Cereal offender nabbed in Needham

I sat in traffic yesterday and decided I would count all the people that was texting or on a cell phone while driving..

out of about 30 cars .. 25 cars were on a cell phone or texting.. I was very surprised and thought the number was going to be lower.. Isn't it illegal to drive while talking/texting on a physical cellphone and not a bluetooth device????

I think we need a crackdown.. The worst drivers are in Mass

This man should forfeit his privilege to drive for 5-10 years. He was driving without a license and driving to endanger with reckless disregard for others.

Breakfast is the most important meal

Leemik- It's not illegal in MA

So many stories make the news that shouldn't.

Nope, it's not illegal to talk on a cell phone in MA without a hands-free device, and it shouldn't be. Numerous studies have shown that using a hands free device doesn't reduce the chances of getting into an accident. It's the conversation itself that's the distraction

He was also on his cell phone with his wife. She asked him what was wrong and he said "Nut-n-Honey". When the cop got to his window he said "Hi -- how's Trix?" The cop got p*ssed and went all "Fruit Loops" on his @ss...After he got his ticket, he just said "Cheerio" to the cop and drove off.

He should have been munching a McMuffin with a coffee instead... or is that illegal too?

When I first saw the headline, I misread it as "Cerebral Offender" and wondered if the thought police were finally here.

Not illegal, just selfish and dangerous.

I ate an entire lemon meringue pie from Hazel's bakery while driving through Needham yesterday! It was yummy! Ha!

Give the poor man a break.......he was just hungry-people drive erratically all the time and the only reason this guy got in trouble was because he was eating cereal.

and paul, i totally agree with you

That took a lot of bran ...
The driver must be a flake ...
His driving was loopy ....
Was he driving a rice wagon ....

I could go on ...

People should have Common Sense. This guy has none. We do not need a law that specifically outlaws eating cereal while driving. We have a law that prohibits driving to endanger. Eating cereal while piloting a motor vehicle is covered by that law. throw the book at him!

try counting the number of law enforcement officer son phon eor texting while driving....scary

Morale of the story: stay away from Needham.

I am sure he must have been eating granola, who else other than a granola eater would try to pull a stunt like driving an Olds and eating a whole bowl of ceral?

Capn Crunch, you're funny!

real cute until i dunno, some doctor from needham uses her blackberry while driving and weaves into traffic injuring others and losing her life. oh sorry that already happened about a month ago i am sure you can find it on the search. nothing is that important, everyone needs to chill out. the world can wait for you. a little time to yourself is good for you.

Was he a fatty?

There's no point in having any laws pertaining to operation of a motor vehicle in public venues. People are going to do as they please, up to and including driving without a license and insurance. Something about their "freedom"....

Just wait until he runs over someone crossing the street. Then he'll be a "cereal killer".....

I dare you people to write a story like this without any puns.

The police found the cereal was still cold? That means they touched it, or *blecch* tasted it...

There is a difference between being unlicensed and having an expired license.

He probably just didn't see his reminder notice from the Registry to renew it.

Oh wait...

At least he wasn't a cereal killer or some type of wacko...

Lets see failure to stop for a cop, almost running over a cop gets community service, this guy has an expired license (probably due to the fact the registry stopped sending renewal cards) and was eating cereal, lets see, I think 40lashes with a wet noodle fits a crime of this nature based on the scale we have to measure by.

We all know that cars are made of nothing but plastic these days. Maybe the poor guy just needed to get some more iron on board?

Come on, there is nothing wrong with eating a bowl of cereal while driving. This guy just doesn't have any driving skills. I have eaten whole turkey dinners while driving perfectly. This evening I had a caesar salad and beef lasagna while driving on Storrow Drive, I then had tiramisu while driving through Beacon Hill without swerving. Eating entire meals while driving is an art.

What a flake!

in the am commute I see so many morons reading newspapers & other doucuments while in heavy traffic and their car is moving!!! it's unbelievable!

You forgot women putting on makesup. There are cereal bars specifically for the purpose of eating breakfast while driving.

Eating cerial while driving a car, that's just wrong, but hardly newsworthy.
Now if he could do it on a motorcycle, that I'd like to see.
JamesB

Call the Darwin Awards, I believe we have a runner-up. Then the transplants wonder why NH drivers give them so much xxx.

Statin dad's kid put the heart healthy cheerios in his pocket.

The NHTSA says that Mass. has the lowest traffic fatality rate in the country. Somehow, despite being chuckleheads, we're still managing to stay alive!

So this unlicensed driver might lose his license over this. Wow, that's harsh. But it should keep him off the road huh?

The guy driving in Needham should have brought with him a cereal or granola bar instead. I have seen people drinking their coffee from ceramic mugs, with no covers-where do they put them? Ceramic mugs don't fit in coffee holders! They must hold them all the time-not a good thing while driving. On youtube.com there's a video of a guy reading a hardcover novel balanced on his steering wheel while he was driving!! A female in a car traveling next to him happened to videotape it-no she was NOT the driver!! LOL
Talking on a hands-free phone is no different than talking with a passenger in your car. Having screaming kids in your car is much more a distraction! We don't ban children from automobiles. Nor do we ban bickering siblings!! That's one of the worse distractions!!

Driver was "cited for unlicensed operation, failure to stay in lanes, and operating to endanger". Understood...it is kind of hard to steer when you're holding a bowl in one hand and a cereal spoon in the other! He should be cited.

Howerver...

Compare that to Greer from Wellesley...she only got 200 hours of community service and she tried to run over a cop! Seems a little odd that the cereal scoffing guy gets a harsher fine than this chick!

this story reminds me of my cousin's motorcycle accident "There I was, just minding my own business, reading the newspaper and eating a box of chocolates while all of a sudden this idiot...."

I once saw a guy playing a clarinet driving down Route 9 (though, that was in Wellesley, not Needham). At least I think it was a clarinet; It could have been an oboe. Also, how many police cars do you think Needham used to apprehend cereal man? My guess is 5. Did they shut down the center of town?

I am the "cereal" offender. Please stop referring to me as a "fatty". I actually am slightly overweight and find this as an extremely upsetting personal attack. This could happen to anyone. And, thank you Paul, breakfast is the most important meal of the day; I advise you not to miss it. Anyone want to give me a ride to work tomorrow?

Some cops dream of catching a serial killer ... and some cops dream of catching a cereal eater! Question - did the driver also have a burnt out tale lamp, that would have led to a three car stop with SWAT backup.

Cereal eaters vs. donut eaters: the Needham edition.

It IS illegal to eat and drink while operating a motor vehicle.
It IS also illegal to wear head phones while operating.
It IS illegal to have a monitor forward of the front seat.
The individual eating the cereal IS a habitual traffic offender and should have lost his licence years ago but is connected.
Any more questions?