Why will texting behind the wheel be illegal starting tomorrow? Ask this moron

Tomorrow, a ban against texting while driving goes into effect in Colorado, for reasons made obvious in the clip above, featuring a since-fired Texas bus driver who was caught on video thumbing messages when he should have been looking at that car in front of him that he smacked. The...

By Michael Roberts

November 30, 2009

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Tomorrow, a ban against texting while driving goes into effect in Colorado, for reasons made obvious in the clip above, featuring a since-fired Texas bus driver who was caught on video thumbing messages when he should have been looking at that car in front of him that he smacked.

The publicity generated by this footage hasn't stopped folks in the Texan's profession from texting while in motion -- note this story about a New York bus driver photographed while fiddling about with his phone only about a month ago. If this trend continues, expect to start seeing public-service announcements like the ultra-violent British one on view below. Watch out for flying glass, ladies.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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