The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

22 August 2007

Diacritical mass

Rep. Paul Wesselhoft (R-Moore) really, truly wants to send you to jail for yakking on your cell phone while you drive.

This strikes me as a trifle draconian: simply shooting out the offender's tires should be sufficient, I think, but nobody asked me. More amusing is the MidCity Advocate's headline on the story:

Wesselhöft: Keep both hands on the wheel

I know not whence cometh the umlaut, but all of a sudden, Wesselhoft — um, Wesselhöft — looks less like a governmental busybody and more like a Serious Thinker. Or the leader of a death-metal band, whichever is less plausible.

Come to think of it, this might be a way for a lightweight like Dävid Dänk to acquire some gravitas.

Posted at 7:14 PM to Soonerland


Up in Brooklyn, Ohio there is a law against driving while usibg your cell phone. I wonder if that apllies to those who use a bluetooth headset. They are pretty cool.

Posted by: Kay Dennison at 8:34 PM on 22 August 2007

I don't really have a problem with it being a law. In fact, it is in California, although the cops don't enforce it.

I don't think it's being a busybody either - it's about public safety. It's bad enough that we're all racing around in great gobs of steel at 60 mph without having yet another distraction to take our already distracted minds off the road.

WC

Posted by: writer chick at 9:01 PM on 22 August 2007

Theh law is already on the books. It's called "distracted driving" and it covers eating, slapping your kids in the back seat, watching porn on a dvd player, talking on a cell phone & clipping your toenails. I think it's okay to read dustbury on your iphone though.

What could be wrong with that?

Posted by: Dwayne "the canoe guy" at 9:21 PM on 22 August 2007

It's a sad day when 60 mph qualifies as "racing."

Posted by: CGHill at 6:57 AM on 23 August 2007

Nearly every police officer I see has a cell phone up to his/her ear. Yesterday I kept a tally just to make sure I wasn't "remembering the positives and forgetting the negatives". Seven police cars, five yakking away, DESPITE CURRENT LAWS.

If Wesselhoft's plan goes into effect, I wonder how long it will take until there is a Citizen's Arrest of a police officer.

Posted by: Dan B at 8:01 AM on 23 August 2007