Our politicians are arguing over $73 billion dollars. Republicans want to cut $100 billion from the 2011 budget, democrats $51 billion. They have agreed to split the difference at $73 billion but not how to reach that number.
Let's put this into perspective.
$6,000,000,000
Approximately Minnesota's budget deficit. If we took all the money from the richest person in Minnesota, it wouldn't be enough. At quick internet search reveals Richard Shulze (founder of Best Buy) is worth $2,500,000,000. Even if we there were two of him, and we could tax their entire worth, it wouldn't be enough to cover Minnesota's budget deficit. Since we tax income, not wealth, we would need many more wealthy Minnesotan's to fix the problem simply by taxing them. The problem is ... there aren't enough millionaires in Minnesota to solve this problem by taxation alone.
$95,000,000,000
Budget deficit in 2001, the last year Clinton's budget was in effect. Some news sources claim he ran a $132,000,000,000 surplus but those do not account for Bush's $38,000,000,000 tax rebates, nor Clinton's borrowing from social security. Keep in mind that Bush and Obama also borrow from Social Security, so we really are comparing apples to apples.
$304,000,000,000
Budget deficit in 2004. Thank you Mr Republican for increasing the deficit ~300% in three years. It wasn't all Iraq and Afghanistan either ... that only accounted for ~ $90,000,000,000 / year. Another record deficit.
$482,000,000,000
Bush's last budget, in 2009. Remember when Democrats blocked his attempt to reform Social Security? If he felt entitlement needed reform, why in tarnation did he sign into law the $900,000,000,000 Medicare Prescription Act? Another record deficit.
$1,560,000,000,000
Obama's 2010 budget. Are you freakin' kidding me? And why aren't the articles touting it as a record deficit?
$1,270,000,000,000
His 2011 budget looks good only compared to his 2010 budget. Didn't we hear about bailed out businesses like GM and some banks paying the gov't back in 2010? Why is it still three times bigger than Bush's last budget?
$1,650,000,000,000
His 2012 budget proposal, which is expected to add $9,500,000,000,000 to the national debt over the course of ten years (it is currently $14,000,000,000,000 and change). Once again, it isn't being called a "record deficit".
Back to my point.
Our legislators are arguing about $73,000,000,000. These amounts are hard to wrap our minds around, so let's see the relative amounts:
A million is a thousand thousand. Most of us will earn a million bucks or more over our lifetime.
A billion is a thousand million. Or a million thousand. Most of us will never see this kind of money.
A trillion is a thousand billion. Or a million million. A million people with a million dollars will have a trillion dollars combined.
Here's another way to look at it:
$1,650,000,000,000
$73,000,000,000
$73 billion is a mere 4.4% of the budget deficit. Not of the entire budget, but of the budget deficit.
I don't know what the solution is. but taxing more and spending far less has to be a part of it. Instead we see our elected representatives bicker over peanuts, passing the problem down to our children (and their children too).
So have a beer, relax, and enjoy the good times while you can, before this ship runs aground.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Road to Teotihuacan
The ride over the mountains and to the customer was brisk if uneventful. There was a flipped car in the other direction and we saw a great big snowcapped volcano. That was the height of my day!
The rest of the day went by in lulls and spurts. Mostly lulls. I won't divulge details of what happened between 8am and 5am. Yes ... that was a 21-hour shift, and based on the client's schedule on Thursday I decided there was no reason for me to go to Toluca.
So I slept two hours and went sightseeing instead!
The Sheraton has a concierge desk which hooked me up with the cheapest way to get to Teotihuacan: a tour bus. it would cost > $700MX to take a cab one way, so I paid $650MX (about $55) for the tour. Made sense to me ... add 10% tip, and even the entrance fees are covered.
First I had to take a taxi (free, paid for my the tourbus agency) from Santa Fe to the tourbus agency. But for some reason unknown to non-Spanish-speaking-people, the driver wanted me to get into another cab.... hmmm... no, I don't think so. At the moment I figured that they were trying to kidnap me, as the hotel and agency knows my original driver and can hold him accountable. But in retrospect, maybe my driver had a pre-arranged pickup. However .. in that case he should not have accepted the fare. So then I get to the agency, pay, and wait. In 15 minutes am loaded into a poeple-moving-van with nine other passengers:
- One mexican guy in the back with limited english skills
- Three girls from Amsterdam and Rotterdam who work for KLM and have a day in the city
- A family of three from München
- A woman from Denver and man from Amsterdam traveling together
- Plus the driver and the guide
In other words, an extensively traveled group. Most of our discussions during the day revolved around places we have been. In fact .. one of the KLM girls (the one from Rotterdam, IIRC) had spent over a month in Thailand and several weeks in Gautemala, so I picked her brain. However, I can't remember names, especially of places I haven't been and can't pronounce, so nothing beyond the following was retained:
- Thailand has lots of islands and is a fun place to visit
- Guatemala is a fascinating place too, but she didn't like Guatemala City
First stop on the tour were some ruins from the Aztec civilization and a lesson on how Mexico City is built on a lake (which was later drained after the Spanish clobbered the natives and built a bigger city).
In the middle of the city there are Aztec ruins.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mexico City Redux
For the third time I am back in Mexico City.
Traffic is still bad, odorous sewage continues to randomly waft, the food is excellent and the people friendly. It is warm and sunny.
This time I am working in Toluca. Flying to Toluca is difficult, despite the international airport. All flights to Toluca connect through Houston, Los Angeles etc. whereas there are direct flights from Minneapolis. Plus it is expensive to fly to Toluca. There's a story behind this airport.
Toluca is about 30 miles west of Mexico City, and the Mexico City's airport is on the east side of town. So ... to get from the Mexico City airport to Toluca, we have to go all the way through town, then over the mountains ... depending on traffic this can take three hours. Therefore, the government decided to expand the Toluca airport to handle international flights, and more flights in general. They expanded the airport, built suspended highways to clear local traffic etc. in an attempt to offload flights from the Mexico City airport. After doing all this work they told the airlines "Ok, fly here!".
You read that right ... they spent a butt-load of money improving the airport and infrastructure without consulting with the airlines. This is important because Toluca lies at 9000 feet ... and at that altitude jets need a lot of fuel to take off. Therefore, very few airlines actually fly to Toluca, and when they do, it is expensive.
Thus, I flew to Mexico City. Fortunately I chose to travel when traffic is light and it didn't take long to get to the hotel in Santa Fe (southwest corner of the City, 30 miles from Toluca). Toluca doesn't have much for hotels or restaurants and I could catch a ride to/from the client with a local IBM'r who goes past my hotel every morning. Perfect!
The morning commute was actually pretty nice, with little traffic and a view of the nearby volcano.
Traffic is still bad, odorous sewage continues to randomly waft, the food is excellent and the people friendly. It is warm and sunny.
This time I am working in Toluca. Flying to Toluca is difficult, despite the international airport. All flights to Toluca connect through Houston, Los Angeles etc. whereas there are direct flights from Minneapolis. Plus it is expensive to fly to Toluca. There's a story behind this airport.
Toluca is about 30 miles west of Mexico City, and the Mexico City's airport is on the east side of town. So ... to get from the Mexico City airport to Toluca, we have to go all the way through town, then over the mountains ... depending on traffic this can take three hours. Therefore, the government decided to expand the Toluca airport to handle international flights, and more flights in general. They expanded the airport, built suspended highways to clear local traffic etc. in an attempt to offload flights from the Mexico City airport. After doing all this work they told the airlines "Ok, fly here!".
You read that right ... they spent a butt-load of money improving the airport and infrastructure without consulting with the airlines. This is important because Toluca lies at 9000 feet ... and at that altitude jets need a lot of fuel to take off. Therefore, very few airlines actually fly to Toluca, and when they do, it is expensive.
Thus, I flew to Mexico City. Fortunately I chose to travel when traffic is light and it didn't take long to get to the hotel in Santa Fe (southwest corner of the City, 30 miles from Toluca). Toluca doesn't have much for hotels or restaurants and I could catch a ride to/from the client with a local IBM'r who goes past my hotel every morning. Perfect!
The morning commute was actually pretty nice, with little traffic and a view of the nearby volcano.
Friday, March 25, 2011
About my blog .. and when I post things.
For the safety of my family I no longer write posts until my travels have ended. If you don't like this, tough. Deal with it, and read something in the archive. Of course, not blogging doesn't mean I'm not home .. it just means nothing interesting is happening.
Now that I am home, expect more updates!
Now that I am home, expect more updates!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Mexico City in 2007
This is a repost of an email I sent on my first trip to Mexico City, back in 2007. No pictures, just text ... since this hasn't been in my blog before, I figured I'd share ...
---
What an odd place this is.
Everyone we have encountered so far have been very friendly, yet we are constantly warned about crime.
I'll spare the cliches about "country of contrasts" and junk and just ramble on ;-)
IBM Rochester as signs proclaiming that they ban guns .. but IBM Mexico City/Santa Fe has security guards armed with shotguns. And the exterior smells like sewage. In the bathrooms there are signs saying something about paper and toilets, and if they have wastebins in the stalls like at Kio Networks, I would have put the paper there .. but since there are no bins, I will assume they want me to flush it down. Yet it appears that the sewage system can't handle it.
So, the crime. The armed guards are evidence of that. So are the guards at Kio Records. To get to the data center, we have to go through a gate manned by two guards in business suits (think Mafia). After we enter, we park and approach the entrance - which is controlled by a guard inside. He has to push a button to open the door for us. This is followed by a metal detector (like at airports). We finally get to the receptionist, where we provide (and surrender) identification to get a badge. Then the guard calls for an escort who (usually) arrives promptly. Again, the door from the reception to the data center is activated by the guard behind the desk ( i.e. you can't leave unless they want you to). The escort takes us through a door into what I call the "airlock". Have to stand in a small (5 x 8 foot) room where only one door can be open at a time - and the guard needs to key a code to open the inner door. This leads us into an office area, but we go upstairs (with the escort) who lets us into the computer room. The computer room is pretty big, with a cage in the middle. The space between the cage and the computer room walls is about six feet wide, all the way around the cage. We walk to where we need to go, and the escort has to get access to cells within the cages using a swiped card and a fingerprint reader. At least we don't have to work here much - we do that in a different part of the building, where there is a lot of construction noise and we are crammed into a desk area like IBM Interns. Anyway, leaving is the process in reverse - out the cage, out of the computer room, through the airlock, to the receptionist (if the guard lets us) and then we get our identification back in exchange for thier badges. Oh, I forgot to mention that we had to register our laptop serial numbers on the way in, and verify them on the way out. And back through the metal detector, car, parking guards, etc.
At least it is easier at the IBM facility - get a badge, swipe and go. And try not to make funny faces at the guys with shotguns.
My guidebook says there are four kidnappings per day in Mexico City and therefore we are to avoid taxi's unless we called ahead, paid at the hotel, and verified the cab number and ID of the cabbie card. Just outside IBM, when I leaving, there was a guy in a red car, no markings, asking if I need a taxi. I suppose this would be a good place to find kidnappable people .. I wonder how many ransom's IBM has paid?
But I think the biggest danger here isn't crime (or the water) but traffic. There are lane markings, but they are largely ignored. There are few controlled intersections .. unless you consider speedbumps to be "control". Right outside the hotel there is a busy intersection, and getting across (by car) involves waiting for cross traffic to slow for the speedbumps. IBM is right across that busy street from the hotel, and there are crosswalks. But there are no buttons to push to stop traffic, and if there were, that wouldn't help anyway, because there are no lights to be activated by such a button anyway. At least there is a large (30-wide) grassy island so I only have to cross three lanes at a time. Oh yeah .. the crosswalks lead to grassy islands, not sidewalks. This is by far the least pedestrian-friendly city I have visited. Oddly enough, this part of town is only ten years old.
There are people everywhere here. Yeah, I know, 25 million and second-largest in the world, but I mean in the service sector. At the gas stations there are two pumps per attendant, in the restaurants there are 2-3 waiters per table, multiple bellhops and there are taxis everywhere. I suspect that labor is so cheap that they hire a whole bunch of folks to do one job. At least they're all very friendly!
So far language hasn't been much of a problem, perhaps because I have been with Jose or Mathew. I find I can read most things and understand them, and my vocabulary is growing exponentially every day. I'm getting better at ordering food (besides cervesa and arracherra!), indicating I am finished, saying 'hello' and 'thank you' etc. But today, at IBM, I couldn't remember which floor had the mobility center so I asked the receptionists - and was met with two people whom I could not communicate with .. so we waited until someone came by with the language skills we needed.
Things are very inefficient here. I am finding it is a hassle to contact the customer, a hassle to get to the customer, a hassle to find a place to work, and a hassle to find food of sorts (especially water). They haven't attached the devices I need yet, so I don't have anything to do. They seem to not care - so we pester them every hour or two. Jose (my host, and IBM'r) explains that's how things are done here.
That should be enough for now ..
---
What an odd place this is.
Everyone we have encountered so far have been very friendly, yet we are constantly warned about crime.
I'll spare the cliches about "country of contrasts" and junk and just ramble on ;-)
IBM Rochester as signs proclaiming that they ban guns .. but IBM Mexico City/Santa Fe has security guards armed with shotguns. And the exterior smells like sewage. In the bathrooms there are signs saying something about paper and toilets, and if they have wastebins in the stalls like at Kio Networks, I would have put the paper there .. but since there are no bins, I will assume they want me to flush it down. Yet it appears that the sewage system can't handle it.
So, the crime. The armed guards are evidence of that. So are the guards at Kio Records. To get to the data center, we have to go through a gate manned by two guards in business suits (think Mafia). After we enter, we park and approach the entrance - which is controlled by a guard inside. He has to push a button to open the door for us. This is followed by a metal detector (like at airports). We finally get to the receptionist, where we provide (and surrender) identification to get a badge. Then the guard calls for an escort who (usually) arrives promptly. Again, the door from the reception to the data center is activated by the guard behind the desk ( i.e. you can't leave unless they want you to). The escort takes us through a door into what I call the "airlock". Have to stand in a small (5 x 8 foot) room where only one door can be open at a time - and the guard needs to key a code to open the inner door. This leads us into an office area, but we go upstairs (with the escort) who lets us into the computer room. The computer room is pretty big, with a cage in the middle. The space between the cage and the computer room walls is about six feet wide, all the way around the cage. We walk to where we need to go, and the escort has to get access to cells within the cages using a swiped card and a fingerprint reader. At least we don't have to work here much - we do that in a different part of the building, where there is a lot of construction noise and we are crammed into a desk area like IBM Interns. Anyway, leaving is the process in reverse - out the cage, out of the computer room, through the airlock, to the receptionist (if the guard lets us) and then we get our identification back in exchange for thier badges. Oh, I forgot to mention that we had to register our laptop serial numbers on the way in, and verify them on the way out. And back through the metal detector, car, parking guards, etc.
At least it is easier at the IBM facility - get a badge, swipe and go. And try not to make funny faces at the guys with shotguns.
My guidebook says there are four kidnappings per day in Mexico City and therefore we are to avoid taxi's unless we called ahead, paid at the hotel, and verified the cab number and ID of the cabbie card. Just outside IBM, when I leaving, there was a guy in a red car, no markings, asking if I need a taxi. I suppose this would be a good place to find kidnappable people .. I wonder how many ransom's IBM has paid?
But I think the biggest danger here isn't crime (or the water) but traffic. There are lane markings, but they are largely ignored. There are few controlled intersections .. unless you consider speedbumps to be "control". Right outside the hotel there is a busy intersection, and getting across (by car) involves waiting for cross traffic to slow for the speedbumps. IBM is right across that busy street from the hotel, and there are crosswalks. But there are no buttons to push to stop traffic, and if there were, that wouldn't help anyway, because there are no lights to be activated by such a button anyway. At least there is a large (30-wide) grassy island so I only have to cross three lanes at a time. Oh yeah .. the crosswalks lead to grassy islands, not sidewalks. This is by far the least pedestrian-friendly city I have visited. Oddly enough, this part of town is only ten years old.
There are people everywhere here. Yeah, I know, 25 million and second-largest in the world, but I mean in the service sector. At the gas stations there are two pumps per attendant, in the restaurants there are 2-3 waiters per table, multiple bellhops and there are taxis everywhere. I suspect that labor is so cheap that they hire a whole bunch of folks to do one job. At least they're all very friendly!
So far language hasn't been much of a problem, perhaps because I have been with Jose or Mathew. I find I can read most things and understand them, and my vocabulary is growing exponentially every day. I'm getting better at ordering food (besides cervesa and arracherra!), indicating I am finished, saying 'hello' and 'thank you' etc. But today, at IBM, I couldn't remember which floor had the mobility center so I asked the receptionists - and was met with two people whom I could not communicate with .. so we waited until someone came by with the language skills we needed.
Things are very inefficient here. I am finding it is a hassle to contact the customer, a hassle to get to the customer, a hassle to find a place to work, and a hassle to find food of sorts (especially water). They haven't attached the devices I need yet, so I don't have anything to do. They seem to not care - so we pester them every hour or two. Jose (my host, and IBM'r) explains that's how things are done here.
That should be enough for now ..
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Is my governor an idiot?
Judge for yourselves. He made the following statement:
"Once again, the Republicans just simply can't help themselves at providing the richest Minnesotans with more benefits than they provide to middle-income families, working families."
Mark Dayton seems to be unaware that when taxes are cut, those who pay taxes will pay fewer taxes. Likewise, those who don't pay taxes ... well, they still don't pay taxes. Leave it to NPR (where I heard it this morning) to let this get by without applying their significant critical thinking skills.
Futhermore, note the implication that letting someone keep more of the money they earned is a "benefit". This appears to be Newspeak, much like when spending increases on government programs are less than expected, they call it a "cut". For example, if the department of XZY expects an 11% increase in the next budget, but they only get a 5% increase ... gee, that's a "6% reduction". Any reporter worth their salt should point out XZY is getting an increase in their budget.
Perhaps this mentality is a reflection similar to when Michael Moore recently claimed that money is a national resource and should be distributed. Or when union acitivists educated us that we don't have a right to our money ??? Do these people have brain tumors??
I'm not suggesting that the GOP's budget proposal is a good idea ... Yes, they are cutting spending, but they are also cutting taxes at a time when our state needs the revenue. They claim that will "stimulate jobs" but really ... can you find a single "wealthy" Minnesotan who, with $200 more in their pocket at the end of the year, is going to create any more jobs? This is a symbolic effort, at best. They seem to think that state finances operate like "family finances" (not even going to waste time on that).
Let's look at what we had the past two years:
I know I can't be the only person who thinks Mark Dayton is about to puke (if he hasn't already) whenever he is talking.
"Once again, the Republicans just simply can't help themselves at providing the richest Minnesotans with more benefits than they provide to middle-income families, working families."
Mark Dayton seems to be unaware that when taxes are cut, those who pay taxes will pay fewer taxes. Likewise, those who don't pay taxes ... well, they still don't pay taxes. Leave it to NPR (where I heard it this morning) to let this get by without applying their significant critical thinking skills.
Futhermore, note the implication that letting someone keep more of the money they earned is a "benefit". This appears to be Newspeak, much like when spending increases on government programs are less than expected, they call it a "cut". For example, if the department of XZY expects an 11% increase in the next budget, but they only get a 5% increase ... gee, that's a "6% reduction". Any reporter worth their salt should point out XZY is getting an increase in their budget.
Perhaps this mentality is a reflection similar to when Michael Moore recently claimed that money is a national resource and should be distributed. Or when union acitivists educated us that we don't have a right to our money ??? Do these people have brain tumors??
I'm not suggesting that the GOP's budget proposal is a good idea ... Yes, they are cutting spending, but they are also cutting taxes at a time when our state needs the revenue. They claim that will "stimulate jobs" but really ... can you find a single "wealthy" Minnesotan who, with $200 more in their pocket at the end of the year, is going to create any more jobs? This is a symbolic effort, at best. They seem to think that state finances operate like "family finances" (not even going to waste time on that).
Let's look at what we had the past two years:
A DFL-controlled legislature and a GOP governor who refused to work togetherWhat do we have now?
A GOP-controlled legislature and a DFL governor who refuse to work togetherGreat. Just bloody great.
I know I can't be the only person who thinks Mark Dayton is about to puke (if he hasn't already) whenever he is talking.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Until the snow melts ...
... check out my previous trips:
From Oregon to Texas ... and back
South to Arkansas, West Virginia, etc.
Another trip out west
Indonesia (no motorcycling content though)
Gastronomical adventures in Hong Kong
Another western tour
And of course, Paul's Blog
Our local riding group's blog (Red Wing Motorbike Club).
When it gets warm I'll, or go to interesting places, or decided to pollute the blog with politics, I'll post more!
From Oregon to Texas ... and back
South to Arkansas, West Virginia, etc.
Another trip out west
Indonesia (no motorcycling content though)
Gastronomical adventures in Hong Kong
Another western tour
And of course, Paul's Blog
Our local riding group's blog (Red Wing Motorbike Club).
When it gets warm I'll, or go to interesting places, or decided to pollute the blog with politics, I'll post more!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Spring is coming! And so are motorcycles ... and inattentive drivers
Take a look at this YouTube video if you have the guts .. there are many accidents depicted:
Note the level of inattentiveness required to run right through a red light. I'm sure some are drunk, high, sleepy, have the sun in their eyes, etc. but I would wager that many are on their cell phones, talking or texting.
Let's think about these distractions for a few minutes.
I'm sure we can agree texting while driving should remain illegal and we should seek to find ways to mitigate this risk. The user is required to take their eyes off the road for long periods of time to read the text, think about a response, and then again look at the phone while they type a response. Would you read a book while driving? How about type on a laptop? Then don't text either.
How about talking on the phone? Holding a phone next to your head blocks your vision and reduces you to a one-armed driver. "But I have an automatic transmission!" some say ... I call bullshit on that, because driving requires two hands. Cars are designed to be operated with two hands. With manual transmissions the right hand is temporarily used to shift gears - the rest of the time it is there to operate the steering wheel while the other hand flicks the blinker stalk, manages the headlights and wipers and in case of an emergency maneuver is available to steer. It remains easy to argue for a ban on phone conversations, especially without hands-free units.
What about hands-free units? This is better, as it frees both hands, but it doesn't free the mind. Your brain is still listening and thinking about your conversation, not paying attention to traffic. Studies repeatedly show that talking on the phone distracts drivers to the point that their ability to operate a vehicle is degraded as if they were legally drunk. On long interstate trips or when sitting stuck in traffic this is OK, but what about when things get moving? What about when you're negotiating that tight hairpin turn in Wisconsin, drift into the other lane and take out a motorcyclist and his passenger? What about when you don't notice the stale yellow traffic light and can't stop in time to avoid the parent and child stepping into the crosswalk (did you see that in the video ... and the child's balloon drifting into the sky?). Or in Arizona, when the dump truck ran into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a red light killing six? How about on our icy winter roads, you're gabbing away, and don't notice the other knuckleheads sliding into your lane? It might not even be your fault - but your kids in the back seat are equally vulnerable, whether you run into another car, or they run into you. Ever watch traffic in your neighborhood fly down the streets, drivers talking to no-one, oblivious to your kids trying to cross the street to their best friends, or riding their new bicycles? What could be so important that they can't make the phone call before leaving their driveway, or waiting to return a call before they get home to the store or work? Hands-free technology is no excuse for distracted driving, and should also be outlawed.
The danger of inattentive driving is everywhere, and the consequences are great. The mobile revolution is putting us all at risk, and I propose that we support legislation to outlaw drivers from using cell phones, and give the police the ability to pull drivers over for doing so. I would even support increased insurance deductibles, or reporting these offenses to the insurance companies as an incentive to get people off the phone when behind the wheel.
This is not a partisan issue. This is not about "freedom" any more than a requirement to have brake lights on your car is an infringement on your "freedom". It is not about creating a police state any more than requiring you to use your headlights at night creates a police state. It is about public safety, with low costs and high benefits to everyone - especially to those of us who use the roads and are more vulnerable than most, i.e. motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, etc.
So do me, a motorcyclist, a favor. Do it for the safety of my wife, also a motorcyclist. Do it for the safety of your kids as they learn to drive, or the well-being of your own kids as a motorcycling parent. Contact your senator and representatives ... Jim Walz, John Kline, Tim Kelly, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, whomever is your legislator. Give them something useful to do other than bickering along party lines.
Take note of the proposed legislation:
http://handsfreeinfo.com/minnesota-cell-phone-laws-legislation
And if you're a motorcyclist ... pay attention out there, because the other folks aren't.
Note the level of inattentiveness required to run right through a red light. I'm sure some are drunk, high, sleepy, have the sun in their eyes, etc. but I would wager that many are on their cell phones, talking or texting.
Let's think about these distractions for a few minutes.
I'm sure we can agree texting while driving should remain illegal and we should seek to find ways to mitigate this risk. The user is required to take their eyes off the road for long periods of time to read the text, think about a response, and then again look at the phone while they type a response. Would you read a book while driving? How about type on a laptop? Then don't text either.
How about talking on the phone? Holding a phone next to your head blocks your vision and reduces you to a one-armed driver. "But I have an automatic transmission!" some say ... I call bullshit on that, because driving requires two hands. Cars are designed to be operated with two hands. With manual transmissions the right hand is temporarily used to shift gears - the rest of the time it is there to operate the steering wheel while the other hand flicks the blinker stalk, manages the headlights and wipers and in case of an emergency maneuver is available to steer. It remains easy to argue for a ban on phone conversations, especially without hands-free units.
What about hands-free units? This is better, as it frees both hands, but it doesn't free the mind. Your brain is still listening and thinking about your conversation, not paying attention to traffic. Studies repeatedly show that talking on the phone distracts drivers to the point that their ability to operate a vehicle is degraded as if they were legally drunk. On long interstate trips or when sitting stuck in traffic this is OK, but what about when things get moving? What about when you're negotiating that tight hairpin turn in Wisconsin, drift into the other lane and take out a motorcyclist and his passenger? What about when you don't notice the stale yellow traffic light and can't stop in time to avoid the parent and child stepping into the crosswalk (did you see that in the video ... and the child's balloon drifting into the sky?). Or in Arizona, when the dump truck ran into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a red light killing six? How about on our icy winter roads, you're gabbing away, and don't notice the other knuckleheads sliding into your lane? It might not even be your fault - but your kids in the back seat are equally vulnerable, whether you run into another car, or they run into you. Ever watch traffic in your neighborhood fly down the streets, drivers talking to no-one, oblivious to your kids trying to cross the street to their best friends, or riding their new bicycles? What could be so important that they can't make the phone call before leaving their driveway, or waiting to return a call before they get home to the store or work? Hands-free technology is no excuse for distracted driving, and should also be outlawed.
The danger of inattentive driving is everywhere, and the consequences are great. The mobile revolution is putting us all at risk, and I propose that we support legislation to outlaw drivers from using cell phones, and give the police the ability to pull drivers over for doing so. I would even support increased insurance deductibles, or reporting these offenses to the insurance companies as an incentive to get people off the phone when behind the wheel.
This is not a partisan issue. This is not about "freedom" any more than a requirement to have brake lights on your car is an infringement on your "freedom". It is not about creating a police state any more than requiring you to use your headlights at night creates a police state. It is about public safety, with low costs and high benefits to everyone - especially to those of us who use the roads and are more vulnerable than most, i.e. motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, etc.
So do me, a motorcyclist, a favor. Do it for the safety of my wife, also a motorcyclist. Do it for the safety of your kids as they learn to drive, or the well-being of your own kids as a motorcycling parent. Contact your senator and representatives ... Jim Walz, John Kline, Tim Kelly, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, whomever is your legislator. Give them something useful to do other than bickering along party lines.
Take note of the proposed legislation:
http://handsfreeinfo.com/minnesota-cell-phone-laws-legislation
And if you're a motorcyclist ... pay attention out there, because the other folks aren't.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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