You must be one of those people who watch movies. I would just listen, for years. Especially when I had a passenger watching the movie. With a passenger, I can ask “what just happened?” But by myself, I’d have to look away from the road to see what happened. Putting it on the dash so I could just change my focus, without taking my eyes off the road, mind, seems way more responsible.
I’m saying you’re watching a movie because you literally yourself told us, and I quote “I would toss an iPad on the dash with it plugged into my aux port and watch a movie. 99% of the time, _I’d be looking through the reflected movie on the windshield_”
People do worse things, so your terrible choice is acceptable? Passengers are sometimes disruptive so it’s okay for you to distract yourself?
Like I said, I have seen way worse, like people reading a book, while on cruise control. That shit is dangerous, hell, cruise control is dangerous all on its own.
I wouldn’t know if the images were predicable or not, I wasn’t watching the movie. I literally have typed that many times now, though I’m fairly certain you haven’t read it. Whatever distractions, flashing lights or whatever from the screen… have you ever driven with passengers before? Passengers are far less predictable than 99% of all movies I have ever experienced.
When I am a passenger I do not always pay attention, only sometimes. And if something happens it will the driver's fault, not mine. It would be a very stressful ride if I had to always observe the driver and if I didn't intervene anytime every problem would be my responsibility.
For me, it comes down to this: if I really want to enjoy a piece of music (i.e. close my eyes), or if I really want to commit to a conversation with another passenger, I can do that on a train. In a car, I and/or others will be dead.
The same goes for audiobooks: it may be possible to listen to shallow fiction in a car, but anything that requires true attention and concentration is very hard to follow while driving without putting yourself in danger, at least in an urban environment or at high speeds.
Some passengers use the ride as a confessional or just to vent. I feel it would be wrong to share too much about what they say. It seems like an unwritten rule. I don't have a front/rear view dash cam like a lot of drivers advise because I appreciate these conversations and don't want to inhibit them.
For what it's worth, I find the radio enormously distracting as well. In fact, I find all conversation happening in the car distracting.
I've narrowly avoided several accidents because I was able to hear the other vehicle approaching, because I always pay full attention to my surroundings. When the radio is on though, or passengers are talking, it becomes very difficult to notice those types of subtle cues.
For this reason I have an explicit "no talking" rule when I have others in the car with me. Doesn't make me the most popular person when it comes to carpooling, but whatever, I'll take safety over idle chatter anytime.
Oh wow, there’s an annoyance I had not even considered. The passenger in the seat next to you endlessly jerking their head around with a big headset in your peripheral vision while you’re trying to relax or work or read a book.
Sounds ingenious but I don’t quite follow the story. Why would a stewardess make you stop? Was there some system where you had to pay for headphones separately to hear a movie? I’m pretty sure all I remember are headrests having standard 1/8” audio jacks.
>>Additionally the passenger can shut up instantly if (s)he sees a situation developing or even help bring your attention to it.
If they know what to look for. Doesn't work with children, people who don't drive themselves so they have no idea what to look out for, or even worse, it can work the other way around, when someone yells "WATCH OUT" at the top of their lungs because they perceive danger, even though you were not in any(saying hi to all my elderly relatives here).
This. I can't look at the passenger ether when I'm driving, even on very familiar roads. I never thought this is awkward - but if the passenger is not a friend/ close acquaintance, I mention it casually that I am in fact listening to them even if I'm not looking at them.
The best I could do is keep nodding or make agreeing sounds.
Hopefully this would also stop pilots interrupting the films every five minutes to tell you what the weather is like and how high the plane is etc etc.
YOU'RE A GLORIFIED BUS DRIVER. JUST GET US WHERE IT SAYS ON THE TICKET.
Exactly. If I am in the passenger seat talking to the driver, I know when to shut up and let them drive. If I am on the phone talking to a driver, there is no indication of them, say, approaching a difficult merge.
Yes. The passenger in the car sitting next to you senses when something tricky is happening with the driving and shuts up or otherwise calls your attention to the danger. Someone conversing with you on the phone doesn't. Kids talking to you from the back seat are also a potentially more dangerous distraction for the same reason.
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