*Honk* Put the Phone Down!

I realize that we are all Sovereign Citizens in our automobiles. A car is simultaneously a conveyance and a sanctuary. This explains why we can pick our noses or belt out our favorite songs and not worry about anyone watching.

I once saw a woman driving with a cigarette in one hand, phone in the other, a small dog on her lap, all the while having a conversation on her phone. It was a bit touch-and-go as she executed that tight turn in front of me.

I do a bit of singing myself in my car, so I get it. But once you pull your car into traffic, I think you should start obeying some basic laws of the road and engaging in some courteous behavior.

But the people who have to text during red lights fail in this basic act. More and more I am having to honk my horn when the light changes and they just sit there. I honk and then they go…sometimes after a second honk. Yes, I’m honking at YOU.

Light hesitation is nothing new. I remember my friend Megan at Berkeley tellling my about her father saying, “ He just SITS!” when someone would linger at a light, and that was decades ago.

Clearly it’s getting worse. I seem to be honking once every car trip—and these are not long trips. I guess I just don’t see the need to be texting at every light. Is your time that valuable that those few seconds have to be spent on your phone? Because I find those seconds that you take away from me just as valuable.