My hope is that taxpayers did not have to pay these folk to gather research results that were already available when all these representatives have aides that can do the same. My suspicion however is that the aides are to busy not answering the phone (as was my experience yesterday when I called the Infrastructure committee chairmans office on more than one occasion and could not get an answer or an answering machine).
Be that as it may, I stuck around hoping to get a little education knowing that there was to be no debate. I guess the lobbyist for ABATE of Florida knew that too and that's why he left.
Well dude starts out pretty good depending on how much you have researched the issue by stating that he wished to start with the premise that "there are many benefits from using cell phones." Ok so right off, I'm like a little suspicious since we already know what the legislators are shooting for so I'm thinking this is a wash job.
Well dude goes on using statistics from 1997, 2003 and 2005. When he gets to the point that I know the legislators want to hear, "Studies demonstrate mixed results pertaining to hand held versus hands free devices". Whoops I woke up, hot damn I thought. I'm gonna learn something now. Except he don't mention any of those studies that say hands free is o.k. He does go on to mention how cell phones in general not only impair driving skill but contribute to traffic congestion. Yepper we need more of that in Tallahassee.
So by now I'm getting a little antsy cause in my hot little hand is a copy of the most recent study done by Carnegie Mellon University dated March 9, 2008 (Just a little more recent than 2005, gee wonder how them edjecated, yes that is misspelled intentionally, folk missed it) that validates, re-enforces, substantiates by virtue of studies done hooking folk up to an MRI and driving simulator and measuring the physiological responses in the brain that, guess what, all the studies that state using a hands free device is equal to driving while intoxicated are TRUE! (Thanks Girl Geek for turning me on to that one).
But then dude sends me off the deep end when in response to a representatives question he states yes there are economic benefits to using a cell phone and driving.
Well it is here that I must apologize to all those "Biker Safety folk" that advocate for kissing political ass, whoops I mean being respectful to politicians so that we might "educate" them. Cause I went off my nut. Not as bad as I can go off my nut. Just enough to be jumping out of my chair waving and pointing at my little study mouthing to the chairman I want to speak. Well he's pointing at me and I'm pointing at him and he sends the little paper girl to me with another "Please can I talk form" which I scribble out quickly cause I'm afraid this dude will shut up and they will move on. But aha!
My turn came. Now I can't remember everything I said. I can get that way when passionate. I do remember starting of with, "since when does economic benefit trump human life!"
I then went on quote from my little RECENT study, reminding them that we wouldn't even be having this conversation had they read the data that was sent to them to begin with because I knew they were intelligent, after all "You did get elected didn't you?" and how the whole reason this issue was TP'd last year was because at least one legislator did read the info provided. But if they no longer have the info they can go to MADD Rays (sorry Ray) and avail themselves of all the info re cell phone use they could possibly want.
Somewhere in all of that I even offered to load em up on the back of my motorcycle and see how far we got down Monroe before some dude on a cell phone knocked us into Lake Ella using the exact same reasoning DUDE from the college used. Well yes people on cell phones have a tendency to move laterally while driving (translation=into your lane).
And I did say something about I understand it is an unpopular issue and they might be concerned about their reelection prospects were they to pass such a really effective, actually accomplish something bill as opposed to passing a bill that accomplishes nothing.
But I think I crossed the line when I pointed at them and asked, "How many of you at that table use a cell phone while driving?" Cause thats when they indicated they had heard enough.
Now I know that there are a lot of folk out there including our state Motorcycle Rights Organization that has transitioned into a Motorcycle Safety Organization that do not want to believe the truth and probably wish I would shut up. But ya know there are still folk that don't believe we ever landed on the moon. There are still folk that still believe in Astrology even after the discovery of the 13th constellation that renders it bogus. Hell there are probably still people that believe there were weapons of Mass destruction in Iraq! And I'm ok with that. Until your need to believe a lie puts the lives of me and my loved ones at risk. Damn don't I wish a few others felt the same!Add to Technorati Favorites
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