Monday, May 27, 2013

Smart Phones - Dumb People


For all of our technical advancements over the past few years we’ve really taken a step back.  Specifically when it comes to our daily commute.  All the built-in safety features in the world won’t protect you from the blinks and tones of a “smart phone” announcing the arrival of a critical text message, email, phone call, status update or tweet.  All things that have no place ahead of watching the road you’re hurtling down with thousands of others. 

You don’t need to sit up high either to spot the distracted driver.  You’ll see them crossing busy intersections with their head down in an attempt to conceal the activity that has most of their focus.  They weave left and right worse than a drunk stumbling home from the local pub after last call.  They blaze along in the centre lane at twenty under the posted limit while those of us actually driving jockey to find a way around without getting steam rolled by a transport.   It’s all kinds of people too.  It’s not limited to young people or business people or even cops.  I’ve seen them all clearly consumed by the “smart phone” while driving and I’m sure you’ve seen it too. 

Before the numbers force the nanny state we really should take responsibility for this.  There isn’t a single solitary thing your "smart phone"
can do that will undo the outcome of poor choices.  There’s no app to fix the injured or bring back those lost as a result of a funny text message or seemingly vital business email causing loss of control.  There’s time for those things and that time isn’t anywhere while you are the driver of a moving vehicle.

It’s funny how something supposedly “smart” has made so many of us on the road anything but.

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