%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |    My random thoughts and reactions to my everyday life. The voices like a forum. |
| I noticed an interesting headline on 'my' MSN news page: 'Talking to your car could be dangerous'. HUH? Really? I speak to das Auto all the time, often in its native tongue, German. I'm not German in any shape or form, but I dabble. I greet my VW with 'Guten Morgen" and 'Wie gehen sie?' It's not as if I'm delusional and I actually expect my car to respond. I'm often driving alone and speaking out loud is normal for me. Praising the vehicle can't hurt, so I throw in a 'zehr gut' once in a while too. Das auto likes to flash a schneeflocke at me occasionally and he is, for some reason, fascinated with snow. He never warns me about the rain or the pleasant possibility of some sunshine. He is obsessed with freezing temperatures and snow. Already this October and November he gleefully displayed the dreaded snowflake. Only once has he dared to flash a red ominous 'engine overheating' symbol. I read the MSN article and it was about hands-free Bluetooth technology. Apparently, many drivers find this very distracting. They cannot control their vehicles' temperature, stereos, or communication devices with voice commands and actually drive at the same time. How is this possible? The idea of Bluetooth and hands-free technology was to permit a driver to keep their eyes on the road and their unencumbered hands on the all-important steering wheel. Isn't any and all driving about navigating a moving vehicle while being distracted? There's no such thing as distraction-free driving! Other traffic, pedestrians, weather, passengers, and on-going events vie for a driver's attention. Driving is different each and every time someone attempts to drive somewhere. A driver must always expect the unexpected and react accordingly. It's all about coping and being prepared. Try driving with five children and their bopping balloons plus two dogs; it's not quiet or stress-free, but it can be done. As any mother/chauffeur knows, it is within the realm of reality to drive from point A to point B safely despite the singing, the nattering, the squabbling, and the constant questioning of her passengers. Mothers are multi-tasking distracted drivers all the time. At least when I speak to my car he doesn't talk back and give me grief. |
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