pm

Rumpy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:06 pm That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Agreed, and I have a Tesla. At least I can skip or request a song, or control the volume via the steering wheel. But I have to touch the screen for climate control, though that is not much different than fiddling with a knob.

Also, most of climate control is also voice-controllable. Short of adjusting airflow angle.

I never tried that, how does it work?

Jaymann wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:23 am

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:34 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:14 pm

Rumpy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:06 pm That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Agreed, and I have a Tesla. At least I can skip or request a song, or control the volume via the steering wheel. But I have to touch the screen for climate control, though that is not much different than fiddling with a knob.

Also, most of climate control is also voice-controllable. Short of adjusting airflow angle.

I never tried that, how does it work?

Some examples.

Thanks, that's sweet.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:14 pm

Rumpy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:06 pm That's why I feel touchscreens in cars, and the focus on them in the last several years in having these big touchscreen media centers (ie Tesla) that control everything, is the wrong direction to go in, when voice activation will usually suffice.

Agreed, and I have a Tesla. At least I can skip or request a song, or control the volume via the steering wheel. But I have to touch the screen for climate control, though that is not much different than fiddling with a knob.

I don't mind the smaller ones that most vehicles have these days, but within the last few years, it seems they've doubled or tripled in size to the point that it looks like you have an 8-Inch tablet protruding from the dash, and in all honesty, what were the designers thinking? In an age where distracted driving is increasingly common, it seems like a misguided design choice.

I remember watching a Youtube video of a cop who pulled over a Tesla driver (this is when the Mark 3 just came out?) and the cop had never seen one before and asked the driver to take his tablet down as it wasn't allowed. The driver laughed and explained that it was part of the car.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:05 pm Whatever technology is standard in cars today will start hitting the poor people in about 10-15 years when those cars are ready for their third owner.

And features like remote control of apps are very likely to either be worn out /defective, or won't play nice with tech more than a decade beyond what they were designed for.

"The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."

― William Gibson

If we want to get rid of driving impairments, should we not also ban eating while driving? I see folks all the time struggling to get more of their 'MuricaBurger in their burger hole and not on their shirt while driving. Or for distracted driving, maybe don't allow kids in the car. Many is the time when my kids were small in a carseat, my wife did some contortionist's trick to get them something in the back seat. Where does it end? I am ready to embrace our automatic car driving overlords.

Hell, at one point I read that you should pull over to take a sip of your drink.

I’ve heard you should pull over to sigh.

Formix wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:57 am If we want to get rid of driving impairments, should we not also ban eating while driving? I see folks all the time struggling to get more of their 'MuricaBurger in their burger hole and not on their shirt while driving. Or for distracted driving, maybe don't allow kids in the car. Many is the time when my kids were small in a carseat, my wife did some contortionist's trick to get them something in the back seat. Where does it end? I am ready to embrace our automatic car driving overlords.

At the end of the day, don’t do things that take your eyes off the road for more than a second or two...period. It’s just common sense. Don’t bother trying to find silly examples of every situation that could cause a distraction. If you DO do something that distracts you to that degree, get a ticket, I’m behind that 100 percent.

If you don’t agree that distracted driving is a problem, you’re just ignoring facts.

p.s. From the United States Department of Transportation NHTSA site. They define distracted driving thusly:

For the past decade, distracted driving has taken U.S. roadways by storm, endangering not only the distracted drivers, but their passengers, pedestrians and others on the road — including bicyclists.

The past year has brought a lot of distractions and changes in our life, but when we're behind the wheel we must be focused on one task: safe driving. Anytime you divert your attention from driving, you're distracted. This includes texting, talking, using your phone, adjusting the radio, setting your navigation, applying makeup, eating or drinking.

I find in my olde age I have to pay complete attention to my driving. I can't look at things my wife is pointing out and adjusting the radio or climate controls is a risky business.

Anybody who thinks that someone can stare out the window at the same empty 20-mile stretch of road 800 times per year (the approximate number of times I go to drop off/pick up my son from school) after 9,000 trips down that road (I've been doing this for well over a decade) is out of their mind. Keep my eyes up? Sure. Not go bleary-eyed after a while while my mind wanders? Not a chance.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked that we're discussing why you should pay attention when driving.

If you're driving and you're not paying attention for extended periods of more than a few seconds, you're a danger to yourself and others. End of story.

If you're going "bleary eyed" it's time to pull over and rest. Don't believe me? Then listen to the CDC.

Driving a stick precludes most of those distractions. Driving is a more active process when you're working a clutch and a shifter.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:58 am Driving a stick precludes most of those distractions. Driving is a more active process when you're working a clutch and a shifter.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:04 pm Like this guy:

Glad they've got the car in that highlighted circle.

Did his widow shatter?

hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:52 am I'm absolutely gobsmacked that we're discussing why you should pay attention when driving.

If you're driving and you're not paying attention for extended periods of more than a few seconds, you're a danger to yourself and others. End of story.

If you're going "bleary eyed" it's time to pull over and rest. Don't believe me? Then listen to the CDC.

I didn't say that. Of course you should be paying attention. But human attention has it's limits. Those limits are reduced for repetitive actions, and repeatedly driving down the same straight road qualifies. The mind dissociates and disconnects. Thus going 'bleary eyed', by which I meant the mind wandering, going from active alertness to vague general awareness. It's different in a city in traffic, of course. There you have things to actually pay attention to. Stop lights, pedestrians, lane switching, traffic, emergency vehicles. But for rural driving? Good luck. On long drives it's called 'highway hypnosis', but thousands of trips down the same stretch causes the same effect.

But the idea of perfect focus and attention while driving that people seem to tout isn't realistic.

I've repeatedly stated distractions of more than a few seconds, and I wholeheartedly believe that. If you're doing something that takes your eyes off the road for more than a few seconds, don't do it. If you're zoning out and not giving your full attention to the road for any reason, pull over and rest or do something that makes you alert. Roll down a window or something.

You can daydream while driving. No one is saying not to. However, doing so the point that you're "bleary eyed" sure sounds like inattentive to me. I don't want the driver behind a school bus full of children to be in a state of "vague general awareness".

I think perhaps I've talked you into a corner at this point. If so, I apologize. I stand by my comments that you should pay attention to the road. And that distracted driving is bad. But I will grant you that I may have inadvertently forced you into trying to defend something you didn't actually mean though.

However, if you are routinely in extended states of "vague general awareness" during long drives, I urge you to look at those moments and think "would I be able to stop on a dime if something happened?". If you can honestly say yes, then you're probably not as distracted as it sounds to me.

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:49 pm Did his widow shatter?

Yes busted his windshield real good.