Okay, I had my little rant the other day about High Visibility Safety Vests in Better with Hi-Viz and today I am going to sound like a traffic cop, but I really have had enough and here is the reason.

Beep, Beep….. oh sorry I have to stop writing to check what text I just received.

Not a problem it was from Scoopon about discount face creams from Argentina.

Where was I.  Well, I could have been talking to you in the street, getting served in a shop, having a quiet coffee with you just to catch up, out to dinner, or DRIVING! But texting was more important.

Okay as I said in Better thank Mrs Nesmith, we all make mistakes.  I have gone a little over the speed limit, changed lanes without indicating, perhaps even been a little late on a traffic light or even popped down to the end of the street before I realised I didn have my seat belt on.  But, these were a little bit of inattention (which incidentally is the real reason behind most car crashes) and I try my best not to do them again.  I actually bourght myself one of those traffic cameras which records all the time on a continuous loop so that I know Big Brother (Me) is always watching.  It has actually made me a calmer and better driver.  My mistakes are all now possible Adelaide Crap Driver videos, either from myself or others – the cameras are everywhere!

Beep, beep…. kids going to be late home from school. (Why are they texting at school?)

But, and I yell BUT!  Picking up your mobile phone, even if you are stopped at the traffic lights, and checking it or using it for whatever reason in a conscious choice each time you do it to: 1. Break the law and 2. Have all your attention on something else.  If you think it doesn’t matter when you are at the traffic lights then remembe when numerous times the car in front doesn’t move when the lights turn green and you note that the person appears to be looking in their lap.

Beep, beep…. just go a new Twitter comment

I know using mobile phones in cars was initially banned because people talking on their phone was dangerous.  Lets ramp that up a bit as most people doing it now days are ‘typing a short letter’ or ‘reading a short letter’.

I am sorry (well not really) but would you read a book of quotes as you drive along; each one is only a small snippet and you can glance down and get the general gist; plus if there were pictures next to each quote you could give them a quick glance.  Does that sound reasonable.  How about watching television while we drive along – I could fully concentrate during the ads!

Beep, Beep…. sorry just found out I can get a discount golf round in California

I just don’t get it.  I don’t do it, anymore.  About a year ago it suddenly dawned on me that this is one of the stupidest things I do in my life other than smoking, but that’s another story – don’t read my post Better Stop Smoking or Better (Still) Stop Smoking, perhaps get back to me next week on a new day one!  Which makes me think why all the uproar about smoking yet only a whimper about not concentrating while you a piloting a half tonne upwards weighing death machine.

Beep, Beep…. unbelievable a dancing cat in a spiderman outfit!

Shouldn’t the road toll be zero, yes zero.  I could never understand how the Goverment and Police were happy that we got the road toll under 100.  So we were happy that 99 people were killed and thought that was an acceptable loss for having transport and freedom of the roads.  What other thing would we say it is okay to randomly sacrifice 99 of our citizens to get something in return – what is worth a life.

Beep, Beep…. 

Sorry I just found out that my friends kid was killed in a car accident.

Beep, Beep….

Thank God they weren’t using a mobile phone when they crashed.

Only I was doing that to receive the message.

I do make mistakes.  I sometimes decide to do things I shouldn’t.  I have decided that I do not want my life to end in a car crash where I might take my wife and kids and someone else with me.  I did learn to drive more patiently as I describe in my post  Better Driving or Dancing and I did put in the camera as described in Better at Driving.

But, all my driving, all my attitudes when on the road, are choices I make.

Being a better man is also about being a better citizen; perhaps in the place where we meet the most strangers in our community, in dangerous circumstances, on the road.

PS:  I cant help being me, so when I see someone at the lights using their mobile phone or texting, I just beep my horn twice (Beep… Beep…) and when they look up I pretend it wasn’t me.  When they look down again, I do it again, and this sometimes may go on until the lights turn green.  Most often though it confuses them so much they put their phone down.  This would be a great viral activity, plus it is fun (so long as your wife is not in the car with you!)