OK, at this point we were both stopped
A bit east of 14th St, traveling west on Independence Avenue SE (in Washington DC), I found myself pacing alongside a new-ish Mercedes with a fellow driving and typing on his phone.
People in cars should keep in mind that for a cyclist, nothing can be worse than finding oneself "sharing" the road with a driver whose attention is diverted in this way. This guy is an accident waiting to happen - and if it's with a cyclist, the Mercedes wins (and the cyclist loses).
I'll confess - I didn't take this while we were still moving but only after he stopped and I stopped alongside. But it tells you something about his engagement with the outside world that he was oblivious to me alongside while driving and when I stopped and took his picture.
What I really don't get is when people like this guy, in order to (sort of) do two things at once do them both poorly - or at least the driving part. It's a dead giveaway that you don't have your mind on the task at hand when an old guy like me can keep up with your Mercedes.
Thanks, Michael. That is one scary photo, especially if one is a cyclist.
ReplyDeleteIt's illegal in Massachusetts. Not that that stops anyone. I feel like most of the time, when I can't figure out why someone is driving the way they are, it's because they're texting. Or on their phone. I see so much of this when I'm riding to work. The police should seriously let me issue the tickets. The budget deficit would be made up in a month.
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