I Am Writing from an (Almost) Hospital Room
Texting and driving go together like blood and water.
Dear Reader,
I am (almost) writing this from my (almost) hospital room after I was (almost) hit by an SUV on Monday morning this week and then was (almost) hit again by a truck on Thursday night. My right arm is (almost) broken, my neck is (almost) in a brace and I am crying tears that are splashing onto the keyboard as I type this…
Okay, not quite. Almost. Thank God. I’m fine. But the near-misses part is true…
I really did almost get hit twice this week on the interstate by drivers texting.
It shook me up. I have life insurance, but I also have four kids and a wife and I like to breathe and walk and, you know, eat and drink—live.
I’ve never been in a car accident but I have now seen my future. My first accident will be at the hands of a texting driver.
I watch people’s eyes while I’m on the road. They flit up and down, up and down, microseconds turn into real seconds and suddenly they have no idea what’s happening around them.
And oh. One small detail. They’re driving a 2-ton vehicle at 85 miles per hour … Good plan. Sounds like a good idea. #$@!%
***
Can we talk about texting and driving? Just for quick sec?
Like you have the world in your pocket and you are definitely not going to be able to resist checking whatever we’re all checking on our painstaking, soul-crushing commutes, or during the drives to get groceries or road trips or holiday visits to those damn in-laws.
I get it. I was once a texter and driver. I realized that as long as I had my phone with me, I was going to check it. I was going to check it. It’s like that marshmallow test with kids (look it up). You’re going to eat the marshmallow. You’re going to check your phone. It’s nearly impossible to resist the call of the smartphone while you’re boringly driving.
I don’t think we should text and drive but I really don’t see how just telling people to “not text and drive” is going to solve anything. Like if you have a problem drinking and driving, don’t keep a filled flask in your glovebox. Or if you’re trying to quit chewing gum, you’re honestly not going to keep a pack of gum in the cupholder of your car.
This is why I advocate for ditching your smartphone. This is reason #513 I got rid of mine. Texting and driving is dangerous. It kills people. It puts people in the hospital.
I’d love to know what you think about all this. Leave a comment below if you feel so inclined. Or tell me about your experiences with texting and driving.
Also, check out Werner Herzog’s 34-minute short documentary on texting and driving “From One Second to the Next” for free here. Herzog’s full-length doc about the Internet, “Lo and Behold,” is also worth watching.