Posted by
BrianR on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 12:34:39 PM
In the Summer of 2008 – mere months ago – a law went into effect in the state of Leftifornia that in order to talk on a cell phone while driving one had to use a “hands-free” device. This could be a Bluetooth earbud or a system that utilized the car’s sound system.
I suppose I didn’t have much problem with that requirement – other than the fact that I thought it was a silly attempt to solve a non-existent problem – because, as we all learned in Civics class, driving’s not a “right”, it’s a privilege, and therefore subject to regulation. I could understand some of the underlying concerns, which did make some sense: holding a cell phone to your ear definitely takes one hand out of use if it’s suddenly needed in an emergency maneuver.
Never satisfied, the finger-waggers and scolders – in other words, liberals – now want to make ALL cell phone use illegal while driving. They’ve even managed to gin up a couple of studies that indicate that cell phone use is more distracting than a normal conversation with someone else in your car, or listening to the radio.
“Science” in service to political agenda, as usual.
I don’t know about you, but when Orbison starts belting out “Pretty Woman” on my car radio, I am into that song, singing right along, and woe to anyone who inadvertently gets in front of my car. Same thing happens when I’m arguing with some pinheaded RINO on the talk shows (though they can’t hear me).
I suppose the cell phone nags won’t be satisfied until the driver’s hermetically sealed in an isolation capsule, in dead silence, with air piped in.
This also raises another interesting issue: enforcement. How are they going to enforce such a law?
It’s one thing when a cop sees someone driving down the road holding a cell phone to his ear. It’s pretty hard to make any kind of credible claim one wasn’t actually making a phone call. Why are you holding the phone to your ear in the first place?
But with hands-free devices – especially the ones that work through your car radio – all a cop can see at best is that your lips are moving.
“Sir, I’m citing you for talking on the phone while driving.”
“No I wasn’t.”
“I saw your lips moving.”
“I was singing along with the radio/arguing with Limbaugh/talking to myself/practicing my lines for the play…”
“No you weren’t. You were on the phone.”
“Prove it.”
P-R-O-V-E I-T.
How are they going to do that? Are they going to get the detectives and the district attorneys involved in minor traffic infractions to subpoena everyone’s cell phone records for traffic tickets?
I have to continue to marvel at the working of what passes for a mind in liberals. They must lose sleep at night worrying that someone somewhere is managing to have some fun or carry out some activity free from government oversight and regulation.