[Harp-L] RE: playing while driving

["Richard Owen" <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been playing in the car since 93 around when I joined harp-l. I will
not claim it is perfectly safe, but I definitely find it safer than falling
asleep at the wheel. I'm sure that for me it is safer than talking on the
phone. Though I have a hands-free speaker system, I have driven past my exit
when talking with someone else. I've also done this when talking to a
passenger, but I've never done it while playing. I think this is because
playing is entirely of my own volition whereas a phone call is not. My
biggest concern would be that should an accident occur, I would not have
both hands on the wheel.

I learned to play in the car and it kept me in a job when I could not find
any other way to stomach the commute. It has been a huge source of joy in my
life and, in my case, I have thought about it a lot and genuinely believe I
am not endangering myself or others significantly more than being on the
road in the first place. I would not want to spend a lot of effort being
defensive about this, but if I'm ever proven wrong, I will say that it was a
conscious and thoughtful decision.

The other day, I was lining up in traffic to get on the Bay Bridge and I saw
a chap playing a ukulele in the neighbouring car! Unfortunately, our lanes
were travelling at different speeds and I didn't get to jam with him.

+R