On the way to work today, I get on to the Manhattan Bridge. I am riding my motorcycle and at the best of times, I look out for the dumb “cagers” or car drivers as they are otherwise called.
A fat bald dude in his huge-ass GMC Yukon monstermobile is drivng ahead of me and there is something funny in the way he drives. Not sure what to make out of it, I move out of the way and overtake him. Glancing to my right as I do so, I see the driver checking email on his T-Mobile Sidekick, oblivious of the fact that he is in traffic and moving at 20 mph.
I felt so pissed that I did something at that instant, which now seems a little foolish and dangerous. Having already passed him, I slowed down a wee bit and when he pulled up in line with me, I went and banged on the side of his car. He got such a jolt and the car did a small jig. Am sure he dropped the sidekick and put his hands on the wheel where they should have been. Needless to say he was spewing venom, as I pulled away before he could do something. At the end of the bridge, he tried to catch up with me and give me a pice of his mind. Alas all he could do was scream some incoherent words while I changed lanes and went away.
Why cant people who drive cars do just that. Drive. Not check email, not talk on the telephone, not put on their make up or eat their breakfast, or read their newspaper.
Just as I am writing this post, there is a caller on a talk show I am listening to. And coincidentally she is talking about how her talking from the car with a handsfree is so much better than people who have kids screaming at the back. Yes both are distractions, but how is one the lesser of the two evils.
If you drive and you do any of the above distracting activities, you will one day kill somebody. If you kill yourself in the bargain, well you deserve it. But you have no right to kill someone else.
Drive safe. Dont talk. Just Drive.
And I am sure the handsfree manufacturers lobbyist will now hunt me down.
