Just had an idea. Why was Jim Sikes, of Runaway San Diego Prius Fame, using a hand-held cell phone?

[PBS Poll-435]

Since it is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone in California while driving...?

http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx



His Prius was equipped with JBL Audio, DVD Navigation and & Bluetooth Hands-Free Connectivity.






:shrug:

[NYC_SKP]

1. Could be the dickwad couldn't figure out how to make the connection work.

It took me a while to sync to my iPhone and I'm a geek.

Maybe he never got around to it.

[iris27]

2. Are all Priuses so equipped?

I know our Honda Insight (basically a Prius knockoff) only has that as an option on the higher trim levels (and it's $2k extra!).

[PBS Poll-435]

3. This is a photo of HIS car. The little gold logo on the audio system says JBL

And you can see the voice, off-hook and on-hook buttons on the steering wheel.

[catzies]

10. May I respectfully correct you on your assumption that the Prius came first?

The Insight was in production by Honda before Toyota made the Prius.

The first version was actually the best hybrid on the road but the geek factor was too high and it didn't sell very well.

Honda dropped it, then after the Prius exploded in popularity Honda brought it back with the blatant design ripoff.

[frylock]

28. if by geek factor you mean ugly as shit..

then yeah, that prolly contributed to poor sales.

[catzies]

33. I think the Prius is ugly, but I must be alone in thinking that.

n/t

[tammywammy]

4. Maybe he didn't know how to use it? n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

6. Certainly possible, but it seems strange to me.

He purchased nearly every option for his vehicle. (And it is a technophile car to start with)

:shrug:








(And, again, it is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone in California)

[xultar]

14. How old are you? I have so many issues getting my dad who is 65 to learn shit.

He has the top of the line everything and can't work any of it.

[PBS Poll-435]

17. I am younger than 65. And purchasing a vehicle with integrated hands-free calling makes complying

With California's ban on hand-held devices while driving.


(And considering he was at his dealer 2 weeks before the *incident*, I am sure that they would have set it up for him then or when he took delivery of the vehicle...)

[xultar]

20. You never know. Can you tell if his phone is bluetooth enabled?

[PBS Poll-435]

22. There really is no way to tell, but hear me out on this...

1. California law.
2. He is an auto-enthusiast.
3. He purchased the most expensive technology option package for his Prius.
4. His job leads me to believe that he has a modern phone like a Blackberry or iPhone.


ETA - Corrected a spelling error, ironically caused by me being on the phone.

[xultar]

25. My Dad S550 and iPhone and about 30 bluetooth headsets.

Hasn't a fucking clue how to use any of them. He also doesn't know how to hook his ipod into the car and listen to music, though it is enabled.

Oh and did I mention he also has a cayenne and he doesn't have his shit set up in there either.

He doesn't know how. No matter how many times I tell him how to he cannot do it.

He also calls me to send emails even though he can do it from his iPhone. He doesn't know how to attach a file to an email and he calls himself a consultant.

He's the only consultant I know who doesn't travel with a laptop cuz he can't set up to access a wifi network. So he calls me to check his email and to send his emails for him.

HE is a baby, He came from the generation where they were executives and considered tech administrative. Now he is retired, and trying to start a consulting business but hasn't the will to learn new shit cuz he's a geezer.

So the fact that the guy doesn't know how to use the tech in his car...isn't shocking. He isn't from our generation

[xultar]

27. OH...and when he bought the dang car they had a 2 hr class on it with the dealer....

and they still can't work any of it....


And the freakin car came with an instructional DVD!!!

sometimes I wonder if I'm adopted.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. There are what they call "throwaway" cell phones

.
.
.

calls not traceable?

or simply a cell phone with a different # for privacy?

[rufus dog]

7. I have hands free connectivity in my car

And sometimes it drops, I can reach down, pick up my cell phone, go to set up, and synch. So, assuming what he said about acceleration was true, if it happened to me and I had a choice to link up or dial 911. I would dial 911.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. My experience with Toyota/Lexus Bluetooth is a seamless transfer from phone control

to the system a few seconds after starting the ignition, assuming the phone is properly paired.

[rufus dog]

21. Mine works about 95 to 99% of the time

Usually a issue at start up but on a few occasions I have had the Blackberry disconnect. Just saying, it could be a set of random failures.

[Jane Austin]

8. I have BlueTooth in my Prius,

But Mr. Jane Austin had to set it up for me, as my brain is already full. :)

[librechik]

9. A passenger made the call (Sikes brother) n/t

[Fumesucker]

11. His evil twin? n/t

[yodoobo]

13. Well he was afraid of his gear shift

I can only imagine the terror that a bluetooth adapter instills.

[Omaha Steve]

15. Had it been a GM with OnStar

He could have hit the EMERGENCY button. When he would have told the OnStar operator it is a runaway, they could have activated the remote anti-theft slow down feature.

Just a thought. :-)

[spoony]

16. Generally, going 90 mph isn't a great time to try to pair a device. nt

[PBS Poll-435]

19. He didn't buy the car on 3/8/10. And once it is paired you don't have to do it again...

So any time before 3/8/10 would have been a great time to do it.

[spoony]

23. And what exactly do you have to show it had been paired?

I'd say this isn't good enough logic to have warranted a thread, but considering your others it's not like you seem to care about such things.

[PBS Poll-435]

24. Absolutely no evidence

Except that if hadn't paired his phone, and if he had EVER taken a call in that vehicle using a hand held device, that means he was being reckless and breaking the law.

[Holly_Hobby]

18. I have all that in my car too

but I don't use it, didn't even consider using it. None of my phone calls are that damned important :)

[kestrel91316]

26. Because he's a self-absorbed asshole?? It is indeed illegal in CA.

[PBS Poll-435]

29. Sounds about right.

:thumbsup:

[readmoreoften]

30. Did you come to DU to shill for Toyota?

[PBS Poll-435]

31. Nope. I came here in 2004 to figure out what the hell happened in Ohio

;-)

[miyazaki]

32. what a lame statement. n/t