Normally it takes idiot homophobia for our government to make me ashamed to live in Virginia, but both the judicial branch and the legislative branch are conspiring to make me frustrated with driving law too. Maybe the two groups can come together to ban homosexuals from driving, call it the Fighting Against Gay Driving In the Exurbs act or something – they like clever names.
On the “your choice of ice storms” front, the judge in my favorite reckless driving case has reduced the reckless jackass’ punishment to, effectively, time served. I am shocked, shocked I tell you, to discover that someone who thinks nothing of endangering the lives of other drivers also thinks little of the laws that govern paying for the things you purchase. When the time came to release her they discovered an open warrant for her arrest since she “was wanted in Hernando, Miss., for “insufficient funds,” or writing bad checks in July 2005.” Here’s hoping she actually paid for the drink she threw.
Over at the legislative end of the short bus, we have lawmakers pushing a bill to put penalties in place for teens who use their cellphones when driving. Through some mechanism that I do not understand, driving while using a cellphone is perfectly legal and okay unless you have an excess of hormones and are going through puberty, in which case it’s dangerous and should be punished. Obviously this is the case, since if it was just a matter of experience the law would instead specify people who have less than two years driving under their belt rather than teens.
Or maybe it’s only dangerous when it’s done by people who are 15, 16 or 17 and therefor not yet old enough to vote out cowardly lawmakers. If driving while using your phone is dangerous – and I am open to being convinced – then it should be banned, period. This kind of thing is just chickenshit posturing at the expense of the one group powerless against you. For shame.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
Well I used to say something in my profile about not quite being a “tinker, tailor, soldier, or spy” but Tom stole that for our about us page, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to express that I am a man of many interests.
Hmm, guess I just did.
My tastes run the gamut from sophomoric to Shakespeare and in my “professional” life I’ve sold things, served beer, written software, and carried heavy objects… sometimes at the same place. It’s that range of loves and activities that makes it so easy for me to love DC – we’ve got it all.
