I wonder how often people get caught up in what they are doing, and end up getting hurt or killed because they're not paying attention to what else they're doing?

[Alpo]

In the thread about baseball bats I made the comment that Gary Cooper wore a backwards uniform, and they flipped the film so it appeared he was batting left-handed.

 

That made me think about The Comancheros, and John Wayne with his left handed Winchester. Unlike the Gary Cooper movie, I'm sure that the flipping of the film in the John Wayne movie was not intentional, but it was still flipped.

 

And that made me think of the scene at the grain ranch. One of the defenders is hiding behind something, so he is sort of protected, and then he gets on top of it to get a better shot, and gets shot off of it.

 

I went to Fandango for the first time in 2001, and was taking photographs of Patches McDuff. And I was so intent on getting the right pictures, that I wasn't paying attention to where I was moving to to get my shot.

 

And I stepped in front of the firing line. Tex Boden (might have been Marshall Rusty - I remember it was a tall skinny fella - but I think it was Tex) reached out and pulled me back on the correct side of the line.

 

But the point is I was not watching where I was walking. I was watching in the viewfinder, and walked into a dangerous area.

[Dr. Zook]

In my line of work, I see the negative outcomes frequently.  'accidental' injuries can become 'fatal' proof of Darwinism.  Inattention to details "I thought it was unloaded", 'i just looked down at my phone's etc... We have to have our heads on a swivel constantly - roadway's we have a move over and slow down law for EMS/PD and seems like the only way to accomplish that is to park a big fire truck across two lanes to cover our "***" while we work on a pt.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Pilots attacking a ground target can be a victim of something called "Target Fixation", where they are so intent on shooting the target that they fly into the target on the ground. We lost a pilot in my squadron to it.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE for C.J.

 

"Target Fixation"  killed several pilots while I was on active duty.  The other BIG problem in Airplanes, is when the alarms go off, the Lights turn RED and the crew is to interested in "what's wrong" and completely forget they still have to FLY THE AIRPLANE.

[Pat Riot]

I see it often on highways and interstates. 
 

Something I see people doing on the interstate in PA and PA drivers in WV is focusing only on the car in front of them at about 2-3 car lengths back at 70 mph. 
Some WV’rs do it as well. 
 

I was headed home from the range in the fast lane and I saw 5 cars all bunched up, 2 car lengths apart doing about 70.

The lead car, with no turn signal started pulling onto an exit. All of a sudden car #2 over reacts when she sees car #1 leaving the road (anticipating this I let off the throttle) and she swerves left but overdoes it and comes into the fast lane. Cars 3,4&5 literally follow suit. 
Then it seems like all at the same time they get their composure then move back into the right line and continue on…maybe 4 car lengths apart now. 
Had I not anticipated what I thought was about to happen there is a good chance car 2 or 3 would have nailed me. Cars 2,3&4 had PA plates. 
Weird phenomenon. 

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Pilots attacking a ground target can be a victim of something called "Target Fixation", where they are so intent on shooting the target that they fly into the target on the ground. We lost a pilot in my squadron to it.

 

36 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

PLUS ONE for C.J.

 

"Target Fixation"  killed several pilots while I was on active duty.  The other BIG problem in Airplanes, is when the alarms go off, the Lights turn RED and the crew is to interested in "what's wrong" and completely forget they still have to FLY THE AIRPLANE.

 

Had a good friend that flew a Jug in the ETO. He told me that he "flew more Krauts into the ground" than he shot down, especially near the end of the war.

 

RIP Jerry

[Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L]

Lotsa people taking selfies fall off lotsa cliffs

[Pat Riot]

33 minutes ago, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

Lotsa people taking selfies fall off lotsa cliffs

In SoCal I used to warn people while they were walking towards phone poles while staring at their smart phones. After a while I stopped. In a 2 year period I witnessed at least a dozen people walk into things while staring at their phones. 
 

The day that seriously ticked me off was a young woman, mid-late 20’s and 3 little kids was walking and staring at her phone and literally stepped off the curb and started across a major boulevard 3 little kids in tow right out into traffic!

I flipped my helmet visor up and screamed at her. Cars swerved to miss them almost hitting other cars. 
I was in the right turn lane. She and the kids were to my right. 
I yelled at her telling her “…to watch what the he** you’re doing. You have three little kids with you!” This dipstick has the audacity to start screaming at me in shrill lesbianese while all three of these little kids are crying.

I heard the familiar cop car buzzer behind me as the patrol car stops right behind me with lights on.

I figure I am about to be ticketed so I shut the bike off and get off my bike. 
Two police officers get out and one officer tells me “We saw this happen from across the street at the Burger King” pointing to his left “I’m really glad you yelled at her when you did. Thank you. We’ll take it from here if you will give me your contact info in case we need to call you.”

I gave them my business card with my cell on the back. I got back on my bike and left. 
I have no idea what they did with the idiot woman and the kids. I was never called. 
 

 

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Instead of allowing Darwin to thin the herd................, 

[bgavin]

It seems the folks doing this, are those behind the wheel.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Hey Pat,

 

It ain't confined to PA drivers, believe me.  I use to commute into San Francisco.  10 - 15 cars inna stack in every lane, bumper to bumper at 70/75.  I was onna Electra Glide lookin for a place to HIDE!!  Same same when we run South and North for Mouse Safari.  Out there on I-95 with 50 cars and trux, bumper to bumper at 80.  I just tried to hide!!  Absolutely NO situational awareness.

 

Don't get me started on Cell Phones in Cars.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

16 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Hey Pat,

 

It ain't confined to PA drivers, believe me.  I use to commute into San Francisco.  10 - 15 cars inna stack in every lane, bumper to bumper at 70/75.  I was onna Electra Glide lookin for a place to HIDE!!  Same same when we run South and North for Mouse Safari.  Out there on I-95 with 50 cars and trux, bumper to bumper at 80.  I just tried to hide!!  Absolutely NO situational awareness.

 

Don't get me started on Cell Phones in Cars.

Here's one for you. When I was stationed in Massachusetts, During the morning commute, about 2 out of 3 drivers had a newspaper across their steering wheel. On the Interstate!

[punxsutawneypete]

The distracted driving on Interstate 270 in Maryland is legendary.  I observed a driver shaving while he was driving and I've heard stories about makeup application while driving during rush hour.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

[Eyesa Horg]

11 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Here's one for you. When I was stationed in Massachusetts, During the morning commute, about 2 out of 3 drivers had a newspaper across their steering wheel. On the Interstate!

I've watched em shave with the paper across the wheel heading into Hartford CT during rush hour!

[Pat Riot]

Riding a bike in CA and splitting lanes you see some real doozies. I think about 50% of the people out there that tint their driver and passenger side front windows do it so they don’t get caught doing something they shouldn’t be. 
Here are some things I have seen on LA freeways: 

Doing makeup

Doing hair - with a curling iron. Saw this twice. 

Texting

Animated phone conversations

Reading a paper 

Reading books

Watching movies / TV on their infotainment system - you can buy a kit for this, I am told.

Giving / getting sexual pleasure

Changing clothes 

Eating - the wildest was an Asian dude eating with chop sticks while holding a plate and steering with his knees. 
Doing actual office work - phone to ear held by shoulder, pen in hand, flipping through pages on a clipboard with the other. 
Tesla - guy sleeping wrapped in a blanket. I kid you not. 
Then you have the general silliness. Carloads of kids singing and bouncing about. Carload of drunks or stoners being drunks and stoners. 
The bouncy headed idiot flirting with woman as he rolls along driving by braille - hitting the bots dots that mark lanes instead of stripes. 
 

Before cell phones I would see some of those things, but with the advent of the cell phone stuff like this quadrupled. Cells phones made your front seat a couch or easy chair. Also, I think people see cell phone users skating by the law and they figure “What the heck? If they can do their thing I can do mine.”

I truly believe that if window tinting the front cab windows was banned and enforced strongly the driving death toll and accident rates would drop dramatically. 

[Pat Riot]

45 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I've watched em shave with the paper across the wheel heading into Hartford CT during rush hour!

Now that you mention it, I could add shaving to my list above. Shaving with a battery powered electric shaver.

[Dr. Zook]

Only saw it once, lathered up and using a Bic razor (or whatever type it was) and a lot of what PatRiot listed including a wreck as a result of giving/getting comment....

[bgavin]

Years ago, some guy tried to ram my Shovelhead chopper on the Golden Gate Bridge in commute traffic.
I was fortunate to find a wide enough space between lanes to make my escape.

 

A few years now, I gave up my last Harley.
Just plain too dangerous to ride any bike in my area now.

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot said:

Riding a bike in CA and splitting lanes you see some real doozies. I think about 50% of the people out there that tint their driver and passenger side front windows do it so they don’t get caught doing something they shouldn’t be. 
Here are some things I have seen on LA freeways: 

Doing makeup

Doing hair - with a curling iron. Saw this twice. 

Texting

Animated phone conversations

Reading a paper 

Reading books

Watching movies / TV on their infotainment system - you can buy a kit for this, I am told.

Giving / getting sexual pleasure

Changing clothes 

Eating - the wildest was an Asian dude eating with chop sticks while holding a plate and steering with his knees. 
Doing actual office work - phone to ear held by shoulder, pen in hand, flipping through pages on a clipboard with the other. 
Tesla - guy sleeping wrapped in a blanket. I kid you not. 
Then you have the general silliness. Carloads of kids singing and bouncing about. Carload of drunks or stoners being drunks and stoners. 
The bouncy headed idiot flirting with woman as he rolls along driving by braille - hitting the bots dots that mark lanes instead of stripes. 
 

Before cell phones I would see some of those things, but with the advent of the cell phone stuff like this quadrupled. Cells phones made your front seat a couch or easy chair. Also, I think people see cell phone users skating by the law and they figure “What the heck? If they can do their thing I can do mine.”

I truly believe that if window tinting the front cab windows was banned and enforced strongly the driving death toll and accident rates would drop dramatically. 

 

I've seen your list plus dozens of other distracted drivers over the years.

 

Years ago, they made driving without a seat belt a secondary offense, now it morphed into a primary offense that they can pull you over for and issue a citation .If the cops around here would just enforce the cell phone laws (secondary offense) alone, I'd bet the accident rates would drop by 40 - 50% at least. Better yet, make it a primary offense.

[Eyesa Horg]

Imagine what we'll see with autonomous driving vehicles. My new truck has "Super Cruise" and follows a Lidar map. It even passes all by itself! Will do it with a camper behind it too. Pretty weird to say the least. The wheel wiggles a bit and ya feel it. I'm hesitant to try it while towing.

[Pat Riot]

11 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

I've seen your list plus dozens of other distracted drivers over the years.

 

Years ago, they made driving without a seat belt a secondary offense, now it morphed into a primary offense that they can pull you over for and issue a citation .If the cops around here would just enforce the cell phone laws (secondary offense) alone, I'd bet the accident rates would drop by 40 - 50% at least. Better yet, make it a primary offense.

I can’t tell you how many people I have seen with a phone up to their ear when driving and making mistakes, swerving, slowing down in the fast lane, tailgating, etc. 

 

Years ago, when I rode my bike in the freeways I looked for and stayed clear of cars with cell phone antennas. When car phones went away riding a bike became a lot more dangerous because you don’t know who’s possibly on a phone. 
 

The TV used to be called the “idiot box”. I think smart phones now deserve that moniker in some cases. 

[Dr. Zook]

Az passed a law allowing M/C operators to split the lanes at red lights and basically ride the lane stripe to the front of the line.  While it is meant to improve traffic flow/safety - it only takes someone to have an inattention moment and cause a wreck. 

In Scottsdale, the bicycle riders think they own the road, seen them overtake a regular vehicle lane vs using their own bike lane & using the new split lane law to wiggle thru traffic then they are packed right up front and don't really get moving enough causing traffic to back up.

Edited August 9 by Dr. Zook

[Texas Jack Black]

 Humans are Morons that is why I identify as a Vulcan.

[Dr. Zook]

30 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Imagine what we'll see with autonomous driving vehicles. My new truck has "Super Cruise" and follows a Lidar map. It even passes all by itself! Will do it with a camper behind it too. Pretty weird to say the least. The wheel wiggles a bit and ya feel it. I'm hesitant to try it while towing.

We have those driverless cars running around... They were undergoing testing and ran over a pedestrian walking their bike at night. While it did have a human backup co driver, it still happened.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html

Edited August 9 by Dr. Zook

[Eyesa Horg]

I had no idea it would pass!! They don't come with manuals anymore. Suddenly there was a buzz in my ass a warning on the dash that we were preparing to pass!! I check mirror frantically and sure enough the signal came on and it smoothly moved to the left lane. Took forever to pass as the vehicle it was passing was way up ahead yet and only going a mile or two slower! Once we were way past it,another buzz in the ass, a warning and we moved back to the right lane! At least now with a strong mount, I can reload on my way to match!

[Dr. Zook]

Careful which lever you pull...lol

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Texas Jack Black said:

 Humans are Morons that is why I identify as a Vulcan.

 

A Vulcan what?

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Texas Jack Black said:

 Humans are Morons that is why I identify as a Vulcan.

A lame blacksmith?

[bgavin]

A longtime friend of mine drove long haul trucking.
He talked about sweet young things driving next to him with the top down and doing the most amazing things.

 

[Warden Callaway]

Son and wife took a vacation in Vietnam. (Said the people were extremely nice to them)  Anyway, he said it was crazy crossing the street.  You just walk and trust all the traffic dodges you.