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OMG look @ the road: Students stage cell phone protest
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| Students take their case to the carpool lanes. |
By STEVE MARK
The students of the Emery/Weiner School have had enough.
They’ve seen countless automobile drivers in the Westwood subdivision on Stella Link, south of the 610 Loop, zip through school zones while talking on their cell phones, causing anxiety and worry for safety.
The drivers are protected from police crackdown and potential ticketing, because signs warning against cell usage in school zones have not yet been posted.
The students are so mad that they’re even directing their frustration toward an unlikely target: their classmates’ own parents, who are sometimes seen disregarding the school’s internal 10 MPH speed limit while talking on cell phones.
“We’re just trying to bring attention to all of these cars that aren’t slowing down, with all the cell phone use,” said Andy Garden, a senior at the school.
Members of the Emery/Weiner student government lined the school’s driveways Monday morning, brandishing signs with the slogans “Put Your Phone Away. Danger,” and “Is That Text More Important Than My Life?”
One used texting shorthand to warn: “OMG, look @ the road.” (Translation: Oh, my God, look at the road.)
“I agree, totally,” said Mike Smolensky, observing the protest after dropping off his 15-year-old at the school. “A lot of parents will pull up in the carpool line, and hold up traffic while they’re yakking on their cell phones.“ It’s three times as hazardous as someone being drunk behind the wheel, compared to texting.”
“There have been a lot of near accidents here,” said Libby Udelson, president of the school’s student government. “Some statistics have shown it’s more dangerous to drive while on the phone than under the influence.”
The campaign also received support from the school’s teachers.
“We’ve got to start somewhere,” said Jacob Guidry, who lined up next to his students Monday. “Every morning and afternoon, I see parents and even teachers driving through here, sometimes speeding through on their cell phones. “If we don’t do anything, something bad might happen.”
The school had been in contact with city officials about posting of cell phone signs above school zone signs, and school administrators have been told there is a long demand for the signs after the new laws went into effect Sept. 1.
A Public Works spokesman from the city of Houston had told the Examiners in September that Houston did not have the money to post the signage and that a loophole in the state law did not make compliance mandatory.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson told The Examiner “until a sign goes up, we can’t enforce the law.”
They’ve seen countless automobile drivers in the Westwood subdivision on Stella Link, south of the 610 Loop, zip through school zones while talking on their cell phones, causing anxiety and worry for safety.
The drivers are protected from police crackdown and potential ticketing, because signs warning against cell usage in school zones have not yet been posted.
The students are so mad that they’re even directing their frustration toward an unlikely target: their classmates’ own parents, who are sometimes seen disregarding the school’s internal 10 MPH speed limit while talking on cell phones.
“We’re just trying to bring attention to all of these cars that aren’t slowing down, with all the cell phone use,” said Andy Garden, a senior at the school.
Members of the Emery/Weiner student government lined the school’s driveways Monday morning, brandishing signs with the slogans “Put Your Phone Away. Danger,” and “Is That Text More Important Than My Life?”
One used texting shorthand to warn: “OMG, look @ the road.” (Translation: Oh, my God, look at the road.)
“I agree, totally,” said Mike Smolensky, observing the protest after dropping off his 15-year-old at the school. “A lot of parents will pull up in the carpool line, and hold up traffic while they’re yakking on their cell phones.“ It’s three times as hazardous as someone being drunk behind the wheel, compared to texting.”
“There have been a lot of near accidents here,” said Libby Udelson, president of the school’s student government. “Some statistics have shown it’s more dangerous to drive while on the phone than under the influence.”
The campaign also received support from the school’s teachers.
“We’ve got to start somewhere,” said Jacob Guidry, who lined up next to his students Monday. “Every morning and afternoon, I see parents and even teachers driving through here, sometimes speeding through on their cell phones. “If we don’t do anything, something bad might happen.”
The school had been in contact with city officials about posting of cell phone signs above school zone signs, and school administrators have been told there is a long demand for the signs after the new laws went into effect Sept. 1.
A Public Works spokesman from the city of Houston had told the Examiners in September that Houston did not have the money to post the signage and that a loophole in the state law did not make compliance mandatory.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson told The Examiner “until a sign goes up, we can’t enforce the law.”
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forumsid987 wrote on Nov 10, 2009 7:52 PM: