High on Textosterone

Every day we hear of yet another traffic “accident” resulting from road rage, teenagers speeding through curves or the average citizen being in a hurry to go nowhere. Now we are seeing how cell phones/texting devices compromise the safety of a driver and those outside the vehicle.

When I back my car up and the rear of my vehicle strikes the rear of another vehicle (for instance, in a supermarket parking lot), that is an accident. But when an individual operating a motor vehicle demonstrates such a callous disregard for the safety of others, that is reckless driving. People would rather experience the “thrill” of traveling at high velocity than consider the consequences of their actions. Now they can travel at high speed and be distracted all at the same time. Evidently the punishments being meted out for these crimes are not severe enough.

One solution is the installation of a device allowing for hands-free cell phone use. Essentially, the cell phone operates through the car radio. All drivers should be required to have this installed in their motor vehicles. As for texting devices, we must outlaw their use in a motor vehicle, period. My nephew was killed in a car accident as a result of a texting argument with his girlfriend. The autopsy confirmed there were no drugs or alcohol in his system. Studies have confirmed that texting lowers a driver’s reaction time more than alcohol.

Joe Bialek
via e-mail

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It seems that the Obama administration is about to expand the nanny state by banning all cell phone use while driving. That drives me so mad that I just had to text you this rebuttal before I exit the Interstate.

If they ban your cell phone, you can’t check Twitter or Facebook or even play Words With Friends while driving. More people are injured using their own bathrooms than they are using their phone. What will they ban next, cell phones in the shower? The truth is, it’s less dangerous to phone and drive than it is to cross the street. For example, yesterday I’m playing Angry Birds while driving to the drive-through when suddenly there’s some idiot walking in the middle of the crosswalk. They should really make an app that warns you about pedestrians.

What am I supposed to do in my car if I can’t use my phone? Driving is so boring. But I’m not a phone addict; I can quit any time I want. I just do it 24/7 because I like it. My wife said it’s like alcoholism, but you can still legally drink and drive; you just can’t be over the limit. Studies show that since that teenager sent 11 texts in 10 minutes before her fatal crash, we can safely set the limit for texting to one a minute. But I digress.

Cell phones aren’t the problem. The problem is the person who can’t perform two tasks at the same time. It’s called multi-tasking and…. Please, honey, not now. I’m trying to send a text and I can’t concentrate. Where was I? Cell phones don’t cause car crashes, careless people cause car crashes. Don’t blame smart phones, blame dumb people. Why should I have to give up my right to use my cell phone just because you might get killed? That’s not fair to me.

So you can try to take my Bluetooth, but you’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead ear. Actually, I know a simple technique that makes it all perfectly safe. All you have to do is… Hey, I’ll have to text you later. That’s my phone, and I have to take this call.

Andy Morris-Friedman
Hadley

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Two Different Parties—Really?

Bill. D. Clifford, in his December 1st letter, questions whether the two major political parties in the U.S. are different. To his list of similarities he might add that both parties, whether they be blue or red, supported undeclared wars (actually invasions) of Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan. Both parties are parties of militarism.

Don’t people wonder why only the United States has invaded all these countries?

Tim Walter
Plainfield