Live~NRGY

Trying to Hit the Brake on Texting While Driving – NYTimes.com.

A reality check on DISTRACTED PEDESTRIANS wouldn’t hurt here either.

CASE IN POINT – WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE ???????

I’M DRIVING DOWN A SEMI-COUNTRY ROAD A LITTLE ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT EARLY THIS WEEK. MINDING THE SPEED IN THE NEIGHBOUR SINCE THE DEAR CITY OF OTTAWA WAS INTENT ON POSTING ONE OF THOSE DODADS DISPLAYING POSTED SPEED OF 40KM/HR AND RADAR THING-A-MA-JIIGY.

WELL, I GOT THIS PEDESTRIAN(LET’S CALL HIM A DISTANT NEIGHBOUR) WALKING DOWN THE ROAD COMING AGAINST ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD.

SUDDENLY HE’S FLAPPING HIS ARMS LIKE A BIRD TRYING TO TAKE OFF THE GROUND IN A PANIC. OOOOPS, HE’S TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING ONCE I WAY PAST HIM AND STILL FLAPPING SIGNALS.

OKAY, BACKUP TO SEE WHAT’S UP.

HE SAYS – “HEY BUD, SLOW DOWN A BIT.”

MY ANSWER – I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE SPEED ON THE DASH AND WAS RIGHT NEAR THE POSTED LIMIT. SO, I GIVE THE INFORMATION – 40 CLICKS.

MAN SAYS – WELL THAT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO ME !

I REPEAT IN A LOUDER TONE – 40 CLICKS AND I CHECKED.

MAN THEN SAYS – HEY, I’M NOT A COP, BUT ALL I’M SAYING IS WHAT I SAW !

AT WHICH POINT I SHOULD HAVE SAID, BUT REFRAINED FROM SAYING THE FOLLOWING –

SEEMS TO ME YOU WERE TEXTING AND CHECKING OUT YOUR FANCY SMARTPHONE KEEPING EYES GLUED TO IT WHILE TRYING TO ASSESS THE SPEED I WAS GOING.

SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS…

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IS NOT ONLY A DRIVER ISSUE. I’LL ADD THAT SOUND IS ALSO COMPROMISED BY A PERSON CONCENTRATED ON A SMARTPHONE WHEN WALKING, MUCH MORE SO, BECAUSE YOU HAVE CONTROL BUTTONS TO MANAGE AND PROCESS WHILE FIDDLING WITH THE PHONE.

AND AS A BONUS…. READ MY LIPS

MARCH 2013 ON BLACKFOOT TRAIL IN CALGARY SE. WALKING BACK HOME AFTER TRYING TO CROSS THE ROAD AFTER COMING OUT FROM A TILE SHOP ADVERTISING FOR HELP.

I GET A PHONE CALL OUT OF THE BLUE, WRONG NUMBER AS I’M CROSSING THE ROAD FROM ON SIDE TO THE OTHER OVER 17TH AVE OVERPASS.

GUESS THAT TRICK OF GETTING HIT BY TRAFFIC WHILE ANSWERING THE PHONE AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION DIDN’T WORK, HUH SLICKS ???

AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, FRIENDLY CALGARY POLICE JUST HAPPENED TO BE COMING BY AT THE TIME IN MY DIRECTION. WHOA…. RESCUE ME FROM IMMINENT DEATH, RIGHT ???

WHY DID I CROSS THE ROAD ???

BECAUSE THE DAMN SIDEWALK ENDED ON ONE SIDE AND STARTED ON THE OTHER. NO APPARENT REASON.

CHECK IT OUT – BLACKFOOT TRAIL AND 17TH

BTW – GUESS WHO DROPPED ME OFF ON 42nd AVE for that useless job opp ??? In the middle of nowhere without wheels ???

JAMES BANKHEAD