I was active in a number of forums in the 2000s, until my interests outside the house and away from electronic devices extracted me from the quagmire of virtual "reality" and those so hamstrung by it. What really rubbed me the wrong way was the lack of objectivity or ANY critical thinking ability among the moderators. Musical instrument forums were the worst, by far!
The original poster here deserves a hearty handshake and a tip of the hat for instigating such a Libertarian discussion.
(Our Founding Fathers are smiling down on ya!)
That being said, I'm jumping back into the ring after a decade in remission!
Good point, we focus on cell phones, but the truth is there is too many things in a car to distract us these days, touch screen controls is a good example
I could not agree more.
Spend a few decades on earth and you will notice a phenomenon I call the Cause du Jour.
(Cause of the Day)
With social media being such a powerful force for unquestioned stupidity, this concept has been magnified exponentially. Remember when people got SO UPSET about things we don't even hear about anymore? The public consciousness moves on the next viral cause that offends their sensibilities so.... and tomorrow everyone will have their panties in a wad about something most of us have been aware of already but just weren't overly concerned about.
TV screen in a car?
Can't even adjust the air conditioning without a degree from MIT?
I'm the guy who hates auto-dimming mirrors, automatic headlights, and anything that supposedly LIGHTENS our cognitive load while we drive, yet I'm supposed to applaud all the "improvements" I can have in a new car?
I see people texting all the time on my rides. Typically I used to honk my horn to see if I could get them to pay attention/stop txting.
This typically earns me a finger (I'm number one!!) or in two cases road rage issues (one older guy in a Mercedes followed me to my office and wanted to fight, I shit you not).
When cell phones first began distracting drivers in the nineties, I developed a strategy for jacking with them on the freeways of Houston.
(I know, it's a douchebag move, but it worked!)
1. I would pace them in the next lane - ESPECIALLY if they were squatting in the left lane.
2. I would do my best to appear to look straight ahead while I purposely drifted into their lane a bit.
After a bit of speeding up and slowing down (which I matched) they would finally get pissed off and return to driving. Yes, they would cease writing, sorting papers, and all the other distracted activities to get away from me - as I was clearly an idiot and endangering THEM!
And the saying "Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose" certainly applies in this situation. I'd love to see the no txting laws get enforced in Georgia.
FWIW I'm a conservative leaning Libertarian.
I still disagree.
This is where the two of us could have a great discussion - which I am getting to in this post.
What if you could train people to text and drive? Really TRAIN them to crosscheck their phone, car, and surroundings in such a way that texting is no big deal?
It CAN be done.
YES!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!!
From what I've seen, its near impossible to teach most people to just drive.
THIS.
Here's my opinion, worth every penny you paid for it:
Drivers have a DUTY, a social contract, a humanitarian responsibility, and a legal requirement to NOT RUN INTO/OVER OTHER PEOPLE or their property.
Doesn't matter why or how.
If you do, regardless of the reason (or excuse), you are culpable, liable, responsible, and obligated to make amends. If irreparable harm is done, beyond the reach of a financial remedy (like bodily harm or death) then it's YOUR ASS.
I don't care if you are on your cell phone, applying mascara, drunk, asleep, or installing 3rd-degree coffee burns on your nads, it is YOUR ASS.
We already have thousands and thousands of redundant laws, mostly ill-conceived and rarely applied.
We don't need more.
In my little world I subscribe to an American Constitution and a King James Bible, NOT all the watered-down, half-baked, knee-jerk "improvements" politicians and social media are selling as a remedy.
I do my best to keep my head outta my ass when driving (or flying) and I understand how dire my future may become in the blink of an eye if I fail.
Grain of salt not included.