iaink

If he was in one of many jusidiction in the US where driving and phoning is illegal (or Newfie for that matter) then that supercedes your contract. I believe you cannot legaly contract someone to do something illegal.

Sooner they make it illegal here the safer I'll feel on the roads, not that there would be lot of enforcement, and besides, it will be a cold day in hell before they try to introdice the idea here anyway.

dbd

Picking up on your edit.

Yes, people from the UK should be aware that workers have less rights here.

I think he was in Virginia, a state that allows phones while driving, but not at gas stations, or the other way around, I can't keep track. I don't think the illegality of the act affects the work contract though, he knew that we would pay the fine so it's just like a delivery van getting lots of parking tickets or a building worker getting cited for health and safety violations; a bother but part of the job.

dbd

I guess we don't agree on this point of contractual law. No matter, I can't imagine anything will come of it.

zalaben

i do hope you are joking........... i never answer my cell when driving. would i be fired too?

zalaben

other than paying the fine would you have also paid the funeral expenses if he had killed somebody? i believe you are serious!

dbd

Yes, I'm serious about expecting people to answer the phone in the car. I've even used the internet from a laptop with a cell phone while driving. People spend hours in their cars around Toronto or on the Beltway, it's daft not to use that time.

iaink

Two words...or is it one?

VoiceMail

Let the VM take it and call back when less occupied / sitting in traffic.

iaink

Well, if you cant see out of your snow and ice covered windows what difference will that make to safety anyway right

Rich_007

Why not smoke and drink coffee also.

Multitasking = the future.

Rich

dbd

I've always done that. In fact I got a nasty burn on one thigh when phone, coffee, fag and gear change all required attention at once. Alas, it was after playing football and so, obviously, summer, so I can't drag the lack of visibility into it.

We don't let things go to voicemail because the callers expect attention now. Not, in a minute, but now. If we make them wait five minutes they might realize that they don't actually want anything and we won't be able to bill them for the time.

finallygotout

Not trying to come down hard on you or anything, how would you feel if someone did that, and GOD FORBID, ran your kid over, or crashed into their car, whilst doing these things you mentioned above?

I think it's ludicrous, because you need both hands whilst driving, for the sake of emergencies.

tallperson

Well to get this back on topic we have a lot LESS family time here. DH is working for the same company but in UK lived 5 mins. from work, would take daughter to school so get into work about 9.15 and would leave around 6, sometimes earlier, sometimes later and never travelled.

Here he has a 1hr commute to and from work and so when he is in Montreal he leaves around 7.30am and doesn't get home until 12 hours later, maybe just seeing the kids before they go to bed.

Also, he is away more than he is home for weeks at a time which is obviously a bit limiting.

One good reason imo for us to move back to the UK

Tiaribbon

Thank you - you have just made me realise why my friends all look at me funny when I say I couldn't speak to them on my cell as I was driving!! I hadn't even realised that it was NOT illegal in Ontario! Won't change anything though, I am so used to not being allowed to answer my phone that I wouldn't change back to doing it again.

Although it bugged the hell out of me when they banned it in the UK, with hindsight I think it is far safer, however I beg to differ with anyone that answering a phone is more dangerous than smoking or changing a CD in a vehicle (none of which I do BTW).

My one failing though is that I do map-read while driving.....carefully and competently, I hasten to add.

Posidrive

But would moving back to the UK necesserily solve the commuting issue? You were probably very lucky to have such an easy commute before. I don't know which part of the Country you come from, but I am from the South East where either only the fabulously wealthy or the really lucky don't spend a couple of hours a day commuting.

Perhaps the key issue is not purely the quantity of the time but should also take into account the quality as well. I will have an hour each way commute. BUT when I get home in the evenings here I am relaxed and mellow (and a joy for the family to be with). Just before I left the UK I was a completely stressed out wreck when I got home at the end of each day. So, same time but infinitely better quality.

Tiaribbon

I still have as much family time as back in the UK, as I am doing pretty much the same from home here as I did over there. Once husband is living here, the answer will be yes from his perspective because he is basically retiring. Back in England he spend an awful lot of time at his office and would almost always go in at weekends, so it will be a huge change for him.

Great question though - and one which has always confused the heck out of me! Longer working hours, longer commutes, barely any vacation time = better quality of life??