Contacting my op-ed writer

Exchanging emails with my writer, I could see how enthusiastic he was about his interests. Also, he has a very witty sense of humor. We connected in the mutual interest in travel, so he directed me to a few certain blogs. Also, we both shared an interest in the future of out country's transportation system, so again, he directed me to some blogs.

It wasn't me, officer! It was my GPS!

Texting and talking on the phone have been the recent areas of blame for many car crashes. Now, organizations are sprouting like weeds encouraging people (mostly teens) to not text while driving. However, in Vanderbilt's blog, he CLAIMS we need to be paying more attention to GPS systems. Vanderbilt provides a few recent examples of how drivers have blamed their crashes on GPS systems. In one case, a family drove their car into a lake after it told them to turn right. The question Vanderbilt poses in this blog is: Who is to blame, the driver or the GPS?   

GPS systems continue to enhance their capabilities. Vanderbilt sees both the pros and cons to this. He states: "One doesn't want drivers straining mentally to make sense of the gap between the world they are seeing and the navigational instructions that are being given." He also jokes that GPS systems, "ensure harmony in the car: My wife and I no longer argue over directions, but rather cede responsibility—and blame—to a neutral third party."

Vanderbilt doesn't really take a side in this blog. But, he does state the CONCESSION against GPS systems. 

 1) Drivers are beginning to focus too much on the virtual world. 

 2) GPS systems don't account for the actual human environment. (car in front of you slams on brakes)

I see both sides to this issue. As someone that uses my iphone to get me to places I've never bee, I think GPS is a great too. It provides that permanent mental picture of roads that can be crucial in not getting lost. It is without a doubt, better than shuffling through a paper map. However, I can also see how GPS is very similar to texting. Drivers are going to begin to focus on that tiny screen, instead of remembering to actually look out the windshield. 

Road Signals

Have you ever wondered where the wave or the middle finger gestures originated? No. You haven't. In fact, I don't think anyone has taken the time to care about this besides Tom Vanderbilt. In his blog "The Bird, the Wave, and the Shanka" (http://www.slate.com/id/2242777/), Vanderbilt particularly focuses on "the flash" signal that warns yourslef or oncoming traffic of a police man further down the road. In contemplating its origin, he says that one theory "speculates that the gesture came into widespread practice only with the advent of a steering-column-mounted headlight control in the late 1960s, which made it simpler to "flash" than the old floor-positioned switch". This column reflects his interest in American car travel and how it is such a significant part of our past and current culture. I think this short blog was written in attempt to intrigue his readers in something that no one has ever thought about. Why do we take the time to flash our lights to help someone out who "can't return the favor"?

Tom Vanderbilt

Tom Vanderbilt is a columnist/author who has wrote about his interests of culture, travel, technology, and design in many publications such as Slate, The New York Times Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.  His New York Times bestseller, "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do", expresses his particular intrest in traffic and how Americans react to it. Two of his recent blogs include ranting about parking meters and wondering how traffic signals such as "the wave" and "the bird" have came about. In addition to writing, he gives lectures at colleges and has appered on "ABC New's Nightline" and "The Today Show".