Urban Legend

Got this in the mail today and I can't believe it's true. In fact, I DON'T believe it's true. Not the first time I've gotten this though, but just seems appropriate to start on contract LATER (procrastination!)~

Email reproduced below--------

This is NOT urban legend stuff.

My friend's Dad was stopped today by the police for having his mobile phone next to him. He was NOT even using the mobile at the time. There was a row of traffic cops stopping cars to check.

He was given 6 demerit points on the spot.

Apparently, the mobile phone needs to have the handsfree set attached to the mobile to be ALLOWED next to driver.  If no handsfree set is attached, it will be assumed that there is the POSSIBILITY of driver using the mobile.

So, to avoid trouble, just have your mobile handsfree set attached to mobile while driving. By the way, it did not help that my friend's Dad had 2 other mates in the car. Mobile left on dashboard or space between driver and front passenger will be assumed to belong to driver ! !
 
This did not & still does not make any sense to me, so I went to Singapore Police Force web site to check and found this link.

http://www.spf.gov.sg/about_spf/tp/faq_hpdriving.htm

It is confirmed & there are horrid punishments too. Makes no sense to me but there you have it. So be Very Very Careful.

--------

Irregardless of the absurdity of his claims, let's assume he did it in good faith. s.79. No need to go there. Anyway, checking out the site, I realised that he was making bogus claims.

This was what it said regarding hp driving:

An offence under Sec 65B of the Road Traffic Act is made out as long as there is evidence to show that the motorist was holding onto the handphone with one hand, while using it to communicate. This is regardless of the position in which he was holding onto the handphone and the fact that a hands-free kit was also used is irrelevant. Handphone driving is an inconsiderate and dangerous act that poses a threat to other road-users. The act distracts drivers and reduces their ability to control their vehicles and to react to changes in road situations. This puts other road users at risk. Because of the seriousness of the offence, Traffic Police will continue to step up our enforcement on handphone driving. We advise motorists who wish to use their handphones to have their passenger make or receive the call. If travelling alone, motorists should drive to a carpark before making the call.

NOTE the offence is made out only when he is HOLDING onto the handphone. The actual definition from the Road Traffic Act s.65B defines "use" , in relation to a mobile telephone, means to hold it in one hand while using it to communicate with any person.

Punishable examples: Paging, SMS, Receiving and Making calls. (all of which I'm guilty of by the way...)

Conclusion:

So unless his friend's FATHER was damn bloody fat that when he drives his fats overlap onto his HP beside him and the police mistook that he was hence 'holding' onto the phone, I do not see why he can be said to be 'using' the HP and be given demerit points on the spot. The police are usually careful with this and the easiest thing to do would be to check the HP call times or outgoing/incoming message timings.

Obviously his friend's dad and mates lied to the writer. I need not go into how stupid he had to be not to understand basic english and illustrations even though he obviously had the basic capacity to at least find the TP website. That or the TP just basically hated his friend's dad coz he looked damn kiam pa. Either explanation sounds logical.

Bah.

Case dismissed.