Texas House Bill 738 is the brainchild of a Texas legislator (D – El Paso) who goes by the name of “Chente” Quintanilla. Interestingly, his Texas House web site doesn’t say what his real name is.Anyhow…Mr. Quintanilla’s proposed law will make it illegal to perform certain tasks while operating a motor vehicle in Texas. Here’s the intro and a list of prohibited tasks. The problem is not with the general spirit of the bill, but rather the lack of specificity and definitions of and in the bill. My commentary is in orange.
“An act relating to the penalty for an offense committed during the inattentive operation of a motor vehicle. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 542.408 to read as follows: Sec. 542.408. INATTENTIVE DRIVING; FINE FOR OFFENSE. (a) an offense under this subtitle is punishable by a fine that is at least twice the minimum fine applicable to the offense and not more than twice the maximum fine that is applicable to the offense if the person who commits the offense is at the time of the offense operating a motor vehicle while:”
What the hell does that mean? If this becomes law, it will be the only reference to careless or inattentive driving in all of Subchapter D, Chapter 542 of the Texas Transportation Code. That means this piece of shit will be it.
READING
Why this isn’t already against the law is beyond me.
WRITING
Ditto above.
PERSONAL GROOMING
Applying makeup
No problem. If you’re looking in a mirror, you can’t be looking at the road.
Shaving
Ditto above
Combing hair
If you’re not looking in the mirror to do it, then what’s the problem?
Attending to other personal hygiene or appearance task
What the hell is a personal appearance task? I can do a number of safe things that could be defined as a personal appearance task: put on a hat, flick a wayward ladybug off my cheek, rub sleep out of my eye, finger-comb my hair, etc.
CONSUMING FOOD OR BEVERAGE
So I’ll have to pull over to have a sip of tasty beverage, or to shove a chicken strip in my face? And what about all those highway patrol cops? You’re telling me they’re no longer going to be permitted to drink water in their patrol cars? I guess not. The bill makes no mention of exceptions.
INTERACTING WITH A PET
INTERACTING WITH A VEHICLE PASSENGER
Since this isn’t further defined in the bill, I could be cited for telling my dog to lie down, or for discussing lunch choices with my passenger. Asinine!
USING A PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
Radio; personal stereo; compact disc player; audio or video device; personal computer; two way radio, including a citizen’s band radio; telephone; wireless messaging device; facsimile machine; radar detector; personal digital assistant; GPS system receiver; or a “similar device.”
Most of this is fine by me, but it’s pretty much unenforceable.
Hey, Chente: This is quite the pendejada you’ve created.
2 comments:
I actually like the idea behind this law, but it has to be written coherently so people know what the fuck he's talking about.
I've gotten too many speeding tickets for going just over ten m.p.h. over the speed limit, both hands on the wheel, totally focused on the road, etc. I get super pissed when I get stuck behind some oblivious asshole who's going 20 mph under the speed limit and weaving all over the road while texting, changing the CD, talking on the phone, eating, drinking and God knows what else.
I'd love to see those people get a fine so huge, they'll have to take out another credit card just to pay it.
Yep. Me too. But this thing, as written, is an unenforcable piece of poo.
I drive a straight-shot on an interstate 20 miles to work every day. It never ceases to amaze me how someone can be drivig 70mph until the minute they pick up the cell phone, after which they slow to 60 and drift from painted line to painted line. It drives me crazy!
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