I always thought there should be some correlation to who should talk on a cell phone when they drive. I imagined that only those who are excellent drivers should be entitled to use a cell phone when driving. When I stopped and thought about, it’s ass backwards; the worst drivers actually use cell phones more than people who are considered good ones!

Let me get this straight, I’m not against talking on a phone in a car, because I do it. I’m against people who generally suck at driving that talk on their phones when driving. It’s bad enough these folks can’t make snap decisions without their ex flapping in their ear and now you got to deal with them on the road!

There should only be two situations to strike up a conversation when on the road:

1. On the highway when you are steering more than driving
2. During a traffic jam where you’re moving at a rate of 25 mph or less AND not having to worry about jockeying for position in one lane or the other

Texting is the new big thing. It’s been big for a while, but now everyone does it. This is even worse because you can actually see people doing it all around you! Today I noticed two girls in the left lane were simultaneously texting along with an old lady on the right of me. The odds of that?

We all text when we drive, but don’t be an idiot about it. If you have one of those text-centric phones like a Blackberry, iPhone, or other phone that requires you to use two hands to text, follow these guidelines:

1. Text when stopped and not at a yield sign
2. Text at a red light
3. Text on a highway if you’re not boxed in, i.e. surrounded by cars on all directions

Other than that, chill with texting. There’s no need to reply with “haha” or “cool” or “omg” until you stop your car.

I admit, this is sort of mother hen for me, but I’m continuously baffled by everyone now using a phone in a car these days. Possibly a weak post, but wait for tommorrow’s analysis of Aggressive vs. Defensive Driving: Which is Better during The Captain’s Rule of the Road week.