In my neighborhood each Friday morning everyone rolls their trash cans to one side of the street for pick up some time during the day.
Last Friday afternoon I noticed that some trash cans were slightly over full. Their lids still up, indicated that the trash truck had not yet visited. At the same time one of my neighbors, whose can was only half full, was rolling her trash can back to her garage.
As she did this I pointed out to her that her trash can still had last week’s trash in it. She realized her error and rolled the can back into the line. Of course, I had to wait for her to finish her cell phone conversation before pointing out to her what was happening.
In California we have a law against using your cell phone while driving a car. Nothing stops someone from driving a trash can while phoning or texting.
Many lives are at stake.
We must us all be extra alert to events of every kind that are dangerous if performed while using a cell phone. Every day we hear of people getting married while phoning only to learn later that they accidentally married the wrong person.
Watch for increased reporting of surgical errors as doctors amputate the wrong limb while texting.
People in Florida, especially, should be required to surrender their cell phones before entering the voting booth.
OMG, the list goes on …
The law we now have is flawed, focusing only on so-called “distracted driving.”
The trash can incident illustrates the inadequacy of this law and how it should be expanded.
People should not be allowed to take these risks. Over time, the set of all the things that goes wrong in society and the set of all things which are done while using a cell phone will coincide.
John Maynard Keynes said that in the long run we are all dead. What he did not know is that the reason is the cell phone.
The more general problem is distracted living.
To quote another great philosopher, Woody Allen observed that 80 percent of life is showing up.
Staying alive means that when you show up you need to pay attention.
There are many activities other than driving we need to do well to be successful. Lost in society today is the fact that concentrating on what you are doing and doing it properly comes first, the ringing telephone is less important.
Technology is not a substitute for the full depth of life.
Happiness can’t be downloaded. Fortunately, it can be legislated.
With stronger laws we can all concentrate on those things which our government believes are important, thereby enriching our lives and the lives of those around us.
As we gallop toward a day when government controls our every move, the list of prohibited acts grows longer. Today it is easier to work from the shorter list of things government permits.
I say that we amend the law to allow using a cell phone only while tattooing your unicorn.
But that can wait.
Right now I need to text this article to my editor before the light changes.
Brown is an investor and freelance writer residing in Alpine.
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