Soapbox Moment: Mobile and tech usage while driving
To the 85% (ok I am making that number up, but it is very plausible) who drive through Divisidero and Jackson St while partaking to the following fine activities on your mobile phone:
- Texting
- Talking about serious stuff (human and animal torture, world hunger, globalisation, imminent doom of our planet)
- Talking with your friend about silly stuff (such as football, movies, pedis, politics)
- Checking your maps
- Watching youtube
- Watching cute baby animals on youtube
- Taking pictures
- Taking pictures and posting them on twitter
- Twittering
- Catching up with inane banalities (including mine) on facebook
- Sexting (almost as texting only worse cause it drains your head from blood further)
I have news for you:
You are not smarter than the average person out there. I know.. I know. Somedays it feels like it.. I know. You have had those moments of genius (adding mustard on your whiskey sour was not it though). However, if everyone who thought were as smart as they thought then the human condition would be very very different.
Your driving skills are not awesome (you drive a fucking automatic and if given stick you most likely wouldn’t know what to do with it… no it is not a game joystick.. no neither does it take batteries.. no.. don’t do that with the gear shift..please..)
Your coordination skills are average at best. Add in your average distractions:
Kids
Dogs
Kids with Dogs (no really.. it is true, I have seen it happen)
Music
Smoking
Smoking and drinking (seen that too)
Eating
Everyday banalities going through your head such as “Did I pick up the right kid from school? Why is this one blonde? My kid has black hair.. oh…”
Why make it worse? Why not consider your time in the car your gift to your sanity and plug off for the 5 minutes drive to the super market or the 1 hour it takes to drive home from work.
Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE technology. I would plug myself in if I could. There are things that are worth taking a break for though.
Chill out, put the phone away and pay attention to yourself and your surroundings. Nothing can be THAT important. And if it is, grab a curb and talk it through while stationed.
No one wants to be driven over by a middle aged balding guy driving a BMW that screams inadequacy at the corner of Divis and Jackson on a rainy weekday. It is just so banal, you know?
Music of the moment:
