Internet In The Car

~no, thanks~

I drive when I'm driving. Me on a hands-free cell would be a pretty lousy conversation, because I'd be stopping between words all the time to, you know, drive. Now Ford's Sync will be giving us internet in the car. With some drivers, listening to directions from a GPS navigator or changing radio stations is too much. Now you're going to be rolling down the road doing web searches?

I don't do mobile electronics aside from the radio, which I pretty much set-and-forget; changing CDs mostly happens at a stop light.

I have had exactly one experience speaking on a handset while driving. LB handed me his phone, on which he had called my Darling Wife, to tell her I'd be home a few minutes late. That is, he almost tossed me the phone as I was driving in heavy traffic, so that I could be the first one on the line. He dialed and gave me the phone as it was ringing.

It took approximately zero seconds for me to realize that shifting, steering, holding a phone, driving while thinking enough to have a conversation, braking, and working the clutch, simultaneously, was too much. I got as much as half a grip on the phone, put it near my head and hoped the microphone was near my mouth. I told my lady to talk to LB, and threw it in LB's general direction. It's probably lucky the window was closed. He gave her the message for me.

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The cell phone companies need to cancel your ability to talk and drive with their existing technology, because if they don't, it will be forced on them by your Elected Heroes.

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Internet in the car: A Very Bad Idea.