Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Another Rant

I hate to go from the fun of talking about pets to another rant, but you know me, I can't help myself.

A proposed bill to ban texting while driving has been all over the news today and reading about it made me stop and wonder why we need a law to tell us not to do something that is so obviously dangerous. Are we all that dense that we can't figure that out for ourselves?

In another part of one of the news stories on CNN, the reporter quoted from a recent study that found that "drivers who text while on the road are much more likely to have an accident than an undistracted driver."

Again, I have to say, "Duh?" Did we have to pay for a study that came to the same conclusion a five-year-old would have for the price of an ice-cream cone?

When I first heard about the study on the national news the other night, I burst out laughing. There was Charles Gibson in all his earnestness giving the story his all, quoting the statistics and issuing the warning. Watching him, I couldn't help but wonder if under the facade of seriousness there wasn't a part of him that found the story as absurd as I did. Of course distracted drivers are going to have more accidents than drivers who are not distracted.

Now I want my ice-cream cone.

6 comments:

Chester Campbell said...

Another of those any idiot should know things, Maryann. The Tennessee legislature recently passed laws allowing gun carry permit holders to take weapons into restaurants and bars, as well as parks. Restaurant and bar owners are busily putting up "No Guns Allowed" signs, and cities and counties are passing laws prohibiting them in parks. I support the Second Amendment, but jeesh!

Mystery Mania

Maryannwrites said...

Yikes, Chester. Is the whole world going nuts?

Helen Ginger said...

You had the same response that I did: Well, duh! If all the people driving while texting would run into each other they could keep on doing it. Unfortunately, they're running into the rest of us.

Helen
Straight From Hel

Maryannwrites said...

LOL, Helen. Since all this talk about using cell phones while driving started I have been paying more attention to drivers around me -- not that there are so many out here in the boonies -- and it is amazing how many are talking on cell phones. I even saw one driver I'm sure who was texting. UGH!!!

Morgan Mandel said...

I see drivers on phones constantly. They're the ones usually going too slow or swerving into the next lane. Most calls are not that important. Texting is even worse. They'd be better off calling the person. At least one hand would be on the wheel.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
http://www.morganmandel.com

Terry Odell said...

I was in a parking lot, my eye on a driver who seemed a little more than 'distracted' judging from her driving. Turns out she was 'talking' to her passenger, using SIGN LANGUAGE. NO hands on the wheel.

When we're stopped at red lights, we count the drivers who are on the phone coming the other way.

But people think it's their right to do whatever they want. Helmets save lives, but the fight against requiring them is vicious. And then there's the warning that coffee might be hot.

Read labels for the warnings. It's enough to make you laugh ... or cry.