'If you die, fine, but I have to text while driving!'

Every time I drive to a show out of town, I see people texting and driving. I'm not talking about in the city, people will check their phone at a red light. I'm talking that I constantly see people on the HIGHWAY, Checking their phones, slightly moving into a new lane until they catch themselves and switch back, doing SIXTY FIVE.

'Maybe you're only driving on highways that very important doctors drive on, Nathan?'

Thought of that. Looked at the signs, and found out that's not the case.

'Maybe you're driving on the private highways that are used exclusively by surgeons and EMT's?' Nope, just the regular old highways where a dude who works at Ruby Tuesdays doesn't think he needs to give all of his attention to the speeding ton of metal he's driving. The same highways as you, and the same highways that we should all be paying attention too while DRIVING ON THEM. 

Other people on the road have to be put at risk because you have to respond to a 'what you doing?' text? Others have to maybe become toast because you're typing 'Nothing. Just driving. You?' THAT'S important enough to put people's lives on the line, including your own? THAT'S important enough to take your eyes off of controlling a huge piece of metal that you're SITTING IN? 

There are fines for texting while driving. I've seen some as high as $300. Do I think that's enough? Nope. No way. You should be taken right off the road for texting and driving. PIT maneuver by the police. Swerved into a ditch the way you were going to swerve another family off the road if you kept texting. That too far? Fine. The punishment should be being locked away for two weeks. Two weeks in jail, WITH your phone. Keep it, BUT, no charger. That is the ULTIMATE punishment for people who can't get off their phone. Having to ration use? They can't deal with that. 

'Ah man, I can only like two pictures on Instagram a day. How am I going to survive?! You can't treat people like this! Take me out back and shoot me! SHOOT ME!' 

Everyone knows this is bad, but some people just don't care. Now though, car companies are putting wifi in their cars. WIFI, IN THEIR CARS. Nobody will be putting their phone down.

'Do you know whey I pulled you over? You were texting while driving.'

'Yeah, but officer, I have WIFI?'

'... Huh.... Well give me your license and network password. I have sports scores to check while I run your plates.'

Worst is, some people aren't even texting! Some people are NOT even responding to 'important' texts. Some people are just scrolling through twitter or instagram. Some monsters are out there scrolling through pictures of asses while switching lanes on a highway. Kids to the right of them, mothers to the left, and they are pressing the heart icon on a grilled cheese sandwich. Liking status updates while DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE. 

'I agree, Timmy. It IS cold out here today. Cold out here as it is in my heart, where I believe I'm the only one on this two lane speed fest.'

Some people are for SURE sexting while driving. Some guy is rock hard, pressing send on eggplant and fire combination emojis while switching lanes. 

'If I get to you before I cause a four car pile up, my GOD the dick I'm gonna lay down.'

The numbers of accidents caused while someone's driving drunk and the numbers for accidents caused while someone is texting while driving have to be pretty close. HAVE to be. Texting while driving is worse. It's worse because when you're drunk, you barely know what's up. You wake up wondering what happened the night before. 'Did I drive? Oh Christ.' You don't wake up that way after texting. 'Did I respond to ALL of those texts? Jesus. I hate myself.' 

ONLY time texting while driving is okay is if you're drunk. If you are drunk, you are not of sound mind. Other than that, get it together, man. Put your phone down. Stop sending '100' emojis. Focus your blurred over, vodka'd up head on the road.

Commercials for drunk driving say 'hey, get a cab, and you can throw up in someone else's car.' They don't attack texting and driving like that. They never say, 'Get an Uber and text your face off on your way home, AND throw up in someone else's car.' Why not? Should be.

'Look, you're an ape who can't put down the shiny thing even while operating a motor vehicle? Great. Call this person, sit in the back of their motor vehicle, and use your ape hands to text other apes about nothing. Be responsible.' 

Twitter @nathanmacintosh