Saturday, June 10, 2006

Teenage Drivers

Apparently, they're tightening up in North Carolina.

I *still* want to ban cell phone use while driving--for all ages, not just for teenagers. And while I know that inanimate objects cannot, in and of themselves, be bad, that only the actions of people who misuse them are bad--if any object could be inherently bad, it would be the cell phone! Not a gun, not a scimitar, a cell phone! I swear, if I almost get run off the road by one more person gabbing mindlessly into their communicator....

6 comments:

Ellen K said...

Teaching at a high school, I have seen first hand how kids peel out and dial up simulatneously without giving attention to the very serious job of driving. And their parents are just as bad. We had a teacher hit in the parking lot by some lady in a Tahoe who was so busy talking on the phone that she not only passed by two buses loading students, but failed to see two coaches crossing the parking lot with boxes and hit one. I have gotten to the point that when I am at a red light and see the person across the way chatting up a storm, I wait to see what will happen before I go. And who are these people talking to constantly? I see them in the grocery store making joint decisions on what kind of milk to buy and even when taking my son to school at 6:30 in the morning. No offense, but if you are calling me that early, you had better have a darned good reason. In fact, I actually TURN MY PHONE OFF. I know this is shocking, but when I am out enjoying myself shopping or at a movie or concert, there's really very little need to contact me. Nothing in my life is quite that important except my family. I will go one further, unless you are a transplant recipient or the surgeous performing such surgery, you do not need that amount of contact. And if you do, then please stay home.

Darren said...

My brother had a cell phone store and even he could not convince me I needed a cell phone. If I'm not at home or at work, chances are you don't need to contact me. If one of my two remaining grandparents passes, the last place I want to hear about it is in traffic while I'm driving home from school.

They'll still be gone when I get home and listen to the messages on my answering machine.

Anonymous said...

It is now illegal to operate a vehicle and talk on a cell phone on any Air Force Base. If you talk and drive, you will be ticketed.

Darren said...

Let's hear it for the zoomies!

Anonymous said...

I do agree with you on your take on cellular phones. Really. I believe these can be lethal. Anyhow, as per teenage drivers, new data on this kind of drivers would soon be realized. I wonder how will it affect us as drivers.

Darren said...

Jay, please come back with an update after the data are presented. Looks mucho interesting.