Texting and driving documentary: "From One Second to the Next"

Disagree, Bradley. People know exactly what "reckless driving" means. And they sure as hell ask - employers, graduate programs, etc.

Our criminal justice system is a system of pleas. Prosecutors offer them. Judges accept them. The alternative is a system where cases go to trial constantly, which would be unsustainable, economically, from the first hour that system was in place.

The idea that U.S. judges are insufficiently punitive is laughable. They have almost no discretion under modern sentencing laws. Meanwhile, we have 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of its prisoners.

 

AT&T does have several car simulators they take to events around the country in which you get into a life-sized vehicle with a screen in front of you instead of a windshield and try to text while "driving." It's pretty awesome. They also have wheel-and-pedal kits that they take to various schools, events and retail locations that more closely simulate the experience of texting and driving.

 

I figured. I just think that saying "oooh the computer simulator showed me exactly how texting while driving affects me!" is ridiculous. It's like comparing apples to hippopotami.

 

That is stupid.

You can eat a box of french fries without ever taking your eyes off the road. You cannot do the same while texting.

It's outrageous comparisons like this that just kill these discussions.

 

It is an infringement on OUR rights. But seeing as you are a commie who can't exist without the government telling you how to live, I can understand why you would be so confused by this.

For the record, I don't text and drive. I used to but now that I have one of these newfangled high tech phones it is too hard to do it safely. When I used to have a different phone, I would do it and never had an issue or a close call.

However, this was a conclusion I came to on my own and sure as hell don't need the government to tell me what I can or can't do or what i should or shouldn't do because that is one of the perks of living in a supposedly free society.

As for smoking in bars - those of us at my local watering hole had a great experience a few months ago when a bunch of snot-nosed New York types rolled in and complained that people were smoking inside the bar -- you know, because this neck of the woods is still America -- and that prompted all of us locals to purchase cigars which are sold at the bar and fire them up and smoke the joint up to the point where the snot-nosed bitches were forced to leave.

And one of them said to me "I can't believe they allow smoking in bars here, that is really a disgrace."

And the bar owner, who sits and plays gin and chess with anyone who wants to challenge him looked up and said "there are plenty of bars in this area that don't allow smoking, go find one, go have a drink and then hopefully you will shut the fuck up......"

Tremendous night.

And wow, let's see how this works --- bars here are given the option (there are some parameters in terms of how to continue to allow smoking but they are easily met) and some decide to allow smoking and some do not. And people can choose which ones they want to go to or even work at.

Amazing concept -- choices, freedom, liberty.

 

No, you really can't -- particularly when the fries fall into your lap or you want to dip them in ketchup or you one is a little too hot and burns your tongue.

LAST FUCKING NIGHT IN FACT - I passed a woman in a convertable who was eating chicken nuggets and dipping them in her sauce, which she was holding in one hand. So not only was she taking her eyes off the road to make sure the nuggets got in the dip, at times she was controlling the wheel with the pinky on one hand because the other four fingers were securing the dipping sauce.

It is only outrageous to snot-nosed elitists who think they know better than the rest of us how to conduct our lives and have no problem trying to tell us how.

 

How do you feel about speed limits, Zag? School zones? Just more instances of the nanny state infringing on your liberty?

 

It's remarkable how every detail of that amazing story dovetailed precisely with your libertarian beliefs and preconceived stereotypes. It's almost like it was scripted, down to the perfect quotes and geographic origins of the people in the tale.

You are like the libertarian Mitch Albom.

 

Another story that remarkably hews to Zag's beliefs and prejudices. And just in time for this particular discussion.

 

No libertarian with a clue could remotely believe that a law banning texting while driving would somehow be an inappropriate violation of his/her liberty.

 

I want to seriously know Zag's thoughts on drinking and driving laws.

 

Oh hell, forget drinking and driving. What about laws that require you to have working headlights if you're driving at night?