You can't legislate common sense... unfortunately.

They've passed a law here in NJ that makes it a primary offense to use a cell phone, meaning they can pull you over for that specifically instead of getting you for something else and tacking that on to the ticket, unless you're using a hands-free setup...

What they fail to realize is that it's not so much the fact you're driving with one hand as trying to split your attention at least two ways while driving and trying to hold a conversation on the phone.

Now I don't know about all of you, my many readers... *cough* ...but as for myself, when I ride I prefer to hear all that's going on around me and pay attention to my driving, and yes, I consider it driving since a bicycle is a vehicle, instead of using a phone, blasting the radio, or any of the other things that these people seem to think is all right to do while piloting a ton of armored personnel carrier at illegal speeds through the streets I like to ride on and their kids walk to school along.

A few minutes ago there was an ad on TV about the latest "luxury SUV" and the main selling point they were pushing in this commercial was how they soundproofed the cabin so no sounds from outside can get in to annoy you and interrupt your incredibly vital phone calls and music enjoyment.

You know, things like that guy honking his horn trying to tell you that you left your baby on the roof or that your car is on fire, and you wont hear the siren of that cop trying to pull you over for some minor infraction that will now get blown out of all proportion because you didn't stop for the officer... and you wont hear that cyclist your about to right hook as he thumps on your door trying to get your attention so you wont kill him.

Might sound silly to some but if I were piloting over a ton of steel, rubber, and plastic at speeds that border on stupidity I'd like to use all the senses at my disposal to know all that's going on around me.

I find the whole notion of legislating the selective use of cellphones to be the pinnacle of pointless law-making, you can either use them or you can't, none of this 'you can't unless it's hands-free on a tuesday in a month ending in Y but only during daylight savings time during a leap year...'

If it distracts you from paying attention to your driving, it goes, simple as that.

Cell phones, excessively loud radios, texting, drinking, eating, getting dressed, putting on makeup, all of that and then some, if you do it you need to be at least cited if not dragged from your car and bitchslapped in the street.

And folks wonder why I have no love for the human race.