Dumb blog in defense of texting while driving

[Argus Skyhawk]

Yesterday I came across this fascinatingly wrongheaded blog in defense of texting while driving, and I just thought I would share.

In response to this blog, I would say: Driving is for grown-ups. If you are not grown up enough to stop texting for half an hour, you are not grown up enough to drive. It is an action that requires personal responsibility, and personal responsibility is not too much to ask of someone who wants a driver's license.

 

[Kronos]

Hopefully when that idiot wraps their car around a telephone poll they don't take anyone else with them.

Surprised the blog wasn't titled 'yolo'.

 

[Gov Kodos]

If it's his real name, I hope his name flags a permanent ban from getting a license due to being too stupid to possess one.

 

[Amaris]

I like the part where one commenter congratulated him for having the balls to say what he did. Since when did you need balls to say stupid stuff? It seems to me that morons are some of the most outspoken people.

I went ahead and said as much.

 

[MacLeod]

You know I'm fairly sure cars come with things called brakes and indicators for you to pull over and stop if you really really must see what that text is all about. However did we manage in the days before mobile phones.

Why should we need to encourage people to keep their phone out of sight for the drive, shouldn't this be automatic when you get behind the wheel?

 

[Amaris]

You know I'm fairly sure cars come with things called brakes and indicators for you to pull over and stop if you really really must see what that text is all about. However did we manage in the days before mobile phones.

Why should we need to encourage people to keep their phone out of sight for the drive, shouldn't this be automatic when you get behind the wheel?

I've said this before, but I never figured there would come a day when we would be spending large amounts of money telling people to look up while they're driving.

 

[scotpens]

If it's his real name, I hope his name flags a permanent ban from getting a license due to being too stupid to possess one.

I like the part where one commenter congratulated him for having the balls to say what he did. Since when did you need balls to say stupid stuff? It seems to me that morons are some of the most outspoken people.

I was under the impression the blogger was a woman. Isn't Alexis usually a girl's name?

At any rate, I can't believe this . . . uh, person has the chutzpah to write: "We are past the point of no return on this one. There is no point in saying 'you can’t look at your phone for 30 minutes,' because that is just impossible for some people to do."

I mean, WTF? If you're old enough to get a driver's license, you should be mature enough to stay away from the phone for half an hour -- or even several hours, God forbid. What did people do in the Dark Ages of personal communication (pre-1980s) when texting and cellphones didn't exist and car phones were only for the rich?

 

[Pavonis]

The world does not move so fast that being out-of-reach for a few minutes will lead to the end of the world, a job, or even just a friendship. If someone needs to be in constant contact during commuting, they should be using public transportation, not driving themselves around.

 

[MacLeod]

You know I could happily leave my mobile phone for days without touching it and generally do.

 

[RandyS]

If it's his real name, I hope his name flags a permanent ban from getting a license due to being too stupid to possess one.

I like the part where one commenter congratulated him for having the balls to say what he did. Since when did you need balls to say stupid stuff? It seems to me that morons are some of the most outspoken people.

I was under the impression the blogger was a woman. Isn't Alexis usually a girl's name?

Doesn't matter either way. Gender has nothing to do with idiocy.

 

[Pingfah]

I like how the blogger thinks that apps that make phones hands free is some amazing new concept they just came up with.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Paragraph 2: "We are rational beings..."

Paragraph 4: "...texting and driving is inevitable."

Huh? If we're rational, texting while driving is totally avoidable.

Aside from all the other problems with the article!

 

[Yoda]

I think enforcement and penalties really need to be stepped up on this one. I can't drive 2 blocks around here without running into someone with face glued to phone and absolutely no awareness of what's going on around them while driving.

 

[B.J.]

At any rate, I can't believe this . . . uh, person has the chutzpah to write: "We are past the point of no return on this one. There is no point in saying 'you can’t look at your phone for 30 minutes,' because that is just impossible for some people to do."

If the article writer had to do what I did last week, which was be a Scoutmaster at a summer camp with no cell service whatsoever, they'd probably be going into withdrawal by the second day!

 

[CorporalClegg]

There is a logical fallacy in every paragraph.

 

[MacLeod]

At any rate, I can't believe this . . . uh, person has the chutzpah to write: "We are past the point of no return on this one. There is no point in saying 'you can’t look at your phone for 30 minutes,' because that is just impossible for some people to do."

If the article writer had to do what I did last week, which was be a Scoutmaster at a summer camp with no cell service whatsoever, they'd probably be going into withdrawal by the second day!

As long as that?

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^ Beat me to it! I was going to suggest two hours, max.

 

[Pavonis]

I would think 30 minutes, since that's the author's "magic number" in the article.

 

[MacLeod]

Guess what it's been more than 30 mins since I last chekced my mobile phone, and I don't feel any pressing need to check it.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

One commenter who was on the author's side did the whole "I bet not one of you guys complaining about this blog has never texted while driving."

Guess what? I drive nearly every day. At my old job I drove 30 minutes to and from work, Monday through Friday. Not once did I ever look down at my phone and answer a text. I've never gotten a text from somebody that was an emergency so I never felt the need to answer one.

Once when I was riding with my brother in his car, he answered a text while we were on the highway. I gave him shit about it and his defense was that he was a good driver. Well whoopdeedoo!! I'm sure everybody thinks they're a good driver until they finally get into an accident.