Can you see Mt. Rainier in the back there? A beautiful sunny day so far... wish I wasn't seeing at, as my monthly 5:30am meeting was canceled (without my knowledge) for the third time in a row. Oh well, at least I'll be able to get out earlier.
I heard something on the news last night that had me severely confused and somewhat miffed. Apparently there are some wrinkles in the upcoming hands free driving law that seems to go against the very nature of the law itself. Namely:
1. Drivers with hearing aids are exempt from it.
2. Drivers are allowed to hold the phone up to their face and talk on speakerphone, just as long as the phone isn't up to your ear.
How the hell does either of these make sense? The first seems to be putting the convenience of the hearing impaired - people who probably could do with less distraction on the road anyway - ahead of safety. And the second - what? The whole point of the law is to get cellphones out of the hands of drivers so that they can keep both of them on the wheel. While I'm in the school of thought that there should be no cellphone use at all while behind the wheel, that it's not the loss of hands that's the problem but the shift in concentration needed to carry on a conversation through the phone, this law is a small step in the right direction. To circumvent it in such a manner is ridiculous.
The need now attitude of people today is ridiculous. Does anyone remember the ancient days when we waited until we got home to check our voicemails and call people back? Now a chime from their phone is a cue to snatch up their handheld, read, and peck back a text message no matter where they are or what's going on around them. Even if they are operating a two ton piece of heavy machinery traveling at speeds up to 70mph. It's akin to driving while intoxicated. You wouldn't drive drunk would you? What makes people think driving with one hand on the wheel and both eyes off the road is any better? If people want to engage in risky behavior I'm all for it, but not when they're putting other people or property in danger.
I heard something on the news last night that had me severely confused and somewhat miffed. Apparently there are some wrinkles in the upcoming hands free driving law that seems to go against the very nature of the law itself. Namely:
1. Drivers with hearing aids are exempt from it.
2. Drivers are allowed to hold the phone up to their face and talk on speakerphone, just as long as the phone isn't up to your ear.
How the hell does either of these make sense? The first seems to be putting the convenience of the hearing impaired - people who probably could do with less distraction on the road anyway - ahead of safety. And the second - what? The whole point of the law is to get cellphones out of the hands of drivers so that they can keep both of them on the wheel. While I'm in the school of thought that there should be no cellphone use at all while behind the wheel, that it's not the loss of hands that's the problem but the shift in concentration needed to carry on a conversation through the phone, this law is a small step in the right direction. To circumvent it in such a manner is ridiculous.
The need now attitude of people today is ridiculous. Does anyone remember the ancient days when we waited until we got home to check our voicemails and call people back? Now a chime from their phone is a cue to snatch up their handheld, read, and peck back a text message no matter where they are or what's going on around them. Even if they are operating a two ton piece of heavy machinery traveling at speeds up to 70mph. It's akin to driving while intoxicated. You wouldn't drive drunk would you? What makes people think driving with one hand on the wheel and both eyes off the road is any better? If people want to engage in risky behavior I'm all for it, but not when they're putting other people or property in danger.
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