Re: phones, drinks, smokes & manual transmissions

[Wolff <wolff_b@ix.netcom.com>]

FWIW, My wife read a study that showed accidents attributed to cell
phone usage were due to the talker paying attention to the conversation
rather than the road. Statistically, handling or dialing the phone had
no impact on the accident rate. I use a handheld cell phone in my POS
auto trans work car, and I have to agree with the findings of the study.
The calls I field are highly technical in nature and I find that my
attention goes mostly to the phone call. I recently decided that self
preservation is more important than these phone calls, so I wait until I
can pull over to make the calls. 
Wolff 
P.S. If you drove a faded orange 1980 Datsun 210 with bad shocks and
stock brakes that has already been crunched in front (not by me) you
would absolutely agree with me here: This thing is a death trap.
Imagine, I drive this junker (if you can call it driving, it's more like
coaxing) around sometimes during my workday. I get back to the plant,
pull up and park next to a pristine '91 200 tq with A8 Speedlines and
pearl paint. I get in the 200 and drive off to go home. People must
think I'm stealing the 200. All I know for sure is that these two
vehicles are worlds apart.