Sign of the times

[maddog]

Does this mean you had your phone at the ready to take a picture while driving

 

[norite]

Does this mean you had your phone at the ready to take a picture while driving

Finally, that question arises, I thought it might and I am surprised it did not come up sooner, if I had not posted that pic I would be thinking that too.

Let me explain the circumstances. The flagmen had just stopped me and I was the first in line so to speak. As soon as he had me stopped he pulled out his phone and started checking it. The angle was just right so you could not see his face so he is pretty much unidentifiable. I didn't want the guy to lose his job, I just thought it was a good opportunity to get a pic without getting anyone in trouble. I have seen many other flagmen doing this also, so he is not the only one.

So I am stopped waiting for him to let me go, and with this particular construction company once you are stopped, 10 -15 minute waits are typical. My phone is on the center console of my p/u truck. I usually keep it there as I am more likely to hear it if it rings and is much easier to access than in my pants pocket. I do pull over onto the road shoulder to answer and make calls when driving, if I am having a conversation while driving the phone is on speakerphone always, I hate texting but again do so stopped on the side of the road if unavoidable. So I pick up the phone and snap the pic, just intending to show it to some of my friends. That evening when I looked at the pic and saw that the guy was not visible but the phone was, I decided to post it here because I think this is becoming a major issue that concerns those that do hwy work.

Now to the guys credit he does not and cannot see his opposite number around a long curve and over a mile away. He does have a radio to communicate with, you can see it sticking up out of his vest pocket. He is not using his phone to communicate with the other flagman. He also has me stopped blocking the lane so other traffic will presumably stop behind me, and since he had just stopped the traffic with me, no other traffic was passing from the other direction yet. He was using his radio until he had me stopped at which point he pocketed the radio and pulled out his phone and started pushing the keys with both thumbs.

My issue is anyone standing on the side of a highway should be alert and aware of what is going on around them. I don't think whatever he was doing with his phone was so important that it could not wait until his coffeebreak or lunchbreak. Highways seem like dangerous places to me especially when I am not in a vehicle.

I enjoyed all the comments so far, they seem to agree with my thoughts on this subject. I'm an old dog and maybe I just don't get it. If someone thinks that the guy in the pic is doing nothing wrong, please explain that to me.

 

[Queenslander]

Something like this might have the desired effect on our stop n go man.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HJHcCVfT8hM

 

[norite]

Something like this might have the desired effect on our stop n go man.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HJHcCVfT8hM

Link doesn't work, Youtube says link is private

 

[Queenslander]

Bummer.......seems to have been removed from YouTube, still appears on wife's fb page.
Iam not smart enough to share it from there, it's the one with the guy in front of the red MAN.

 

[fixou812]

He dropped an m80 firecracker in the dudes pocket while he was busy on the phone. ....made him fall down while he shat

 

[old-iron-habit]

He dropped an m80 firecracker in the dudes pocket while he was busy on the phone. ....made him fall down while he shat

That happened to a friend at a bar many years ago. Someone stuck a silver salute in his back pocket as a joke. He ended up three weeks in the hospital, messed up for almost a year, and is still missing over half of one a** cheek.

 

[Queenslander]

Try this one....doesn't seem as funny now after OIH's post.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rcWAWj-TbM4