Hands Free?

Today the hand-held cellphone while driving ban takes effect in California. The law was poorly worded — text messaging, for instance, which is obviously much more dangerous than merely talking, is not mentioned — but this is a welcome start. (I’m of the opinion that talking on the phone, hands free or not, should be forbidden while driving, because the lapse of concentration is analogous to having had between one and two drinks regardless, but nobody asked me.)

While cycling to work this morning I saw a cyclist pedalling in the other direction, holding her cellphone and talking into it. I guess the ban doesn’t affect bikes, then.