Follow up (close your eyes)

Posted on March 20, 2005 by Gene

About a month ago, I mentioned new legislation that would ban the use of pornographic DVDs in cars. What a ridiculous idea all around, I thought, both the watching and the legislating.
Well, look at the letter that was published in today’s Dr. Gridlock column in the Post:

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I have a disturbing automobile DVD incident to report. It involves pornography.

While traveling east on Route 7 near Falls Church and waiting for the left-turn arrow onto Glen Carlyn Road, my passengers (two 11-year-old boys and one 8-year-old girl) and I could clearly see the TV screen in the white Toyota SUV in front of us.

We were then exposed to 40 seconds of porn.

I screeched, “Don’t look at that screen.” This was a feeble effort to control the situation that, predictably, did not work.

I would have caused an accident if I had attempted to maneuver back into the heavy eastbound traffic going through the still-green light on Route 7.

At first I thought this was bizarre — who would be driving around showing porn to the backseat passengers? Then my thoughts shifted to the writer. Being suspicious and conspiracy-minded, I began to wonder if her letter was a directed missive courtesy of one of those right wing groups in support of this new legislation, trying to stop a problem that doesn’t really exist. What if this never happened, if the letter writer just made it up to call attention to the “need” for yet another law?