How Would You Handle This?

[cabinetman]

This is the second time this has happened.

Yesterday:

Ring ring (my home phone):
Ditzy (our daughter-in-law): "Is your loving wife at home?"

Me: "No...she's shopping, and is on her way home."

Ditzy: "I always seem to miss her. I'll give her a call on her cellphone."

Me: "Please don't do that. I don't like her talking on the phone while driving.
I'll tell her you called and she will call you as soon as she gets home."

Ditzy: "That's OK, us blonds can talk and drive."

Me: "Is this something that can wait until she gets home?"

Ditzy: "Don't be a worry wort, nothing important, it'll be OK."

Me: "It's not safe if she's distracted."

Ditzy: "She won't mind."

At this point I pretty much just hung up on her. She then (within one minute) called LOML on her cellphone. We were scheduled to go visit them (Ditzy, our son, and our grandson) today for Mothers Day. Her call was just to yak about it. I'm sure once there a confrontation of some sort will occur. I'm willing not to make a big deal about it just to make for a nice visit, but it's likely that won't happen.
.

[radhak]

I believe you should take it up with the LOYL. She needs to be convinced not to pick up the phone while driving. Others who call her cannot be the ones to 'take the call' on whether they should call her or not.

Of course, I did that with LOML, and now she's so convinced that she doesn't take my calls, and always tells me she was driving !

[Richard in Smithville]

Me: "I'm sure once there a confrontation of some sort will occur. I'm willing not to make a big deal about it just to make for a nice visit, but it's likely that won't happen.
.

You said it yourself. Is it worth all the stress and tension just to make a point of it? There are many states and provinces that are going with a cell phone ban while driving for good reasons. Convey your concerns to SWMBO and get her to either pull over when the phone rings or just ignore it. You might have better results that way.

BTW: Ontario is the latest to go with the cell phone driving ban.

[crokett]

I don't think this is a big enough issue to let it ruin your day today. I would talk to your wife and let her know of your concerns and ask her not to answer her phone while she is driving. If she wants to do that, she needs to pull over. Making a big deal about it ruins the day for your son, grandchild and wife who are all innocent in this.

[jackellis]

Get your wife a headset and suggest she use it while driving.

Personally, I don't use my phone much while driving and I won't use it without a headset. I can do 10 things at once in the airplane but driving and yakking, especially while holding a cell phone with one hand and driving with the other, is asking for trouble.

[bruce hylton]

My phone has limited use when I attempt to use it and I do have a head set somewhere. It does not tell me when I am dialing what or where the person on the other end is doing or where they are at. They could be sitting beside the road, in a store, at a mini mart or any number of other places. Non-moving as well as moving. Out of sight, out of mind. Worry about something major, like if you got loyl the proper gift for today.

[Gary Lange]

No sense in getting all upset and making for a bad day. Ditzy is what she is and you aren't going to change her. Your wife will just have to learn to not answer or pull over into a safe place and answer.