Yeah, if I’m standing completely still in a traffic jam, I’ll be glancing at my phone every once in a while, and nobody is going to convince me that this guy is doing a public service.
We're NOT talking about stop-start commuter traffic on an American interstate.
There are a LOT more moving not-car objects which do not and will not follow the motorist's rules of the road, on these leafy suburban streets.
Phone use when idle at stop lights means you might not spot something until it's too late. Hell, even when you open your door when parked up you have to check your mirrors so you don't accidentally clothes-line a passing cyclist - that's a point that's drilled into us by good driving instructors.
As the people operating the industrial machinery, we have a duty of care to always treat it as such, and keep the others around us safe. Sorry, but your boredom is of little or no concern in relation to the safety of others. Just keep off the damn phone. Arguably even handsfree kits are a bit of a bad idea wrt concentration span and task switching - but they exist, so if you need to use your phone as a phone, you can do so without taking your eyes off the road. But otherwise, leave the damn rest until you're at home!!! The rest of your apps can wait.
I don't condone it but some people are gonna text while driving. All else being equal it seems moronically counterproductive to target enforcement at the ones who are doing it while stopped.
People used to rail against wearing a seat belt too, and even now many people see driving with a couple of beers below the belt as totally fine when [insert excuse]. This is a behavioural issue that will be sorted in due time. Media attention like this helps. There is just no excuse for texting or otherwise fooling around with a smartphone when you are behind the wheel. If you need to do something with it, you pull over in a (legal) safe place.
Also per the article...
"...because using a handheld phone is only deemed illegal if there is proof of interactive communication, such as sending messages, talking, or commenting on social media..."