[Vision2020] Rants on texting

[rhayes at frontier.com]

Downtown Moscow yesterday morning. A person in a gold Toyota with Latah plates directly in front of me was swerving around the lane like a drunk behind the wheel. At 3rd and Main, the light changed and the car just sat there. I didn't hit the horn but waited until they woke up to the world around them. It took until the count of 5 before they realized that the light was green. Heading toward Pullman I thought that this car was going to turn south on Jackson, but no, they were just drifting into the turn lane and kept on going west on 3rd. As the road split in to 4 lanes, they stayed in the left and rode down the middle of the lane divider. At the light on Line street I was able to get into the right lane. Looking through the window I saw this person busy texting with their device up on the steering wheel. 

Just a bit later around the Appaloosa Horse Club I came up on a car with New York plates driving erratically swerving and drifting around the left lane. People were trying to pass on the right but couldn't because slow traffic in that lane was blocking the way. I rode directly behind this guy all the way to Airport road. He was going about 35 and cars now were beginning to get by on the right. Around the electrical supply company he finally changed lanes (no turn signal) and I passed him. Guess what? Yep! He was texting. 
One would think that this is a rare occurrence on the way to Pullman. It's not. I see it every day. For some reason that stretch of highway seems to attract the worst of distracted bonehead drivers.
Why?
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