Munching on a Burger, Texting, Vaping, and Driving with Your Elbows
If we don’t get driverless cars soon, we’re in big trouble
I thought I’d seen it all.
I’m going 80 miles an hour on I-75 and the guy in front of me is bobbing and weaving.
My first thought was this was someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
But as I approached, it was a young man who — with his left hand — was taking a huge bite of a burger and in his other hand was holding one of those flashy, boxy, vapes, and steering the car with his elbows.
Maybe his self-driving car was intoxicated?
So, what happened to the guy who was doing everything but driving?
Thank God, he didn’t crash.
I followed him for a few miles and when I got the courage to pass him, he must’ve already scarfed down the burger because his left hand was on the steering wheel.
He was still vaping with his right hand, but who cares, I used to smoke cigarettes while driving a stick shift just before I quit in the mid-90s and still managed to stay alive.
All silliness aside, distracted driving scares the hell out of me — particularly at 80 miles an hour when tailgating becomes not only risky but deadly.
Since — while driving — many of us are hopelessly addicted to our smartphones: streaming music, eating, drinking, vaping, texting, checking our dating apps, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, tracking our deliveries, calling our kids or parents, toggling between Spotify and hands-free calling, and occasionally making sure we’re not drifting off the road entirely….driverless cars better get here soon or I’m buying a bicycle.
