Recently my 11 year-old son had a very bad accident, shoving his arm through a pane of glass in a French door. In that accident, he severed arteries in his arm. You know all the stories about spurting blood? They are true.

I rode in the passenger seat of the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The driver was using lights and a siren. The blood was flowing. The ambulance driver was forced to slow to about 30 (in a 45 zone) behind an a--hole with a cell phone in his ear. Apparently his conversation was more important to him than my son's life. So here we are: son bleeding; me cussing; ambulance driver using lights, siren, and air horn.

We followed this guy for probably a mile--the ambulance driver was afraid to pass him on the right in the bike lane. To top it all off, when the guy finally did pull over to let us by, he stuck out his arm and gave us the one-finger salute! Maybe it's not the cell phones at all; maybe the type of people who use cell phones are more likely to be in accidents solely because of who they are, what their personalities are like. I'll tell you this: if I ever see the guy again, I will physically--really--stick that phone of his "where the sun don't shine."

Son (note other spelling) is recovering nicely.

Kevin McNelis

I pulled into the parking lot of a local office-supply store and, being the considerate driver I usually am, yielded to a car approaching me from the opposite direction, giving him the right of way to turn down the first parking lane in search of a parking space. He proceeded to do so, and I couldn't help but notice the jerky, erratic motion of his turn: creep forward, stop, jerk a bit to the right, creep forward, stop, jerk some more to the right--you get the picture.

My suspicions were confirmed as to the reason for this when I noticed the cell phone attached to the side of his head as he attempted his turn. Of course, he was steering with his one free hand. I waited as he jerked first right and then finally left--jerk, jerk, jerk (yes, him AND his driving maneuvers)--into an empty space.

But my worst fears were confirmed when I observed him get out of his now-parked car. The phone was still attached to his head, so there was no doubt that he had been driving with the other hand, which happened to be in a full plaster arm cast! Not just the hand, of which only finger and thumb tips were showing, but the complete lower AND upper arm.

But it gets even worse. The plaster cast was set on his arm at a 90-degree angle and was rigid, so he could not even bend his elbow! My last sight of this man was as he disappeared into the store, the phone still a part of his head.

Louie

Cell phone users--like BMW drivers--are not necessarily jerks, but there are enough of the smug, self-important kind running around that when something awful happens, you suppress the urge to smirk. Last year, a guy was beaten to death after refusing to turn off his cell in a German beer garden. Last month, another guy was mauled in a Mexican zoo after trying to retrieve his cell from a lion's cage. (It rang just as he was sneaking in, alerting the beast.) And now comes word from London that a guy plunged 10 stories to his death from a balcony trying to get better reception on--you guessed it--his cell phone. It's enough to make you miss rotary phones, isn't it?

Daniel

I was leaving the grocery store when I noticed grapefruit rolling around on the ground and realized that my bag had sprung a leak. So I am trying to collect these grapefruit without getting run over by someone pulling into the parking spot. This guy with a clipboard comes up to give me a hand and asks for my signature in helping Mr. X get on the ballot. A light dawned.

"Is this the guy who got into an accident while being interviewed via his cell phone?" Affirmative answer. "Never!!!" I said. "Anyone who is moronic enough to drive while being interviewed on their cell phone isn't fit for the Senate!" I continued by saying that hearing that tape had given me one of the biggest laughs I've had recently.

I was (only) somewhat embarrassed when a suited gentleman came over, extending his hand, "I'm Mr. X." He then said something to the effect that the cell phone was not a factor and, "only my skillful driving avoided a more serious accident." Talk about complete denial!

Jane Bozewicz

While driving near downtown Salt Lake City, I was paged by my ex-wife. Anxious to be a safe driver but terrified of the consequences of keeping her waiting, I pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and called her back on my cell phone. After finishing the conversation I attempted to make another cell phone call, but was interrupted by a young man pulling open my car door, yanking the phone from my hand, and running away with it.

I was so shocked by this egregious theft that all powers of rationality left me. I sprang from my car in hot pursuit. Now, you should realize that I am a middle-aged guy with the menacing physical presence of Pee-Wee Herman. Clearly the miscreant expected no such pursuit, because I easily caught up with him in about 50 yards. I grabbed his shirt collar, spun him around, and landed a lucky punch to the side of his head. He dropped the phone as he fell. I snatched it up and beat a hasty retreat. In the meantime, the convenience store clerk had called the police. After the officer had calmed me down somewhat, he asked me a series of tough questions.

Cop: Did you recognize the perpetrator?
Me: No.
Cop: Could you identify him?
Me: No.
Cop: Was he armed?
Me: I don't know.
Cop: Is your phone insured?
Me: Yes.
Cop: So...you chased down a potentially armed robber to retrieve a phone you could have had replaced in less than 24 hours at no risk to yourself?
Me: Yes.
Cop: You're a doctor?
Me: Yes.
Cop: Tell me something, Doc. Where was your car all this time?
Me: Parked right here at the convenience store.
Cop: With the keys in it?
Me: Uh...yes.
Cop: Engine running?
Me: Uh...
Cop: Door open?
Me: Uh...
Cop: Unattended?
Me: Uh...
Cop: Let me make sure I understand this. You left your car unattended with the engine running and the door open while you ran down the street chasing the potentially armed robber who had stolen your insured cell phone?
Me: Arrgh...
Cop: You're a doctor?!?

Well, I emerged from the whole sordid affair unharmed but feeling rather stupid. While it is unlikely that my phone would have been stolen had I been talking while driving at speed, I do not intend to use this argument against your worthy endeavor. Rather, I would encourage listeners to make sure their doors are locked when they pull over to make a call!

William Foster

My friend John was stopped at a red light behind a woman using a cell phone. The light turned green and she didn't move, so he tooted his horn, politely at first (beep beep) and finally angrily (TOOOT! TOOOT!). She drove off, but followed him to his destination. He parked. She pulled up alongside, opened her window, and said indignantly, "Couldn't you see I was on the phone!?"

John was overwhelmed by her logic and was unable to give a coherent response.

Bill

Mount Clemens, MI, attorney Michael L. Steinberg was sentenced to 10 days in jail for contempt of court in May as the result of his repeated refusal to obey Judge Michael Martone's admonitions to turn off his cell phone in the courtroom. The last straw for Judge Martone was when Steinberg chose to interrupt his questioning of a witness to take a call.

Kristen

Fortunately, I haven't had the misfortune of getting hit by a DWY (Driver Who's Yakking). But I have had some close calls. The most memorable of those occurred while my family was returning from a Welcome Back to School dinner at my daughter's school a few weeks ago. As we were driving homeward on a main street, some dame in an aging Ford Taurus came shooting out from a side street going VERY fast. I saw her coming and yelled a warning to my wife, who was driving. She hit the brakes, swerved over a lane, and hit the horn. The other driver came to a screeching halt just as the front of her car was entering the lane we had just left.

Evidently, the close call wasn't harrowing enough to make her drop her phone. The occupants of my car were my wife, my two young daughters, and myself. The other car contained the driver and two young children, very likely returning home from the same back-to-school dinner we were coming from. I hope her call was important enough to warrant jeopardizing the lives of four children, not to mention three adults. But somehow I doubt it was.

Mark Lebowitz

Tonight (September 12) on NBC's "Nightly News" there was a story about the new head of the NHTSA, Dr. Sue Bailey. Much was made of how she has a record of concern for auto safety and was going to lead the NHTSA by example.

The scene changed to show Dr. Bailey driving her SUV, and guess what?? She's got one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand is up against her ear with her cell phone!! And she's gabbing away!! Can you believe it! The head of the NHTSA--which, incidentally, has spent thousands of our taxpayer dollars researching and pontificating on the dangers of cell phone use while driving.

Rich Golen