After dropping my son, Joey, and his pal, Frank, at school this morning, I made the reverse trek back home. As I approached the neighborhood, facing a stream of cars in oncoming traffic, I was shook to see an SUV drifting across the double yellow lines. As I swerved and blew my horn, the driver corrected his path and as we passed each other I saw that he was chatting away on his cell phone. This isn't the first time I've encountered this. It didn't really surprise me and I don't want to rant about it other than to say that it seems so, well...ignorant, self-important and shameful! But it did remind me of my recent trip to Washington, D.C. last month to visit my 92 year old mother. She reluctantly accepted my offer to drive her to her early morning doctor's appointment from her home in Alexandria, VA, to Walter Reed Hospital in the District. It seems she is accustomed to taking the bus. She and my sister, Jackie went and Jackie said she'd call me on my cell phone when they were ready for me to pick them up. I figured I'd kill some time in town rather than go all the way back to VA...I was anxious to visit an Italian market off Florida Avenue anyway. After I shopped and I was heading back in the direction of the hospital, my cell phone rang. I knew it was probably Jackie and I moved to the right lane to turn onto a side street so I could take the call. I won't use my phone while driving...period. I'm no scientist, but I'm damn sure about the science behind our brains' only being able to focus on one thing at a time, no matter how 'special' we think we are.
The lane I turned onto was a calm, tree-lined drive that had no traffic at all and I looked to the curb for a spot to pull into, and seeing one, I slowed and angled my car in behind another sedan some thirty feet ahead. As I was coming to a stop, I pushed the 'answer' button and lifted the phone to my ear, after which I applied the emergency brake. At this same instant, I noticed a D.C. police cruiser in the parking lot some 50 feet to my front. The call was Jackie and as the officer's and my eyes met, I began conversing with my sister. The police car's engine started and began heading toward me rather swiftly and I told Jackie to hold on a minute...that a cop was coming over to me. I had forgotten that cell use while driving was banned in our capitol city, and not only that, but they took it VERY seriously, which I was about to find out first-hand. So seriously, in fact, that even while drifting into a parking slot while lifting a cell to ones head is rightfully considered breaking the law.
The officer didn't even have to explain...I told him I was thoroughly impressed with the commitment the city has evidently made to the issue. Wow! He gave me a warning, but the experience left an indelible mark on my nation-view.
I live in Nashville, TN, where there is no such law...no such commitment...not even the rumblings of a desire to clamp down on such a blatant disregard for propriety on the public roadways. It gives me pause each time I start my car and ease into traffic here.
So what is it? Is there something distinctly different about these two communities? I checked up on just how many states have cell use while driving bans in effect and it's quite laughable. Only 8 states have gotten real in this regard (I believe that even the states that do have bans in place should extend it to cover ALL cell use, not just hand-held) and a few just now putting them into effect. I draw a blank trying to grasp the factors involved with why most states are not following this trend. Is it due to size? Population? Rural characteristics? There's just no telling, and I can't even begin to delve into the possibility that civic corruption (read, lobbying) may play a part. That's not to say that a place like D.C. doesn't have it's fair share of corruption! I hope it's just a case of lag time between knowledge and legislative action that's holding everyone else back from doing the right thing in this case. At least my son, Joey, isn't driving...yet.
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