Sam Greenfield on rules to govern our cell phone culture

Sam Greenfield

(CNN) – Sam Greenfield is a radio talk show host based out of New York. His show, "The Sam Greenfield Show," can be heard weeknights on News/Talk 1050 WEVD. During his career, he has interviewed such noted guests as Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, John Glenn, Senator John McCain, Steve Allen and Sidney Sheldon. Greenfield writes a column for "Talkers," a radio-centered magazine.

CNN Moderator: Welcome to Crossfire online, Sam Greenfield.

Sam Greenfield: Hello, and happy holidays!

Question from Hal: What are they going to do about CB radios or lipsticks or just plain radios?

Sam Greenfield: Well, CB radios are not as dangerous because once you have the speaking component in your hand, that's all you need. I assume you set the volume and the frequency. It's easier; you don't need to go through everything; you don't need to dial a number when using a CB. So, it's much easier.

Question from Mary: Do you think police should ticket for cell use if it was used at the time of the driving offense?

Sam Greenfield: Absolutely! Maybe without the cell phone, there is no accident. But that's up to the police officer's discretion, I think.

Comment from Steve: You can dial your phone without looking at the dial pad.

Sam Greenfield: You know something? I'm very good at that, but every once in a while I mess up. If you're driving at night and it's dark and you're having trouble seeing the lit numbers, it's not worth it. I don't see how this is arguable.

Question from Brickhouse: Are voice-activated phones acceptable to you?

Sam Greenfield: They're better, but it's still you not paying full-time attention to driving, and that -- since I was three years old -- is a traffic offense. One thing: driving. That's it. There's a life at stake; there could be a breadwinner at stake, a daughter at stake -- it's not worth it.

Question from Johnnyatlanta: Why are cell phones worse than eating, smoking, shaving, applying make-up, etc.? Where is the objective evidence?

Sam Greenfield: I can have a sandwich on the seat next to me, be driving, reach down, bite into it, and put it down. But once again, I agree, if you have to look down to see the fries, you see people applying ketchup to fries, you see people reaching for the cigarette lighter. All that is dangerous. If you take your eyes off the road, it's dangerous, because an accident can happen in a split second. If you know anyone who has lost someone to a traffic accident, you wouldn't be arguing this position.

CNN Moderator: One of our audience members, Andy-123, asked about palms and PDAs. Should we include using these in any restrictions on cell phone use while driving?

Sam Greenfield: Yes! Oh my god, palm pilots are worse. Let me see. January 3: get into accident. Nothing that takes eyes off the road, that's my mantra. If it's that important, pull over, that's all. I'm not a Luddite, and I think cell phones are fine. I use one a lot -- don't use it when I drive. If there's an emergency, you can pull over.

ALSO Holly Firfer talks about cell phone studies December 20, 2000 New smart phones due for early 2001 release Nobember 29, 2000

CNN Moderator: Do we need official rules of cell phone etiquette, or can we rely on businesses such as theaters and restaurants to set limitations on cell phone use?

Sam Greenfield: Well, they have. They absolutely have. You are told at a play, please turn off your cell phones and beepers. At a restaurant, it's not the cell phones; it's the loudness. I don't care if you have a cell phone at a restaurant; why are you yelling? When someone speaks to you and you can't speak English, sometimes English-speaking people yell, "IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU!" It's like that.

CNN Moderator: Who is in charge? Are people in control of technology, using it to work more effectively, or has technology begun to control us, making us afraid to be "out of touch"?

Sam Greenfield: I think it's making us afraid to be out of the house. With TVs and VCRs and DVDs and computers, you don't have to leave the house. I think it isolates people.

Question from Daniel: I was recently at fault in an accident because I was in stop and go traffic and looked down to change the song on my in-dash CD player. Should I have been ticketing for playing music? If I were using my cell phone, I would still have been ticketed for the accident because it is my responsibility to keep my car under control. I think it's overkill to ticket us for what we are doing in the car unless it breaks the law.

Sam Greenfield: Did the cop determine that loading the CD caused the accident? If that's the reason the accident was caused, yes.

Question from Ce: Do you see the danger in forcing all cell speakers to be on the side of the road?

Sam Greenfield: Like 80 cars lined up with cell phones? No, I don’t understand how there would be a danger.

Question from Japes: Do you feel the auto industry and the cell phone industry need to work together to make a hands-free standard?

Sam Greenfield: I think that with technology, you can have a much safer cell phone than you have now, much safer. You have computers where you can talk and it types out what you're saying, so I'm hoping that one day you have a cell phone where you say, "Dial home, dial work," and that happens.

Question from Mary: Do cell phones coincide with our first amendment freedom of speech?

Sam Greenfield: No. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you have the right to get into an accident. Freedom of speech means you can stand on a soapbox and speak your mind. It doesn't mean you can drive like an idiot while you're trying to find out where the card game is.

Comment from Sam: Sam, we do have a cell phone that will dial home or dial work when you ask it to do so.

Sam Greenfield: I have a cell phone that will dial home or work with one punch, but I won't use it when I drive.

Comment from Slowhand: All of the issues associated with cell phone-related incidents fall in the category of careless or, in some cases, reckless driving.

Sam Greenfield: But the human error is propagated by the use of the cell phone. It's not like someone's driving and suddenly they go from 30 to 70 mph and through a stoplight. That's driver error. The use of the cell phone diverts you from what you should be doing -- driving the car.

I say this again: if anyone lost someone to an accident caused by someone using a cell phone, they wouldn't be defending this, unless they're insane or not crazy about that particular relative.

Question from Chaosdog: With so many distractions out there, why cell phones?

Sam Greenfield: Why don't you ask the relatives of the almost 500 people killed on the highway by inattentive cell phone users?

Question from Mary: Cell phones have also saved many lives by the action of 911 in accidents. So they also can serve a purpose. Do you agree?

Sam Greenfield: I agree, absolutely. I have a small daughter, and my wife has had a cancer recurrence -- she's okay and doing fine. But because she goes to the hospital every three weeks, the cell phone is essential. We can say they're great. Aren't they a convenience, haven't they saved lives? Yes, they have. Do I have one? Yes. Am I glad? Yes. Have they caused accidents because people used them irresponsibly for nonemergency use? Yes.

Question from Jim: How about two-way radios? Do you want them banned while driving, too?

Sam Greenfield: CBs are different, because you can set them -- channel, volume, everything -- before you drive. You just hold the hand mike in your hand, that's it. Very different, very different technology.

Comment from Witness: The technology we are creating is far outdistancing our ability to properly assimilate it into our lives without sacrificing our human gifts.

Sam Greenfield: I think that the world is moving very rapidly. I think there's a whole segment of our population that's getting less behind in the information age.

CNN Moderator: Do you have any final thoughts for us?

Sam Greenfield: Drive safely and carefully!

CNN Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Sam Greenfield.

Sam Greenfield: Thank you.

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Holly Firfer talks about cell phone studies
December 20, 2000
New smart phones due for early 2001 release
November 29, 2000

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