My Cell Phone and My New Car
Fighting capitalism for years, I finally gave up and decided I absolutely had to buy a car. I needed one that would start for sure every time. Yes, I know I could have bought a good used one, but this time I didn't want to take a chance. There are so many cars around Houston that have been in hurricanes and floods, its hard to take a chance.
Well, the car is nice (not the payments however) - but it is pretty, that expensive ($500) "platinum white" paint job, by day 4 already has a couple of 2mm dings (I cover them with some of my artist oil paint). I have never driven a car that big (that I can remember). Maybe my 1988 Honda Accord what that size, but that was so long ago.
Anyway. To my shock and dismay, the saleswoman excitedly told me that I could hook up my cell phone to the car. A handsome young salesman came and tried to coordinate my antiquated cell phone with the Blue Tooth on the car. He couldn't do it, the phone is too out of date. THANK GOODNESS. He was very apologetic, but I told him, hey you did me a favor. You think I want to be driving around talking on the phone, hands free or not? Well, I guess I have been out of the loop for sometime. A colleague says her car also has this phone hook up. I suppose all the new cars have them. What does that mean? The studies are showing that handsfree is also dangerous. The point is you are distracted when you talk on the cell.
This post is especially important for DREAMers, who are at that age --- you all text and talk on the cells non-stop. I know that. I constantly ask you and my other students to stop texting during class. Well, those of you that drive new cars don't have a chance, of course you will succumb to this Blue Tooth gadget... if you are still talking on the phone (with your hands or not) while you drive, please re-consider. Your life is not worth it.
see this press release from the Governor's Highway Safety Association
---New York TimesBy MATT RICHTELPublished: August 4, 2009The secretary of transportation on Tuesday announced a plan for a “distracted driving summit,” an action that safety advocates say is a shift in the federal government’s recognition of the dangers of behind-the-wheel multitasking...link to complete NYT article
1 comment:
Thoroughly enjoyed your post. I too resisted having a car, then buying a car, but just recently bought a new one. And it worries me too that people talk on the cell phones all the time and text on it. You don't even need to be a certain age, everyone does it. I try not to nag about it to my partner who loves the technology of it all!
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