There are many theories about Boston and Bostonians. Let’s consider two: that the people are smart, and that the drivers are crazy. I think that an article in yesterday’s Globe provides strong support for one of these theories.
More and more multi tasking drivers are bringing real danger to the road. One of the “drivers” featured is a political consultant. One, when he was text-messaging:
The pickup in front of him stopped, Cence rear-ended him, and the front end of his Volvo crumpled… “I felt a little foolish,” he said.
He now drives a BMW, no longer reads long e-mails behind the wheel, and says he “really tries” not to text message.
It’s good to see that he’s learning. So are others, such as the “real estate agent and performance artist from Worcester,” who makes the reassuring statement: “Now I hardly ever dial a number while driving.” And the guy who sells home entertainment systems who no longer does email while driving, because he has a wife and two kids; but he still answers the phone.
Today’s Globe carries an article about how worn crosswalks lead to danger. Well, it’s no use repainting the crosswalks if the drivers are busy “multi-tasking.”
Coming back to the theories we started with… maybe the proportion of smart Bostonians will rise, as Darwinian processes deal with some of the many motorized multi-taskers.