Travails of texting while driving
By Jan Angelo Yvan Cabantog
Driving and texting, two important actions that a human being is ought to do—but not at the same time.
I don’t know how to drive. I just turned 18 and I haven’t had any formal driving lessons. I don’t even have my driver’s license yet. But I know every single part of a car, thanks to my dad. I have an idea how everything works. I had three chances of starting our car’s engine, and turning it off. That’s the closest thing to driving that I experience. I will start my formal driving lessons with my dad next summer, but as early as now he is already teaching me the basics of driving, as well as the basic driving rules and etiquettes. Among the rules that he told me, there is one particular rule that has been stamped in my head ever since he told me that rule: NEVER TEXT AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. My dad believes that it is a deadly sin to drive and text at the same time. I know for a fact that my dad doesn’t text and drive. I always seat on the passenger’s seat, and he never, not even once tried to text and drive at the same time. He will always ask me to read his messages aloud and reply to those who texted him. I remember the exact words that my dad told me about texting and driving. “Wag ka magte-text habang nagdri-drive, yung ilang segundo na hindi ka nakatingin sa kalsada, marami ng pwedeng mangyari sayo na hindi maganda. Pwedeng may mabanga kang tao, o sasakyan. Malaking perwisyo para sa iba at para sayo ang maidudulot nun. Sayang pa pera.” That is why that rule sticks in my head. I never ever want to lose money for the simple reason of being reckless.
In one of the episodes of Glee, the musical-comedy show addressed the issue of texting-while-driving. In the episode, the character Quinn Fabray, played by actress Dianna Agron, was doing the mortal deed. Quinn was on her way to the wedding of Rachel Berry, played by actress Lea Michele, and she was running late. Rachel texted Quinn and asked her where she is. While driving her red Volkswagen beetle, Quinn stopped looking on the road, replied to Rachel, and boom, she was hit by a speeding truck. Luckily, Quinn survived the car crash, ended up in a wheelchair for the next five episodes, and was able to walk again in the prom episode. But it’s not always the same case. Most of the time, people gets in a vehicular accident end up paralyzed for their whole life, or worse, they face death.
I may not have my very first driving experience, but I am in my rational state, and I know that with the simple things that I have learned from my dad and from a musical-comedy TV show, I have the right to take a stand and give advice to drivers out there. NEVER EVER TEXT AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. Don’t even say “just five seconds.” You never know what could happen in the five seconds that your eyes are not on the road. You might hit a cat, a dog, a human being, or another vehicle. Even for those who don’t drive. Never text while walking. You might collide with another person, or step on someone else’s foot. If you are driving (or walking), it’s better to take a call than to send a text message. It may be a little more pricy than a text message, but it is way safer.
Driving and texting, two important actions that a human being is ought to do—but not at the same time.
I don’t know how to drive. I just turned 18 and I haven’t had any formal driving lessons. I don’t even have my driver’s license yet. But I know every single part of a car, thanks to my dad. I have an idea how everything works. I had three chances of starting our car’s engine, and turning it off. That’s the closest thing to driving that I experience. I will start my formal driving lessons with my dad next summer, but as early as now he is already teaching me the basics of driving, as well as the basic driving rules and etiquettes. Among the rules that he told me, there is one particular rule that has been stamped in my head ever since he told me that rule: NEVER TEXT AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. My dad believes that it is a deadly sin to drive and text at the same time. I know for a fact that my dad doesn’t text and drive. I always seat on the passenger’s seat, and he never, not even once tried to text and drive at the same time. He will always ask me to read his messages aloud and reply to those who texted him. I remember the exact words that my dad told me about texting and driving. “Wag ka magte-text habang nagdri-drive, yung ilang segundo na hindi ka nakatingin sa kalsada, marami ng pwedeng mangyari sayo na hindi maganda. Pwedeng may mabanga kang tao, o sasakyan. Malaking perwisyo para sa iba at para sayo ang maidudulot nun. Sayang pa pera.” That is why that rule sticks in my head. I never ever want to lose money for the simple reason of being reckless.
In one of the episodes of Glee, the musical-comedy show addressed the issue of texting-while-driving. In the episode, the character Quinn Fabray, played by actress Dianna Agron, was doing the mortal deed. Quinn was on her way to the wedding of Rachel Berry, played by actress Lea Michele, and she was running late. Rachel texted Quinn and asked her where she is. While driving her red Volkswagen beetle, Quinn stopped looking on the road, replied to Rachel, and boom, she was hit by a speeding truck. Luckily, Quinn survived the car crash, ended up in a wheelchair for the next five episodes, and was able to walk again in the prom episode. But it’s not always the same case. Most of the time, people gets in a vehicular accident end up paralyzed for their whole life, or worse, they face death.
I may not have my very first driving experience, but I am in my rational state, and I know that with the simple things that I have learned from my dad and from a musical-comedy TV show, I have the right to take a stand and give advice to drivers out there. NEVER EVER TEXT AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. Don’t even say “just five seconds.” You never know what could happen in the five seconds that your eyes are not on the road. You might hit a cat, a dog, a human being, or another vehicle. Even for those who don’t drive. Never text while walking. You might collide with another person, or step on someone else’s foot. If you are driving (or walking), it’s better to take a call than to send a text message. It may be a little more pricy than a text message, but it is way safer.