I wasn’t going to post anything else today, but I couldn’t help but comment on this new piece of legislation from the vault of stupidity.
Lawmakers are considering a measure that would ban eating, drinking, smoking, reading, writing, personal grooming, playing an instrument, “interacting with pets or cargo,” talking on a cell phone or using any other personal communication device while driving. The punishment: a fine of up to $600.
I can understand the cell phone thing, even though I don’t agree with it, but no eating or drinking? Can we chew gum?
No smoking? Where in the world are people supposed to smoke? They can’t do it anywhere else in public.
I would also like to know if breaking up a kid fight falls under the category of “interacting with pets or cargo.”
The worst part is, I can’t even blame this on the Democrats. The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Thomas Koch (R-Barre).
“What finally pushed me over the edge was when I was at a stop sign and somebody opposite me was trying to navigate around the corner with a cell phone to the ear in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and she wasn’t doing very well.”
Let’s just hope no one ever flips him off while driving.
February 12th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
“The worst part is, I can’t even blame this on the Democrats. The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Thomas Koch (R-Barre).”
HAHA. No, but Paul Beaudry of True North Radio blamed it on the Democrats.
Guess he didn’t know that it was a Republican bill. Facts don’t seem to matter to old Paul.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
A friend of mine once had a fender-bender because he was trying to parallel park and take a bong hit at the same time. But that’s neither here nor there.
The bill sucks. If you’re a Vermonta, you do what you wanta when you drive.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:29 am
If they would just limit it to cell phone use, as New York has, I could support that, but this is just ridiculous. But as I remember from living in Barre Town for 4 insufferable years, Tom Koch is an idiot, so I’m not at all surprised by this.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Get Dunkin Donuts to help lobby against the bill. Seriously, the no eating and drinking would put a cramp in their drive-thru coffee business.
February 14th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Ok, how in the world does Koch expect me to not drink coffee or munch on a candy bar while I am driving to Middlebury or Montpelier???? I have no problem with cell phones as I use an earpiece but banning everything from eating to scratching your nose is ludicrous.