Watch out! Eden Prairie Police now pulling over people for Eating in their Cars!

File under:  You have got to be kidding me.

According to the Eden Prairie News, Eden Prairie police are cracking down on distracted driving.  Not only texting (which is illegal in MN) but they're pulling people over for EATING in their car or for turning their heads to address a child seated behind you.

Wow.

"Distracted driving" is such a ridiculous nanny state issue.  It's the government trying to read your mind.

I was the most distracted driver when I was commuting daily to Mayo Clinic for my mom's cancer treatments.  Many days I was in full-blown tears....other times I was simply lost in thoughts of "what if" and my mind was certainly more distracted than it is on a typical cell phone call these days.  (But, what was I supposed to do?   I mean, there's no light rail to Mayo.

I use my iPhone for navigation all of the time.  What's the difference between looking at my phone for the next step in my route and the olden days when I used to glance over at the map next to me?  How does an officer know if I'm doing that or if I'm texting? 

And Lord knows I eat in my car, I can pass back an entire Happy Meal, one french fry at a time, to two kids in the back, while driving (without turning my head-- a neat trick I think.)  Of course Nanny State liberals would love to see a double-citation for such a horror....passing the french fry to the kid ($50 for distracted driving) and feeding the french fry to the kid ($150 for terrible parenting.)

I drink coffee, Diet Coke, I eat Taco Bell Tacos (very messy.)  I don't put on lipstick, but I do put on Chapstick.

I had a speeding ticket a few years back on the RIDICULOUS speed trap known as Anderson Lakes Parkway.  I was indeed talking to one of the kids in the back when it happened, but that wasn't why it happened.  It happened because I always tend to drive over the speed limit on that road because as a road-- with no driveways entering onto it-- that connects Hwy 169 to Flying Cloud Drive, the 30 MPH speed limit is painfully (and I'd argue purposely) slow.  It is right by my house, I drive it every day, and always try to be cognizant of my speed.  But, sometimes I look down and still find I'm over the limit.  When you keep right to 30, people are always right on your tail.  You feel like using sign language in the rear-view mirror to signal, "Hey Man, I'm doing you a favor, this is a speed trap!"  My other  trick is driving 25 MPH when a police officer is behind me--they're also right on your bumper when you do this.   You will see their unmarked cars speeding on that road ALL OF THE TIME.  In fact, I'd bet good money that the officer who cited me was also speeding coming from the opposite direction.  Hey- I'd whip out my iPhone and videotape it when these things happen, but I'd probably get arrested.

There are some terrible drivers in Minnesota-- in fact, I think they're some of the worst drivers in the country--but being "distracted" has nothing to do with that.

I'm joking about all of this, but people should really start to worry when the government is pulling you over for eating in your car or turning your head momentarily (while going 25 MPH on Anderson Lakes Parkway without another car in sight,) to tell a kid- "Knock it off."

To quote a friend, "Grow up, the Government isn't your mother"

Where has common sense gone?