The Kids Are All Wired

Stopping the Wabash Cannonball

Chicago's law against driving while using cell phones and handheld devices goes into effect on Friday, and police will begin enforcing the law on Saturday. The law requires drivers to use headphones while talking on their phones, the Sun-Times reported: "That ordinance, approved in a split vote by the City Council in May, calls for $50 fines that quadruple to $200 if the violation happens during a traffic accident. The law's chief sponsor, Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd), cringes when he hears people call the new regulation a 'ban.' 'The idea was never to ban people speaking on the phone while they're driving. ... That would not go anywhere. We know [talking on the phone] is distracting, but that's not it. Using hands-free [technology] in an emergency you at least have control of the wheel and that's what we're saying,' Natarus said.'"

The Chicago Tribune reported a sharp rise in headset sales throughout Chicagoland: "'We love the law,' said Marc Gullion, manager of a North Side RadioShack. 'There was a period of time when I couldn't keep them in stock.' Gullion said a local RadioShack manager had to make a special request to the company's main warehouse in Texas, pointing out the coming law and an urgent need for more headsets. Since then, supply has kept pace with demand, Gullion said. The story is similar at a Cingular Wireless outlet at the other end of the strip mall from Gullion's RadioShack. 'We've been selling [headsets] like crazy,' said Joseph Conti, a store employee. The store recently added another display for wired headsets, clearing out space that had featured phones, he said. On a recent evening, the wired-headset racks were largely empty, courtesy of a day of strong sales. To beef up its inventory, Conti's store also had to plead with an out-of-state warehouse. 'We had to fight with our people to get more stuff,' he said."

The Northern Illinois University's Northern Star newspaper, meanwhile, ran an editorial on Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) proposal to ban people under 18 years of age from talking on their cell phones while driving. It would add Illinois to a list that includes Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland and Tennessee.

The reviews were not positive: "If lawmakers argue that one-handed driving is a problem, how do they justify cars with automatic transmission and cars equipped with cupholders? Is it the conversation that distracts drivers? Well in that case, ban talking in cars. After all, conversations with fellow passengers are just as distracting as a conversation on a cell phone right? Nevermind that phone companies have a number of hands-free accessories drivers can use. Most of all, if cell phone conversations are distracting to teenage drivers, then it can be assumed conversations distract drivers of all ages. Barring younger drivers from talking on the phone because of their extreme youth seems as insane as banning senior citizens because of their extreme age."

I think they meant "standard shift."

Far From the Madding Crowd

Vermont -- it's more than Howard Dean's home and the one state currently represented by a Socialist in the U.S. Congress. It's also a place where people looking to escape the cacophony of cell phones can find some relative respite. Check out this article from the Rutland Herald: "In the workplace, cell phones have also presented problems, forcing some companies across the country to adopt rules restricting or prohibiting their use. ... In Vermont, however, problems with cell phones appear to be limited and as a result few companies have written policies."

If you're wondering why, the Herald provides several answers -- including this one: "At Omya Inc., the Proctor-based calcium carbonate company, it's not a problem. 'We can't get cell phone coverage here,' said Omya spokeswoman Christie Harris."

Clarification

Reader Jefferson Ogata pointed out an error I made in a recent column. I noted that the Federal Communications Commission has a ban on in-flight cell-phone use to keep the cellular signals from interfering with takeoffs and landings. The Federal Aviation Administration maintains that ban . The FCC instituted its rules over concerns that the signals might interfere with phone networks on the ground.

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