RE: [Harp-L] Driving While Blind (Blowing)?

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

I was going to pick out all the dodgy quotes from the latest batch of posts 
but there are so many I won't bother to clutter up my own.  In the UK you 
will fail your driving test if you drive one-handed, except when using the 
other essential controls of the car.  There is a very good reason for that.  
If you have to make a sudden, unexpected change of direction you need two 
hands on the wheel, not one.  All accidents are caused by sudden unexpected 
things not being sufficiently anticipated.  And anyone who even ~begins~ to 
think that a knee wedged under the wheel has anything to do with 
control....well.  As for it being OK in light traffic, that's yet another 
factor to lull you into a false sense of security.  As for it being no more 
distracting than talking to a passenger, who are you kidding?  As far as I'm 
aware, talking to a passenger does not entail taking one hand off the wheel. 
 And again, we're getting that fallacious comparison with using a mobile 
phone or arguing with your kids.  You do not have to do either of those 
things while in motion and you shouldn't.  Quoting a couple of other evils 
like this, whether you regard them as necessary or not, does not go to 
justify a third.  And if you really think there's nothing wrong with it, why 
drop your harp smartly on to your lap if you see a cop?  Why not carry on, 
and if he pulls you up just explain that you were doing nothing even 
remotely wrong.  Just use the arguments you use here and see whether he 
agrees.  If he doesn't, maybe it's because he's seen one too many mangled 
corpses which resulted from someone paying slightly less than 100% attention 
at the wheel.....

Could this be a case of that testosterone-induced state of mind that 
manifests itself in the opinion that "I'm so bloody good at this that I can 
do it with one hand tied behind my back" - not exactly an unknown phenomenon 
among male drivers?

The last time we had this debate here, Johnny T stated that driving is a gig 
unto itself.  I like that.

Steve

_________________________________________________________________
It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! 
http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger