There are many reasons to take the train (light rail, the subway): cutting your emissions profile, opportunity for exercise during the walk to and from the station, people-watching opportunities – but for me, it’s a way to get centered, shake off some of the stress of the day, and let my mind wander.<\/p>\n
When you’re driving, you don’t want to let your mind wander too far, lest your car follow suit. Driving to work the other day, I noted in my rear-view mirror the fellow in the next lane was drifting awfully close to my bumper. He pulled alongside, and I saw his head was down, almost like he was sleeping. Then I noticed the position of his arms. He had his smart-phone (not a really good moniker in this case) in his lap and was texting while doing 70 on the freeway. He pulled ahead, head still down, and as the freeway started a gentle turn, well, he continued to go straight. (He did catch himself before going completely<\/em> out of his lane.)<\/p>\n If it were just one texter, it wouldn’t be much of an issue. But there are many, and those texting or on the phone are just a small fraction of those “drivers” who are otherwise distracted from what should be their primary duty of the moment. In my non-scientific but lengthy poll over the last few years, I’ve seen an average of 4.5% of people behind the wheel of\u00a0 moving cars who were actively texting or using a hand-held phone. There’s talk about raising the fines for those who’re caught engaging in those distractions, but until enough people have to pay enough money, I doubt they’ll change their texty-talky ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are many reasons to take the train (light rail, the subway): cutting your emissions profile, opportunity for exercise during the walk to and from the station, people-watching opportunities – but for me, it’s a way to get centered, shake … Continue reading