A Couple of Idiots

Fellow bloggers Paul C and Mark Carbone recently blogged about the new hands-free law in Ontario on Quoteflections and Mark’s Musings.  Now, just for the record, these two guys aren’t the couple of idiots that I’m referring to!  Their blogposts are well crafted and insightful.  In fact, I read Paul’s just this morning before I came into work.  It was Paul who taught me the word serendipity and now I see it everywhere.

Both of their blogs talk about the need to give your undivided attention to driving when you’re driving.  They’re right.

But, I had two relatively close calls this morning within moments of each.  These are the idiots that made the title for me.

I’m normally at work by 6:15 just to have some quiet time to myself and also to avoid a lot of the rush hour traffic.  It’s just a habit that I’ve got into and make it part of my life now.

On the way in, I pulled up to an intersection where I was about to make a right turn.  The light had long since turned amber and I was preparing to apply the brakes.  I checked the rear view mirror and there was a big truck behind me who had no intention of stopping.  In fact, he appeared to have no intention of even slowing down.  So, I completed a right turn on a very stale amber and looked to my left to see him go flying through the intersection on the now red light.  I could see the guy in the well lit intersection and guess what – cell phone pressed to his right ear.

Wow.

So, I’m now on the next street and go through one green light and the light is red at the next intersection.  There’s a car oncoming to me sitting at the red light.  And, guess what?  He’s on the phone too!  He’s very animated as his non-cell phone wielding hand is enjoying the conversation as well.  The cross street light had turned amber and he was off.  He made a left hand turn right in front of me.  His waving hand was now attached to the steering wheel but in this well lit intersection, I could see that he hadn’t missed a beat in his phone conversation.

Now, did both of these events happen because they were engaged in a cell phone conversation?  I don’t know, but had they not been on the phone, there was at least a chance that they might have been more aware of their surroundings.  (and the rules of the road!)

The Distracted Driving Law is now in place.  The nay-sayers are already talking about this as being another government tax grab.  Are they on their cell phones doing this nay saying?

Let’s hope that the enforcement of this law gets a grip on these things and make driving safer for everyone.

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