http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6373.cfm?Id=0,59673
"This year, nine states have considered legislation specifically banning driving while texting. Washington is the first state to pass a law, making DWT, a crime with a $100 fine." On 8/22/07, Jeremy Hansen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Of course, > > driving and texting (DWT) at the same time, that would be dangerous > > > I don't know if you were joking about this or not, but I have witnessed this > exact transgression 3 times in the last 2 months. The first time I saw it I > couldn't believe it was actually happening. The worst case was a > teen-to-early-20s girl turning left onto the NB I-15 on-ramp at the 106th > South intersection at about 4:30 PM. Not exactly an area of light traffic. > Thankfully, for me anyway, I was headed south. But I just kept imagining her > on the freeway, constantly glancing down at her phone which she held with > both hands on the center of the steering wheel (apparently turning that with > her elbows), and typing away furiously with her thumbs. It was like playing > peek-a-boo with oncoming traffic. In fact, I was so mesmerized by her > stupidity that I'm sure I was almost as distracted as she was. > > On another note, I have a bit of an axe to grind with the "Utah drivers" > stigma that has already been mentioned. To be blunt, I think it's total > bull. > > ### THIS IS A RANT. COMMENCE TO IGNORE. ### > > I have driven in many different parts of the country, as doubtless many of > you have and, in my experience, there is no shortage of seemingly > incompetent drivers anywhere. I say seemingly because I believe it's really > just my (read our) overinflated perspective of a negative situational > experience that labels other drivers in this way. Driving here is no worse, > from a statistical standpoint, than anywhere else. Utah ranks close to the > middle in most driving related statistics, and lowest by almost half of most > states in % of alcohol related deaths in auto accidents. The bottom line is, > we all have driving idiosyncrasies. Ask anyone from Florida where the worst > drivers are and guess what they'll say? What about Washington or Rhode > Island? > > I propose that the reason most people complain about Utah drivers (or the > drivers from whatever state they happen to be in at the time) is that they > encounter other drivers who don't drive the way they do. They have different > tendencies. This is only magnified in an environment with drivers in > unfamiliar or crowded conditions, both of which are increasing in Utah > almost daily. Think about Washington D.C. where abrupt lane changes are seen > as simply a necessity, as evidenced by the numerous times I was almost > forced from the roadway by taxis. I hadn't realized that was part of the > local custom. Silly me. > > How often have you heard about a driver who was too slow, or wouldn't get > out of the fast lane, or wouldn't let them into the other lane, or in some > other way impeded the first driver's progress and therefore forever damaged > them by way of inconvenience? Of course these people are frustrating, but I > guarantee you have had the same effect on some other person at some time in > your driving life. I am as guilty as anyone else who has spent an angry hour > in the car because someone 50 miles back had cut me off. I am also sure that > I have made a mistake of my own while driving from time to time. > > Driving is a cooperative effort by everyone to make it to their destination > without running into each other. Unfortunately, aggressiveness, impatience, > and self-centered intentions are clogging up the gears. Whether it's you > driving too fast, or the other guy driving too slow, it doesn't really > matter. We all just need to chill out a bit. At least that's what my wife > tells me when that vein starts bulging out of my forehead every time I get > on the freeway. > > I'm sure many of you disagree with me, and that's fine. I expect it. I'm not > defending bad driving. My point is that there are bad drivers everywhere, > and you know what? The lights aren't always greener on the other side of the > state line. I'm not trying to rip on all other drivers but myself either. > Quite the opposite. I'm trying to bring to light a reality that might > prevent you from giving someone the finger on the freeway only to find out > as you pass that it was your neighbor. Besides, did you ever check the > license plate of that idiot? He's probably from California. They can't drive > their way out of a paper bag. > > ### END OF RANT. COMMENCE FLAMES. ### > > Kenneth - I hope your situation is resolved to your satisfaction. There > certainly is no excuse for that kind of irresponsibility. > > Jeremy > > /* > PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net > Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug > Don't fear the penguin. > */ > > -- Joseph http://blog.josephhall.com/ /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
