RE: [Harp-L] Driving While Blind (Blowing)?



Steve, apparently this has struck a nerve with you, but I don't
think that any of us are saying that it is "perfectly alright"
to drive with one hand, or with the knees.  I think it's a matter
of "degrees"; seldom are things clearcut black and white.  

Do you ever drive just one mile (or K) over the speed limit?  Is that
as wrong as 10 miles over?  Do you ever tell a "white lie" to save
someones feelings?  Is that not still a lie?  Do you ever drive a 
vehicle after a couple drinks?  Just because you don't feel impaired,
does that make it okay?  Are you always 100% truthful on your taxes?

The point is that under the right circumstances, it seems a minor 
infraction of the law.  How many highway accidents are caused by 
someone reaching to try to adjust the radio station?  Or the heater
controls?  Or dropping a cigarette between your legs?  Or drinking 
a cup of coffee?  Should all these activities be illegal?  There has
to be a "line" drawn somewhere, and each of us draws it at a 
somewhat different place.

Richard J. Smith


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Steve Shaw
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 3:36 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Driving While Blind (Blowing)?


I was going to pick out all the dodgy quotes from the latest batch of posts 
but there are so many I won't bother to clutter up my own.  In the UK you 
will fail your driving test if you drive one-handed, except when using the 
other essential controls of the car.  There is a very good reason for that.  
If you have to make a sudden, unexpected change of direction you need two 
hands on the wheel, not one.  All accidents are caused by sudden unexpected 
things not being sufficiently anticipated.  And anyone who even ~begins~ to 
think that a knee wedged under the wheel has anything to do with 
control....well.  As for it being OK in light traffic, that's yet another 
factor to lull you into a false sense of security.  As for it being no more 
distracting than talking to a passenger, who are you kidding?  As far as I'm 
aware, talking to a passenger does not entail taking one hand off the wheel. 
  And again, we're getting that fallacious comparison with using a mobile 
phone or arguing with your kids.  You do not have to do either of those 
things while in motion and you shouldn't.  Quoting a couple of other evils 
like this, whether you regard them as necessary or not, does not go to 
justify a third.  And if you really think there's nothing wrong with it, why 
drop your harp smartly on to your lap if you see a cop?  Why not carry on, 
and if he pulls you up just explain that you were doing nothing even 
remotely wrong.  Just use the arguments you use here and see whether he 
agrees.  If he doesn't, maybe it's because he's seen one too many mangled 
corpses which resulted from someone paying slightly less than 100% attention 
at the wheel.....

Could this be a case of that testosterone-induced state of mind that 
manifests itself in the opinion that "I'm so bloody good at this that I can 
do it with one hand tied behind my back" - not exactly an unknown phenomenon 
among male drivers?

The last time we had this debate here, Johnny T stated that driving is a gig 
unto itself.  I like that.

Steve

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