Maryland is among 22 other states that have a ban on texting while driving. While I personally disagree with this, one can at least understand the logic behind it.
In most cases, these laws, while designed to ban texting, cover a broad range of phone usage while driving, with the operative focus being on reading from a mobile device while driving (I’m pretty sure that means I can’t drive and read my Kindle at the same time either).
So, with Maryland having that ban in place, can anyone explain to me why it also persists in maintaining a program that sends out Twitter updates on traffic situations?
It’s no secret that a lot of people get Twitter updates in the form of text messages. Couple that with the facts you can set up your account to only get SMS updates from certain users and that the info from these tweets are clearly most useful while you’re driving, it seems pretty obvious the state intends for people to get and read these tweets while they are on the road. Ain’t state hypocrisy beautiful?
On a related note, anyone think a strong argument could be made that the state subsidizing an activity that is illegal is at least quasi-entrapment? True entrapment? Inducement to criminal activity? Something else the government could be taken to court over.
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That is pretty stupid. I am not sure why we need a law against texting while driving though. Isn’t there already a law against driving recklessly? Why don’t we just enforce that one? If I drive recklessly while texting, give me a ticket. If I drive recklessly while eating, give me a ticket. If I drive recklessly while driving with both hands on the wheel focusing on the road, give me a ticket. But if I can drive safely while doing all of those things, what is the problem? Isn’t it kind of like Hate Crime laws? If I hurt someone, i go to jail, who cares why I hurt them? If I drive recklessly, give me a ticket, who cares why I was driving recklessly?