Time to give our thumbs a rest

Scientists say opposable thumbs are what distinguished mankind. Now, muzzling those same thumbs may save it.

Among the controversial bills passed by the Louisiana Legislature was a nearly overlooked new law that bans texting while driving.

And personally, I approve.

Does there really need to be any debate that typing with your thumbs on a keyboard the size of a Triscuit could divert your attention from, say, a small child playing near the street, or a jogger? Traditional mobile phone conversations by drivers are bad enough, but that genie is out of the bottle. Although chatting drivers’ minds might wander, at least their eyes can remain on the road. But typing or reading text messages pulls a driver’s attention completely away from the road, which makes the ban on texting sensible.

The new law sends the right message, even if it may be difficult to enforce.

But if texting is not brought into check now, I fear humans might evolve into creatures with third arms to handle the wheel that projects from the sternum while the drivers type messages with their original, opposable thumbs. It’s bad enough that Americans eat, apply makeup and even shave in their cars. Now drivers are turning their vehicles into 2,800-pound mobile offices, hurtling down the highway at 70 mph and staying connected via the text message.

I’m not against text messages in principle. In fact, I’ve fallen in love with texting. It’s as close as we’ll get to beaming thoughts directly into people’s brains. It’s fast, easy, convenient, and I’ve texted from home, office, and yes, even my car. But I’ve seen some accidents along the highway and have been in some close calls of my own because of this wonderful technology, and I have vowed not to text and drive.

It’s not only drivers who need to be cautious; anyone near a road is at risk. There have been reports of pedestrians crossing busy streets while texting who’ve walked into the path of oncoming cars.

Complete abstinence from texting near traffic is not the only answer. A great solution could come in the form of a cell phone application that uses a built-in GPS to fix your location, connects with a city’s traffic management system and sends you an alert the light is about to change. Now that’s innovation.

More drastic steps may be required. I recently read that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot even estimate how common text-related injuries are. Even the American College of Emergency Physicians felt compelled to issue a warning that people should refrain from texting while rollerblading, which, as it turns out, is a growing problem. “We don’t want to sound like some stern schoolmistress,” a spokesman for the group said, “telling people don’t text on your cell phone, but when you’re texting, look around.”

Forgive me for stating the obvious here, but duh!

Hard evidence from research that proves texting endangers motorists may not be developed for a few years. But for now, existing data shows driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Since texting diverts drivers’ eyes off the road, common sense says you shouldn’t do it while driving.

Thankfully in Louisiana we now have something more than common sense to fight this dangerous and growing habit: the law.

Saving our history

In the midst of downtown’s booming resurgence, Baton Rouge nearly lost a piece of its history.

The civil rights movement reached Baton Rouge in 1960 when a group of Southern University students sat down at the Kress lunch counter, refusing to move to a separate counter reserved for blacks. That case found its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered businesses to end racial discrimination.

The building where the protest took place was in the path of a wrecking ball when Carolyn Bennett of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana jumped into action. Investors Brace Godfrey and John Schneider found a new life for the building and are renovating it, a job that’s been documented by filmmaker John Jackson and photographer Brian Baiamonte. Read the story here.

War, baby

There are countless stories of sacrifice and bravery in war, and one local family invited us in to share theirs. Venessa Lewis had just given birth to a son when her husband, Capt. Brent Lewis of the Louisiana National Guard’s 769th Engineer Battalion, had to ship out to Baghdad to serve out the rest of his tour. The Lewises shared their story of sacrifice, separation, and reunion with writer Jeff Roedel and photographer Lori Waselchuk. Check out the story here.

Win a FREE LSU road trip

If you’re dreaming of going to see the LSU Tigers crush the Florida Gators down in the Swamp on Oct. 11, 225 magazine and Tiger Mania! could make your dream come true.

We’re going to give to some lucky Tiger fan and a guest two tickets to the game, round-trip airfare, two nights at the Hyatt, a private motor coach ride to the game, a pre-game tailgate party, and a pair of LSU jerseys. Register online here, or visit any of the three Tiger Mania! locations and sign up for FREE a chance to win. (Limit one entry per person.) Go Tigers!