Talking Traffic
Have you ever thought about how much different things would be if we didn’t have cell phones?
I’m from a generation that can remember how it was before we did. Surprisingly, we made it just fine. I hear that generations before mine handled things just as well.
Of course, those of those eras didn’t know what they were missing, because it hadn’t been invented.
Don’t get me wrong. Technology is a wonderful thing. Development, inovation and invention can make life much easier. They also can entertain us.
Cell phones are among the best technological advancements. They enable us to make contact with others faster and more efficiently than many other forms of communication. The uses of cell phones are increasing daily (if not sooner), as is the number of those using them.
If you want to see just how great cell phone usage is, do as I did.
While sitting inside my vehicle in a pharmacy parking lot, waiting on a family member, I decided to count of vehicles that passed by in which the driver or a passenger was using a cell phone.
With a traffic signal at a major intersection only half a block away, it wasn’t difficult to see them because the vehicles were slowing down for the light, or to turn.
I missed those driving by in the first five minutes or so because I hadn’t intended to count cars. But in the 20 minutes I DID count, there were 27 of 63 vehicles with a cell phone in use inside. Of those, 14 vehicles were being driven by someone using a phone. And four appeared to be texting.
I based that on thumbs moving around the phone that was not near the ear or mouth as it would be if it were a phone conversation.
In three vehicles, both the driver and someone else inside were talking on the phone, presumably not to each other.
Of the “texters,” two were able to proceed on their way without hampering the flow of traffic, but one sat at a dead stop as the signal light turned green, and one changed lanes in front of a pickup and got a reminder horn honk.
Got my attention, for sure, just as it had the pickup driver.
Somehow, I don’t think he was impressed with new technology. I could almost count on that.
Thank you for joining our conversation on The Official "know it" Blog. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment