Stupid law for stupid people.

I think DC may have been the first.

If it weren't for stupid people, we wouldn't need laws. Just think of how many out of work politicians we'd have laying around, clogging up the arteries of society. ;)

Well, maybe if there weren't so many accidents resulting from texting and driving we wouldn't need stupid laws.

Juulie,

The main premise in your post for me is you arrived safely. Everything in between is not as important. Who is to say your partner had a cellphone readily available or they could get reception? This is a mute point.

Personally, if you come in ready fine or you take a few moments to get ready that is fine too.

If you were the partner, what would be your approach to a late arriving partner?

We wouldn't start. We can't start a game in WI with one official at any HS level.

And it doesn't matter either.

With no cell phone, the point may well have been mute. :D

Exemptions: using of a hands-free device, calling in an emergency, other exemptions.

How the news up here is reporting it is how I was stating it, that there in Oregon if you're holding your cell phone & driving, they can pull you over just for that alone.

Not the same here in Washington, they have to pull you over for something else (speeding, reckless driving, etc.) & catch you talking on your cell phone while the infraction is happening.

What if you're an ambulance driver? Can you talk on your cell phone to get directions to pick up an injured player? You should hurry because some states won't allow a parent to check on this player in the meantime.

Yeah the one exemption that doesn't make some sense, emergency vehicle operators can actually talk on their cell phones while holding it while on the job. I can see if they're getting directions to an accident scene, but not to talk business other than what they need to be doing.

Here our ambulance crew is volunteer, most of the time the driver is on the phone, it's due to their farm business or family calls them while they're driving the ambulance.

Around here the most prevalent "driving while celling" offenders are police officers and state troopers.

Hadn't heard about that in this part of the state. Wrecks or just "citizen reports?"

How often are the most guilty ones, law enforcement, in any violation?

No, just my personal observation. It's not against the law down here, but I swear, every time I see a state trooper on I-64 they are gabbing on the phone, and they never look like official calls.