Who Deserves a Flog Today? (Celling-Out)

Imagine The Flogging Whip with its lashes flashing upward in frenzied despair! Or frustration. Something evoking the image of WTF?! Well, that's what is happening around here this late morning in August: a whip bouncing from place-to-place waving those threatening strands of leather and rope in the air during its tizzy wherein I have to duck from becoming its Accidental Victim.

What is the problem? Which Latest Newz Event has The Whip all whipped-up? Texting While Driving, that's what. Have you seen pictures of the Way Too Many car accidents caused by drivers who were Texting? The crumpled ruins of what was once a car that had Living Creatures inside who are now either dead or seriously maimed? All of the carnage just because someone felt a need to communicate Right Now to Someone Else information that the driver couldn't wait to impart until there would be a stop light or sign or the Exit Ramp off the freeway. Please! What is so important that whatever it is must be dealt with ASAP by using one's Hands to punch tiny buttons on a small cell phone to spell out information that could be SAID into a phone?

Huh? Why? Unless in a place where sound is not welcome or privacy is imperative, isn't it ridiculous to communicate by text – again, in particular while at the controls of a machine? Yes, there are people who have professions which require them to be On Call in one form or another and, if contacted during an emergency, must respond immediately. And sure, in most states it is illegal to TALK on a cell phone while driving, so of course Texting would seem to be the next option for rapid communication.

However, why can't Drivers pull over to complete the exchange rather than speeding down a road or freeway at 80+ mph, juggling the cell in one hand and presumably holding the steering wheel with the other? Can we say Physically Awkward? How about Really Dangerous and Reckless and Stupid!  Nothing other than a medical or Other True Emergency is SO IMPORTANT for these people to so cluelessly and/or callously risk theirs and others' lives by punch-thumbing letters and numbers onto a screen just to be cool and/or impatient to share their every move and thought to another!

Have we gone mad with this New technology Thingy? It's enough that almost everyone has to talk to someone by phone while driving despite having friends in the car with them for chat. Half of the time when friends call from their cells and are on the road I can barely hear them due to static interference and most of the calls are cut off when they venture into canyons. The actual communication is non-communication at its best. So, that brings us back to Texting Instead Of Talking as the alternative to the often-poor quality of cell phone "sound." And here we go into the conundrum again.

Solution? Common Sense.

A Note To Those Who Text While Driving: Try being alone in your car and enjoy it. If you need chatter, listen to Talk Radio or the Voices In Your Head – whatever you like. Text only when stopping/stopped for at least 5 minutes. And, when tempted to push those Communication Buttons while zooming along wherever you are driving, remember that what you are on the verge of doing is exactly the same in risk factors as Drinking While Driving. You're impaired from having full control over your driving and ability to react fast to an unexpected obstacle.

Rant Over.