3/23/2011

Reading While Driving


It was raining hard in Frisco. (Youngstown) On my way home from work today I spied a woman driving a pickup truck and unbelievably she was reading a Barnes And Noble Nook. Cell phone chatter is the norm these days but reading a FN book? Intrigued, I switched to the left lane and followed her a little ways in hopes of getting a photo. In less than a half mile I took my shot and snapped the above photo.

She was oblivious, holding her Nook and glancing up at the road as we drove on. A moment after I snapped the picture, I chuckled to myself of the absurdity of the event. I realized that, there I was, cell phone in hand, driving in the rain, hoping to get in position to snap this woman driving while reading a Nook.

A perfect ending would have been Harry Chapin's Taxi playing on the radio. Alas, Aerosmith was playing.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

14 comments:

  1. Thats why we pay such high insurance. For asshats like that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anyone caught reading or talking on their cell should be fined thousands of dollars. If that saves one life, it is worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seriously, that was a bit much. Where are the police when you want them?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Certainly a fine, perhaps not thousands, but a fine. Maybe confiscate the phone or device. That would certainly get their attention.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What would've been really funny is if you'd been caught and charged.

    Well, maybe not funny to you!

    It is illegal to use any handheld device while driving here and the fines are insane. I always prided myself on being able to drive, drink coffee, put on my makeup, text and talk on the phone all at the same time. I am afraid of the fines though so I gave up the texting. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Let's be fair. Maybe she was a student driver, and looking up the rules of the road on her device.

    How's she supposed to know how fast to go in a 30 MPH zone, if nobody writes it down for her?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, that thought did cross my mind. However, my phone was on my dash, in easy access, I was not texting nor talking, merely pressed a button while still keeping my eyes on the road.
    This lady was reading.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well spoken. (Err, written) Indeed, she may have been a student driver. And everyone in Youngstown knows the speed limit is 50 MPH in a 30 zone. That is no excuse. :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. Maybe she was looking up the laws regarding the use of electronic devices while driving.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Now, if her book reading self and your cellphone self crashed into each other, what sort of Karma lesson would that be??

    ReplyDelete
  11. Perhaps the book was titled "1001 Things You Should Never Do While Driving".
    And perhaps "READING THIS BOOK" wasn't until page 199, right after knife juggling, brain surgery, sleeping, gymnastics, and swimming.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You can only knife juggle in a convertible. Don't ask. :D

    ReplyDelete

Entertain Me With Your Wealth Of Worthless Knowledge