Dear Dr. Gridlock:
On two occasions recently, one of them at night, I drove behind vans with DVD players running. I found the action on the screens, which were right in the middle of my field of vision, to be extremely distracting.
Although both times were bothersome, it was especially annoying at night.
My eyes were repeatedly drawn to that little screen, regardless of how hard I tried to look elsewhere. I passed the vans at the first opportunity, but until I was able to do so, I was not comfortable.
Am I the only person who feels this way? A driver in another vehicle could be distracted by a screen, miss the fact that the vehicle with the screen has slowed or stopped, and plow right into it.
Jo B. Spiegelman
Derwood
One of my copy editors feels the same way. I'm not sure I agree. Last year, I was on a family minivan trip around Yellowstone National Park with a 3-year-old boy in the back seat. He was squirming, as you might imagine, until we ran some of his favorite animated movies on a built-in DVD player. Everyone was happy.
Some vehicles offer this feature, and I'm hard-pressed to say it should be outlawed.
I suggest that those who are bothered simply take safe, evasive action to avoid vehicles with DVD players.
Ticketing Tie-Ups
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
We've all been there before. A backup. Grrrr. Is it an accident? Street repair? Water main break?
No, it's the Montgomery County police ticketing a driver. I can't think of another place where police officers routinely block the flow of traffic to issue a citation. You see it all the time on county streets, especially on Colesville Road in Silver Spring.
While stopped, the officers position their cars nose out, further blocking traffic. Stops will even be made in the left lane, leaving a trail of stalled, fuming motorists.
If there isn't a shoulder available, why can't an officer pull onto a side street or into a parking lot to issue a ticket?
