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?
Sadly there are jackasses out there that watch porn whil driving. I’ve seen it. The driver is either unaware or doesn’t care that at a stop light those people behind can see it.
In Alaska if you have a DVD player in your car the law requires it to be in a position that the driver cannot see it, or it can only run when the car is in park. Of course people that do a self install ignore the rules.
But I don’t think we need more laws.
Its pretty rare to run into.
I’ve also seen people having sex in motels while driving past Oooooo Real porn!
Should we ban sex in motels too?
As to the letter, its hard for me to believe its real. The sad fact is Bush and his Band of misfits have proven time and time again that no act of depravity is too low. Lie, cheat steal, mislead, cover up, twist, obscure, these are words that discribe their DAILY actions.
How can we believe anything they say? In short.
We can’t.
Ooooh, 40 seconds of porn! That’ll scar you for life. How could they even tell what was happening on a tiny screen in a car in front of them? Were those kids even tall enough to see over the seats?
I don’t drive that much but I’ve never seen one of those screens on in another car, ever — even showing a Disney movie.
I think that letter was fake, but even if it was real, it seems ridiculous.
But this is Virginia, the state where they tried to pass a law forbidding teenagers from letting their boxers show above their jeans.