I know I’ve left you guys hanging waiting for my opinion on the recent texting while driving ban here in Mass. Well wait no longer, here we go.
Fundamentally, it’s a great law. I’m no Saint, I’ve attempted the old steer with your knees while focusing on a 3 inch screen routine a few times. These attempts typically have the same ending, the car in front of me jamming on their breaks suddenly as they some how sensed my plan for productive driving, and a frustrated CW angrily tossing the cellular device aside in order to project his now pent up rage at anyone who dare come within a car length of him.
The real problem with the law is it doesn’t address a whole host of issues of equal or greater danger to me and my fellow drivers:
- Driving with Dog on Lap – These people rank pretty high up on my personal hate list. To the people who would ban cell phone use all together I ask how is having a living, pissing, shitting, and general fidgeting animal on your lap more distracting than talking? And the kicker is these are typically the people who expect the rest of us sane people to understand that their dogs are “their children.” Well last I checked parents aren’t legally allowed to drive around with infants on their lap, they make car seats for that.
- Canadians – I beg all of you to take caution on the highway when you see a Canadian license plate. I know the great white north isn’t nearly as civilized and therefore populated as we are down here but there should be some understanding that you cannot just cut 3-4 lanes across the highway whenever you need to make an exit. Our roads just aren’t that deserted. Next time you see a truck roll over or jacknifed across the highway check the plates. 9 times out of 10 it'll be Canadian.
- Woman applying make up - This is pretty self explanatory. Even while at home in front of a mirror you can’t do your eye lashes without squinting and contorting your lips, what makes you think its safe to take on this task using the 3x2 mirror in your visor while navigating red lights and pedestrian cross walks?
I’m sure there’s plenty more I’m missing, but I’m now running late for work.
Feel free to comment on some of your driving pet peeves (click into the blog title to find the comment section, it sucks but I haven’t figured out how to bring it to the front page yet).
