Don't use other pin pullers, You could get hurt! 
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Cell Fines Soar
April 6, 2005 -- Cops are cracking down on drivers who gab on their
cellphones, The Post has learned.
For the first four months of the city's current fiscal year, the NYPD wrote
39,548 tickets for talking on handheld phones while driving — a 51 percent
increase over the same period last year, according to the city's Web site.
Police sources told The Post the number of tickets has skyrocketed for one
reason: the NYPD wants to collect more cash.
"Revenue, revenue, revenue," one source said. "If you look at the budget,
the only areas that have grown are areas where people write tickets."
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said there are more tickets being slapped on
drivers because more drivers are not obeying the law.
"A lot of motorists haven't gotten the message yet that it's illegal to talk
on their phones while driving," he said.
At $100 a ticket, the city would rake in more than $5 million a year. And
that has some drivers fuming.
"It's all for money," said John Campbell, of Brooklyn after he was slapped
with a $90 ticket.
"It was my doctor," he said. "I was waiting to hear the results of my
biopsy. I tried to explain this to the officer, but he wasn't having it."
In November 2001, Gov. Pataki signed a bill banning the use of handheld
cellphones while driving.
Carlos Alberto, of The Bronx, answered his phone while stopped at a traffic
light and was hit with a $90 ticket.
"I took a chance," he said. "Sometimes you just can't pull over."
Boris Paykin, who drives for Intaboro Car Service, said sometimes he has to
use his phone to get directions.
"For us it's very necessary," he said.
"As long as you're calm and paying attention, it's not that dangerous," he
said.
But not all drivers agreed.
"It's very dangerous to talk on the phone while you're driving," said a
driver who identified himself as Rick J., who drives for a private company.
"They should enforce the law more."
A 1997 study conducted by the University of Toronto found that the risk of
getting into an accident was four times higher when talking on a cellphone.
cellphones, The Post has learned.
For the first four months of the city's current fiscal year, the NYPD wrote
39,548 tickets for talking on handheld phones while driving — a 51 percent
increase over the same period last year, according to the city's Web site.
Police sources told The Post the number of tickets has skyrocketed for one
reason: the NYPD wants to collect more cash.
"Revenue, revenue, revenue," one source said. "If you look at the budget,
the only areas that have grown are areas where people write tickets."
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said there are more tickets being slapped on
drivers because more drivers are not obeying the law.
"A lot of motorists haven't gotten the message yet that it's illegal to talk
on their phones while driving," he said.
At $100 a ticket, the city would rake in more than $5 million a year. And
that has some drivers fuming.
"It's all for money," said John Campbell, of Brooklyn after he was slapped
with a $90 ticket.
"It was my doctor," he said. "I was waiting to hear the results of my
biopsy. I tried to explain this to the officer, but he wasn't having it."
In November 2001, Gov. Pataki signed a bill banning the use of handheld
cellphones while driving.
Carlos Alberto, of The Bronx, answered his phone while stopped at a traffic
light and was hit with a $90 ticket.
"I took a chance," he said. "Sometimes you just can't pull over."
Boris Paykin, who drives for Intaboro Car Service, said sometimes he has to
use his phone to get directions.
"For us it's very necessary," he said.
"As long as you're calm and paying attention, it's not that dangerous," he
said.
But not all drivers agreed.
"It's very dangerous to talk on the phone while you're driving," said a
driver who identified himself as Rick J., who drives for a private company.
"They should enforce the law more."
A 1997 study conducted by the University of Toronto found that the risk of
getting into an accident was four times higher when talking on a cellphone.
