Brain Waves

When I have a hot bath my brain seems to work on overdrive and I have tons of great themes for writing. When I am driving along the highway first thing in the morning I also get multiple ideas. Jumping out of bed and preparing breakfast, not so much. I need a little notebook chained to me to write notes but I suppose then I would get a warning about being a distracted driver.

Yes, they are telling us that between now and September drivers who are caught on phones or who are grooming themselves will be stopped and warned that the law is coming into force in September. The fact that they have actually put in the stuff about grooming leads one to believe that there are a lot of women out there putting makeup on in the car while driving. I think I’ve seen it once but the car was stopped at a light. What I am really wondering about is Tim Horton’s. Will drinking a cup of coffee and eating a donut be considered distracting? Is this going to affect Timmie’s business? Perhaps the delay in bringing the law into effect was because Timmie’s and Starbucks lobbied for tweaking. Or perhaps it was all our fine officers in blue who said “Hey, wait a minute. We need our donuts.” Okay, I am joking about our policemen. (in case you didn’t realize that was a joke – I love our cops).

Despite the warnings coming off the radio people are still phoning and texting. My carpool buddy was on the phone for several minutes, and not at a stop, yesterday and I was very uncomfortable. I don’t like it and I never do it myself. I don’t believe there is anything in the world that is critical enough that it cannot wait until the driving is over and done with. Even if someone has died, what are you going to do about it that can’t wait until you are home or pulled over? Safety first, but then let’s talk about the rudeness of it when other people are in the car with you. Why would anyone use their cellphone when they have a passenger in the car? First of all just to let you know Neal has only done this the one time so he is forgiven but my ex-carpoolers did it all the time, both of them. People do it in meetings or lunches, the phone rings and they take the call. You are with someone, you should not be taking a call during a social meeting. I don’t even answer my telephone when I have guests in the house! That’s what voicemail is for people.

For some reason people are lured away by the ring of a phone as though this piece of equipment is the boss of them. Think about that. Technology may be running your life. I look at technology as a convenience for me when it is convenient for me. I don’t jump because the phone rings. I answer it when I am in the mood to answer it. Sometimes I am in the middle of eating my dinner and I am appreciative that I have voicemail that can take a message for me so I can call my friends back when my dinner is eaten. If someone calls when I am watching a video and I want to talk to them I appreciate the pause button.

As you can see the cellphone can push my button every time – just look at how long this rant has gone on for. I am aware I have repeated myself in other blogs. And will again, no doubt. Stay tuned for one in September when we hear how many people are getting fined. That should be a record for the books! Oh, one last thing, I didn’t see that many people in San Francisco on their cellphones whilst they were walking on the sidewalks. Let that be a lesson to you, Calgarians!