>That is a tragic story about your friend. Today they do much more in schools to educate kids about danger of drunk driving, citing stories like what happened to your friend.
After the accident, a group of friends and I went to see the bashed in bloody car to try to get some closure. There was a half-gone case of beer sitting in the passenger seat. We all thought it was odd that it was still there, but it turns out that is a tool the police use to get people to associate car accidents like that to drunken driving. It worked. Life lessons that are attempted to be taught in a classroom are not very useful because "it will never happen to them". Life lessons are best taught the hard way.
>My phase was a year when I came to this country. Even though I was 25 years old, I felt like a teenager who just got a car and money. And in fact, I bought my very first car, 72 Olds, got a job making $9/hr (which was a lot for me at the time). So I was parting every weekend. This was going on for about a year. I was lucky that I never even got stopped, let alone got a ticket. But I remember one day driving home, late at night, from a party. And I could not even see the road well. All the lights of the upcoming cars and cars in front of me seem like a kaleidoscope, going around. I was clutching the steering wheel and praying that I would somehow make it back. Surprisingly and lucky for me I did. I think sometimes after that I decided that I have played Russian roulette enough <g>.
>
>>When I was in college, I started a phase where it was OK to drive drunk. I got away with it 2 nights in a row and had a blast those nights. I could get drunk for cheap in my dorm room, drive to the bar where my friends were at, and drive to a few house parties. All the money I saved too...
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>>The morning after my second night, I received a call that my long time friend from high school was killed in a car accident and it was suspected he had been drinking. The lady in the other car was paralyzed as a result. I still really haven't shaken that one off yet.
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>>>The worst, of course, is drunk driving. I am ashamed to admit it but when I was young (many years ago), I was a drunk driver.
>>>
>>>>And reading papers and books while driving, text messaging while driving, putting on makeup while driving, playing with the radio while driving, writing notes while driving, sitting so you cannot see out the windows while driving, playing music so loud you cannot hear emergency vehicles while driving...
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>>>>>I wish cell phone use was banned for all drivers. The accident rate would definitely go down.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>NC has it for < 18 - not even hands free...
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>>>>>>
http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Hi Nicholas.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>could someone tell me why people have to send text messages during films
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I want to know why people have to send text messages while driving.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Doug
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>It's almost an unvarying rule that anyone driving stupid is on a cell phone. There is a movement to ban it in Illinois and I hope it passes.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Apropos of nothing, over the weekend I had a flashback to a scene involving you. It was at one of the early Whilfests and everyone was congregating in the Hyatt lobby to go to dinner. We were delayed because one of us (don't remember who) was talking to a street person passing through. Pretty wacko. Afterwards you said, "Do not engage them. Disengage! Disengage!" LOL
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>They managed to pass the hand-free cell phone only law here. It takes effect in July I believe. In my opinion it's just another bit of big brother, but at least people's hands will now be free to eat, read, change cds, change clothes and put on makeup while talking on the hands-free phone on the freeway.
