Dude, hang it up!

If you are messing with your phone while driving, you better just stop it right now. Illinois has passed a law restricting the use of texting and twittering while driving. Well....duh!! I am unsure of the fine structure, but I don't think it's gonna be too funny for a lot of people. Used to be in the olden days be fore cell phones (How much of the crowd did I just lose?) you would see countless people on the expressways reading a book or putting on makeup while waiting to get through the toll booth. Now we have the I-pass, and although you are only supposed to go through the booth at 20 mph, people fly through at speeds in excess of 50 mph, and then wonder why they get a ticket in the mail for blowing a toll booth.

This is going to be interesting...seeing how it's going to be dealt with in the courts. I'm sure there are going to be numerous challenges, basically because it addresses a "problem" that has not been addressed before. A small town in Ohio regulated the use of cell phones while driving because it was viewed as a real traffic hazard. And it was, and still is, a traffic hazard. People don't devote all their attention to their driving skills while they are on the phone, and we all know the result. Of course it's always the other guy and not you that caused the problem in the first place. Some of you will argue that the use of these electronic devices is no more distracting than tuning your radio. For some, tuning their radio causes traffic crashes.

There will be those who will go to court and argue that by the law not allowing them to use these services they are losing fortunes because they cannot conduct business while traveling. Mothers will complain that they cannot keep track of their children, thereby not being the best parent they could be. Still others will maintain that their social agendas will be compromised because the use of their electronic devices is so severely restricted. I really can't say as I sympathize with that. I believe the state Illinois is doing the right thing to save lives and better regulate the flow of traffic. But then, a lot of people always whine and complain like children about any regulation created for their own good. I am old enough to remember when there was no such thing as a car phone unless you were a rich guy, and then you sat in the back seat, not behind the wheel.

The advent of these electrononic toys has turned a convenience into an absolute necessity for may people all over the world. What would they do without them? Die of boredom, I suppose. Later.