December 10th, 2006 driving home from the supermarket Dad, is it smart to talk on the cell phone and drive at the same time?
T: Oh, oh! Dad: What is it? T: In that car! The driver is talking on her cell phone. Dad: What is she doing? T: She is not too smart. Dad: I’d say. Pulling out of a parking space while talking on her cell phone; not smart at all. T: And she’s not looking. Dad: I know. I better stay away from her. T: She can cause an accident. Dad: She certainly can. T: Can the Police give her a ticket? Dad: No. Not in Virginia. T: But, it’s illegal in New York. Dad: It’s illegal in D.C. too. T: Why it’s not illegal in Virginia? Dad: They haven’t figured it out yet. T: Who? Dad: The State legislators. T: Who are they? Dad: People who make the laws for the State? T: State of Virginia? Dad: Each State has it’s own separate government. T: But New York says it’s illegal. Dad: Maybe they had more accidents there than in Virginia. I have another theory about this. T: What is a theory? Dad: An idea. T: What dad? Dad: It’s going to stay between us. T: A family secret? Dad: Exactly! T: What’s your theory dad? Dad: I think Virginia wants to help telephone companies make money. T: How? Dad: The more people use their phones the more money the phone companies can make. And, the more money businesses make the more taxes they pay. Tax money gives us better roads, hospitals, and other services. T: So it’s good for us. Dad: Overall, yes. T: Maybe she should use speakers? Dad: She should. T: What if we hit her car? Dad: It would be our fault. T: Do we get a ticket? Dad: We may or may not get a ticket. But we certainly are responsible for any damages to her car. T: But we can tell the police that she was on her cell phone. Dad: We could. But, Police can only enforce the law. The law says it’s Okay to hold a phone with one hand and drive with other hand. T: Oh. How about the judge? Dad: Same thing! The judge, too, would say it’s not illegal to hold a phone with one hand and drive with other hand. T: Why she does not care? Dad: Good question. I don’t know. T: Can a Judges change the law? Dad: No. they just use the law for decision making. T: What if she hits another car? Dad: Still, they can not charge her for using her cell phone. T: Dad, Florida is like New York or like Virginia? Dad: I don’t know. T: How about Pennsylvania? Dad: I really don’t know. Why do you ask? Do you want to move? T: How about my friends if I move? How about my school? No I don’t want to move dad. What can we do about this? Dad: We have to be careful and stay away from careless drivers. It takes two cars to have an accident.
All names (where used) are abbreviated to respect the privacy of individulas.
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