It's Really Not Fair

As much as I think certain laws are ridiculous, and I'm sure I break a few minor one here and there (speed limit? what's that?), one thing I have not gotten a ticket for ( and I've only gotten two, and that was in my twenties) is driving while using a hand held cell phone.

Many people have even asked me if I sleep with my bluetooth, the answer to which is no, I do not. But I do check my ear every Friday afternoon before I light candles to make sure it has been removed. Once you go hands free in the car it's hard to get back into holding a phone while cooking, doing laundry or just generally going about your day.

That being said, many of my friends have indeed received tickets for using a hand held cell while driving locally. I understand the dangers of this practice, and think the deterrent of a two hundred dollar ticket can POTENTIALLY makes all safer, because obviously our brains aren't doing it for us. Hey! If you get in your car in a parking lot WAIT UNTIL YOU PULL OUT OF YOUR SPOT before picking up your hand held to make a call AND try to maneuver one handed out of the space. It's not that hard to wait. If you need company turn on the radio, there's plenty of talk to keep you occupied, and maybe you'll even learn something.

Unfortunately, the police don't ticket in parking lots so this practice will continue. They do ticket on the road, and this is where I have an issue. I have seen, over the last two years, many, many, many, many, many local police officers driving in their squad cars talking on their phones. Not a radio, a plain old cell phone. There is nothing about the law against driving with a hand held cell phone that exempts a cop from this danger. There are certain traffic rules that are bendable in a safe way for police officers, even those not on their way to to an emergency, this however is not one of them.

I believe the police brass should do what needs to be done to stop this embarrassing hypocrisy and flouting of the law.