R U Driving Rite Now?
Katherine Mangu-Ward | September 17, 2008, 12:34pm
A couple years ago, I got hit with a jaywalking ticket. I was crossing at the corner in downtown Washington, but against the light. There were no cars coming. When I got "pulled over" by cops in a squad car, it didn't even occur to me that I was about to get in trouble. When I figured out what was going on, I—a sweet, law abiding, goody-two-shoes—sassed the cops. And for a good while afterward, I felt vaguely grumpy whenever I saw an idle squad car taking in the street scene.
So now California and other states are talking about banning text messaging in cars—Suffolk, NY, has already done it—and I can't help but think that such a thing will recruit many more into the ranks of the grumpy cops-sassers. The drug war and speeding laws have already sent us pretty far down this path, but when you add talking on the cell or texting to the list of verboten behaviors, just about everyone in America under the age of 50 (and quite a few who are older) is going to start feeling nervous around cops. We're talking about people who are basically good, law-abiding, common-sensical guys and gals, who just want to double check an address, or make sure everything is ok with their kids.
Sure, texting a mangum opus while dodging through tricky traffic is silly, but people who check a text message at a stop light shouldn't be subject to flashing lights and aviator glasses.
Common sense | September 18, 2008, 2:30pm | #
You know, anyone with common sense knows that doing anything else but concentrating on driving while driving is distracting.
How can anyone say "fine, but if you hurt someone you will be held responsible"?
What you are saying is that it is OKAY to create situation where you might kill someone, you just have to be prepared to take responsibility.
Scares me? Sure it does. It scares me every time I am almost broad sided by someone who's not paying attention because they talk on the phone or do something else that impairs their ability to be a safe driver.
Victimless crimes? You need your head checked. You scare me.
Text while at a stop light? How are you going to know when it turns green if you're not looking at the light? If you really need to check something, have the common sense to STOP somewhere and do it safely.
It doesn't take research to understand that texting while driving is dangerous. All it takes is to look around you when you're out driving and watch the erratic movements of people who are doing other things than just driving.
Why is safety in traffic being downplayed?
And for the editor.....yes, it might be law abiding people but that doesn't absolve them from doing the right thing. Why do you need to check on your kids while driving? Don't you think they would call you incessantly if something was wrong? If you can't go through the day without thinking that something might have happened to them; do the right thing and call them while you stand still and not at a light. Why would you have to check while you're out driving? Why can't you check while you're NOT driving? How many times a day do you have to check on your children? 20 times?
Editor, you fail to understand that this is NOT about the people who are taking these risks. It's about the people in their immediate area who is running the risk of loosing their lives or getting severely hurt by the "good law abiding people" who think it's okay to compromise their driving because they feel it's important to use their cell phones, in whatever way they use it while driving.
Shame on you!
