To have been on my phone while driving

[Ihaveaquestionn]

Okay okay… I know I was being unreasonable but I want to know what might happen next

I was Driving from nursery drop-off to pick up a prescription - turned onto the road where the doctors surgery and pharmacy are located.

I got a call from nursery and answered using hands free in my car but it wasn’t connecting so I picked up my phone from the seat next to me. I spoke to my daughters key worker briefly (around 30 seconds) while driving about 5mph slowly into a car park.

I noticed a man in a parked car (he was parked mounted on the kerb and idling!!!) was very obviously talking to his passenger about me being on the phone while driving and looked like he was taking a photo of me! He was holding his phone up sideways in my direction.

What will happen if he reports me? As I said I know what I did was wrong but he was also breaking the law by sitting there with his engine on!

£200 fine, 6 penalty points and disqualified from driving if you passed your test less than two years ago

My friend was spotted by police and given a warning because she brushed her hair whilst stopped at traffic lights. If the man reports you, I think they will act on it.

Fine, carry on. I’ve offered you the benefit of my experience of having two cars written off by being rear ended by drivers using phones, the second one also putting me in hospital.

They were both prosecuted and convicted. But I’m sure the judge in your case would have let you off because you thought you were fine. So crack on! Why do you care what anyone here says if you’re so certain what you did was okay?

Youre an idiot and I hope you do get caught. Everyone caught using a phone says the same thing ..oh I was driving slowly, it was clear blah blah. You couldve stopped or ignored and called back but you chose to answer. Now accept any consequences

If you receive a fine or are taken to court, please accept the outcome with a good grace.

Courts are more sympathetic than I would be.

Just saw it was nursery and panicked I guess

Wow if you are that panicky, I'm not sure you are fit to be driving at all. You need to pay attention to driving, when you are driving.

There could be some action against you or none. If some action, even if it's just the police shaming you online, you'll have to suck it up won't you? If not, you've lucked out this time and make sure there's not a next time as next time, it could be a child under your wheels or bouncing off your windscreen and that is obviously way worse than getting shamed or a fine/points for it.

What? Of course you can! Not just children. Any age falling down and banging their head is more than enough!

Points/Facebook . shaming

I was in super slow moving traffic in a jam on the M1. My eyes were searching for the junction number of a slip road off to the left - - so still up and out the windscreen. The traffic in front of me had stopped, but that little mini blind spot that had been created by my eyes moving slightly to the left meant that I hadn’t seen this as I cruised slowly and relentlessly towards the car in front. I didn’t hit it, but only because my passenger pointed out that the traffic had stopped.
Doesn’t matter that you were doing 5mph. You deserve any penalty you get, and you’d feel the same if you had a DC learning to drive who would encounter fools who think it’s ok to take their eyes off the road for a fuc*ing phone.

Maybe just go and hand yourself in now OP. Get it done with.

No this isn’t a usual Mumsnet pile on. Nothing like it @mummyh2016

you have an OP saying this

If I was driving 5mph, talking on the phone hands free, surely I would be just as distracted as I was holding a phone in my hand?

This person actually believes this is not worth being fussed about. So yeah not a pile in, just a bunch of concerned folk arguing with someone who is convcined they did little wrong

I didn’t say I had an actual panic attack while driving did I?

No you didn’t @Ihaveaquestionn but neither did the previous poster: stop the “whatabouttery” and you’ll learn something

I used the word panicked to convey a sense of needing to answer my phone

yeah we all have those moments, most of us on here are parents.

You pull over
bring your car to a stop
Then call the person back
OR YOU ANSWER USING HANDS FREE LIKE MOST PEOPLE

because nursery don’t usually call me within 10 minutes of dropping my child off

That wouldn’t stand up in court as a defence. You’re not the only person with a young child. Just pull over next time fgs.

Do everyone a favour and sit and read the highway code and take a few extra driving lessons. You are ignorant and clueless.

That was deleted fast. Showed your true colours there OP. This is either a wind up or an idiot (or of course both).

How long before this happens:

• OP doesn’t like the fact most say they are unreasonable

• Complains to Mumsnet

• we then get this generic catch-all message on the now-deleted thread

“We’ve taken down this thread while we have a look behind the scenes”. ..

i haven’t complained I’m more than happy for mumsnet to keep this thread open!

We have a retired man in our neighbourhood who cruises about on a bicycle and takes photos of people using their mobile phone whilst driving. He’s told me he’s clocked over 50 fines to me as he does send on a photo of the person driving while on a handheld phone with a photo of the car registration to the local police. And they do act on them, he has their full support.

I thought he was a bit of a busy body until another neighbour told me he lost his 11yr old daughter to a distracted driver on their phone hitting & killing her walking home from school. Now I understand his motivation is to prevent anyone else being the dead child, grieving child’s parent or a driver that killed a child.

Don't think you can compare him being parked on a kerb to you using your phone.

Why do people post these threads here?

it’s like they are looking for a kicking

Anyway I’m not going to say I’m a perfect driver but one of my absolute bug bears is people driving whilst chatting on the phone. Then they wonder why people take photos and report them (not me but I’ve heard of it being done). Like it’s some big injustice.

That is a great post. I think people who are "busybodies" or "sanctimonious" often do have reasons for it. It's easy for people to look away when they haven't been affected. If that is you then I hope you never find out about what it is on the other side. But I also hope you are careful yourself, and if fear of a fine or losing your license is what does it instead of concern for life.... I don't like it but I will take that.

Yup. People who have been there trying to stop others going through it. Bless his heart.

It’s like the people who park like utter dicks then moan that their pic is on the local Facebook page.

Sorry but you were being unreasonable and he was not being unreasonable for taking a photo of you