OK, so now texting while in the car is the major sin we as a society need to go after and legislate out of existence. It’s complete and utter horse hockey. I’ll admit it, I text while driving. Every single day. Multiple times per day. But it makes not a bit of difference in safety. Why you ask? Because when I choose to text, the car is stopped in traffic or at a traffic light. When the car is moving, my eyes are on the road and my hands are on the wheel.

By the way, it’s the same rule I use when handling liquid in the vehicle. It’s the same rule I use when I handle food in the vehicle. Or read something, or scribble on a note pad, or dial the phone. To do otherwise is stupid. But what is even more stupid is that we’re going to single out texting and make it illegal. Here’s a list of things at least as dangerous as texting that I have personally witnessed while commuting:

• Eating – There was a guy eating ribs with a sauce to dip in while tooling along at 50mph. Sticky fingers, not paying a bit of attention to the road, swerving, and three near accidents.
• Applying Makeup – This is a morning activity on the road. A woman was traveling over 70mph about 10 feet off the bumper of the car in front of her, looking in the mirror under her sun visor putting on mascara.
• Arguing – There was a couple moving along in a traffic jam (about 20mph with braking every 2-3 seconds) in full-on verbal shouting match (windows were open so everyone could hear.) Not a care of actual driving on the driver’s mind.
• Reading – This is a multiple offender activity in that I see this at least once per week. Some driver tooling along reading a [newspaper, book, computer, phone, etc] at variable speeds and in variable traffic conditions.
• Kids – This is a good one, “If you two don’t stop fighting I’ll pull the car over and you’ll be in trouble!” – Really, I wish the parents would pull over rather than spend more time looking in the back seat than actually driving.
• Drinking – I’ve seen everything being consumed in cars, but my favorite was a guy pouring steaming hot coffee from a thermos into a styrofoam cup while cruising along in the hammer lane, zooming across lanes to make time.

So, rather than legislate this stuff out, which includes texting. I’d prefer we let nature (or if you’re a believer, god’s will) take its course. This must be an area where the gene pool would benefit from weeding out some of the induhviduals with poor judgment, preferrably, before they breed. I know there is sometimes collateral damage, but I have to believe society would benefit in the long run.

Meanwhile, I wish the government would focus on the wars, financial, health, and confidence crises we have going on right now. This little issue can be worked out without their help. My spouse calls me a “GOM” aka Grumpy Old Man – guess I’m showing why!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.