Lose the Cell...

People here seem to have some kind of obsession with talking on the cell phone while they drive. I have seen people at work and on the road. The moment they step into their vehicle they are on the phone. And no, it’s not to inform people that they have left work. It is to indulge in long drawn, often animated conversations on life and the meaning of everything. I am not kidding! The other day there was this middle aged lady in the car behind me who had her phone in one hand and was using the other to gesticulate wildly to the person at the other end, all while riding my bumper.
I am driving for 7 years now and yet I do not take calls when I drive. People assume it’s because I drive a stick shift. But it is not so. I usually stop by the side if I have to make a call. Or at least use a hands-free. In this technologically advanced country why on earth can’t people use a $5 hands free device? It might just save their car and their lives too. But more importantly it might save the life of an innocent person. A person who had no clue the car ahead was turning since the person in it had a phone in his/her hand and could not be bothered to indicate. Or because he/she was so engrossed in discussing world politics that he or she just lost all awareness of their responsibilities on the road.