Letter to the editor: Awakened driving

Letter to the editor: Awakened driving

Nowadays, the term “awakened” has become part of online pop culture. Countless YouTude video titles contain this specific word, and the subject matter it relates to covers a vast spectrum of political, religious, spiritual, technological, and conspiratorial themes: QANON – the great awakening (political), kundalini / kriya / raja yoga / chakra-related awakening (spiritual); the great event / ascension / rapture-related awakening (religious); red-pilled (see “The Matrix”) awakening (conspiratorial); UFOs / secret government space programs / Illuminati – the Cabal / aliens, etc. are the biggest categories of note.

I would like to add another category to the fray: awakened driving.

The simple definition is operating a vehicle while being aware you are actually operating that vehicle in real time and space (not virtual reality or a videogame context) and remaining conscious at the same time of the ramifications of said action.

I know, this definition does sound a little redundant, not exactly simple in context for some, and potential gobbledygook, but you will hopefully see it as a solid definition in the context of this letter to the editor once you get to the end — if you dare.

As with my first letter to the editor — entitled “Deconstructive driving” published in January — my goal is to both entertain and deliver a message with a sense of humor. Unfortunately there is little humor to go around this time, but I will try to keep it light. This is part two.

In the tradition of Jack Kerouac’s steam-of-consciousness writing style, Hunter S. Thompson’s absurd irony, Frank Zappa’s profound weirdness, Kurt Vonnegut’s strange humor, and Jason Gottfried’s outrageous acts of journalistic cultural mayhem, I will elucidate my story as best I can. I do not qualify as a guest writer as I have little talent for this medium. So please excuse me for excusing myself. I could just be that bad! (If they give me a promotion to “guest writer contribution status” then forgive them, for they know not what they do!)

Recently (May of this year), I was on Bluff Street heading northbound, a block or so past Smith’s, when I came to a complete stop. It was around 5 p.m., give or take, and the rush hour traffic was brutally slow due to the mega construction project. I had come to a complete stop and was patiently looking ahead, waiting to see the green light far in the distance appear so that traffic would eventually start moving again.

After 10 or 15 seconds of sitting immobile, all of a sudden, my spinal cord felt like it was being smashed by a baseball bat, a bright light flashed in my mind’s eye, and in an instant my brain went into a state of electrical shock as a car came slamming into the rear end of my medium-sized pickup truck.

My first thought was “Damn! This has just turned into a bad day — life was going to get complicated.” My second thought was whether or not my back was injured. I entered a state of lucid consciousness, and survival-mode instinct clicked into gear.

But what would happen next I could have never predicted — and furthermore, I had left my cell phone at home!

With delicate care, I slowly emerged from my vehicle. My back was working, so that was a good sign. I then walked to the rear and saw a 10- or 11-year-old Ford Fusion with its front end smashed.

The driver was standing between our two vehicles. He was late 40s or early 50s, and yes, I will racially profile him: “a white guy with a grayish beard,” like me.

The first thing out of his mouth wasn’t “Oops,” “I’m sorry,” or “Are you ok?” Rather, his first sentence was, “Look, no damage to your truck,” and then he said, “My vehicle is totaled.” I immediately said, “Wait a second, you just wracked my body,” and at the same moment, I saw a part from my truck lying on the street. I then proceeded to tell him we would need an accident report.

As I turned my back, this man at lightning speed jumped into his car and drove off, leaving parts of it in the street. This occurred in a matter of two seconds. Suddenly, I was a victim of hit and run. (I know, not humorous yet — just be patient, I will try harder.)

I picked up the parts and had his circular Ford nameplate as well as a piece of my electrical interface for hitching trailers. I had gotten no license plate number, and as I stood there holding the parts, the vehicle behind me drove around, and then others followed. It was less then one minute from the occurrence of the accident.

My heart sank, and I got into my truck and drove off to a side street. Not only did I feel betrayed by the hit and run driver but I also felt betrayed by the fact that nobody stopped or waited for me to even catch my breath.

This behavior reminded me of being in Schenzhen, China back in the ‘90s when HK was still British and experiencing how accidents were handled on the mainland Chinese freeways. I saw two accidents there, and the inhumanity of how they scraped the bodies and vehicles out of the way was something I could never forget. It was surreal and utterly brutal, but the reality of overpopulation and the way Chinese culture deals with life and death simply is not like it is in the West.

Feeling the soreness kicking into my spine, I drove to the nearby police station as my cell phone was left at home. I then discovered that I had no recourse as there were no surveillance video cameras on Bluff Street. The female officer was fairly cool and focused more on my state of mind, knowing that providing a little kindness was all she could do. I was still in a state of shock.

We inspected my vehicle, and the electrical interface for towing was sheared off. I would later also find damage and cracks to the paint and surface of the right rear side of the truck as well. I estimated a likely $1,000 of damage total. Until that point, my truck had been pristine, but I was happy that the frame and overall integrity of the vehicle was intact.

I had never experienced a hit and run before. I drive super defensively, and if I have my cell phone on me, I will not use it unless I pull over.

I was a victim.

First there was anger. I later was able to use the Ford nameplate to trace the vehicle. But I knew that was a dead end. With no license plate, I was screwed. The anger turned to depression. It did not help that my back was hurting. I kept telling myself that it was just money and that I was lucky my truck wasn’t severely damaged. My back was a different story.

I started spiraling downwards and decided that I had to stop caring, but to no avail. So I drove to the local Maverick to buy a six-pack of beer. I figured I would use alcohol to put out the fire. Not the best solution, but it was a solution. Instead, I bought a 12-pack as I was feeling worse by the moment, just in case the first six-pack failed.

I went home and proceeded to get my mind off of the incident. After the first six-pack, I still felt stressed out, and actually more adrenaline seemed to be kicking in. Then it dawned on me: I could vent on the St. George Craigslist Rants and Raves page.

What a great idea. Suddenly, I felt a sense of euphoria. I could at least call this bastard out, and maybe there was a chance he would come across the post, or at least others would recognize his vehicle as it was obviously in a damaged condition. Finally, I was feeling a little positive and felt that my victim mentality could be overcome. I just cannot sustain being a victim, ever. It is simply not in my DNA. I had to fight back somehow, and felt that my plan would suffice or at least have some kind of cathartic healing aspect.

So I started writing my diatribe. At first, I thought of taking this human being to task. Then I started thinking, “What could have been the cause of the accident? How does one just slam into a stationary vehicle? And why did this man risk felony charges by running away?”

Well, I am no Sherlock Holmes, but I would gather that the reason a person would hit a nonmoving vehicle directly in front of their vision is likely because of being distracted in some manner. The odds were at least 50 percent that he was driving while using and operating his cell phone. (See my previous letter to the editor.) He could have been on meds, drunk, or on drugs, but I did not believe that was the case based on my encounter. He also could have been distracted by food or changing the radio station, but that did not pan out as traffic was moving extremely slowly all the way along Bluff Street.

Next, I wondered why he ran off. Was it because he didn’t have insurance? Was it because he couldn’t afford to cover the damage he incurred? Or was it because he had warrants?

I guessed number three to be the likely scenario as to risk felony charges would require a major opportunity cost of some kind. Or was he stupid? Or was it because he was simply a bad human being who doesn’t take responsibility for his behavior?

This analysis took me a while as I started on my second six-pack of beer. I was feeling ok. My back was sore, yes, but the 3.2-percent alcohol content in the light beer was now doing a fine job as my adrenaline was slowly subsiding.

Eventually, I came to only one conclusion based on an hour or so of thinking it all through.

I decided to forgive this man, but I would not forget.

I then proceeded to write a post in the most nonjudgmental way possible with a little sarcasm and a straightforward statement of outright forgiveness. Also, I left the possibility that he could rectify the situation by contacting me privately through Craigslist.

Now, how do you think the story goes? Did he contact me? Sure! Not.

I also contacted Jason Gottfried at the Independent, mentioning the incident to see if they could repost my “Deconstructive driving” letter. He very kindly responded via text that it was not their policy to do such a thing, and I then thanked him back along with a adding a little humor. I like Jason — a very, very talented and, as we all know, provocative writer. He could be in the big leagues if he got a shot.

Anyway – here is my take on local drivers.

There are three types: zombies, psychopaths, and awakened drivers. Utah law states that driving while texting on a cell phone is illegal as we all know. Driving on a “handheld” cell phone is also illegal — yup. It is a secondary offense, meaning you can’t be stopped for it but can be cited if pulled over for other primary violations.

So guess what? All of you driving and talking on your handheld cell phones are by legal definition violating Utah law. Period — no argument.

We are a nation where rule of law is tantamount. There is a reason for this law. People have been killed as well as injured in Washington County because of distracted driving. When you decide to drive with your cell phone in hand, you are putting other people’s lives in danger. Half of you out there do this. I do not.

Not only that, many of you are addicted to this behavior, and it is often a daily routine. Imagine Mario Andretti or Dale Ernhardt Jr. driving in professional auto racing while using their handheld cell phones. Ridiculous, of course, but it is an exercise in imagination. There are numerous studies citing distracted cell phone driving as being equivalent to driving while intoxicated — which I do not do either despite the fact that I bought a 12-pack of beer.

Are all of you as good as these professional drivers? What if your loved one or friend became a victim of a distracted driver? Would that change your behavior? Seriously, think about it. The answer is “likely not,” as most people that drive with their cell phones are addicted to them. Yes, addiction is a good word as the sound of a message notification coming into your cell phone has been proven to trigger a dopamine response in the human brain.

If this is you, you are in the zombie category.

What can you do to change your zombie status? Stop driving while using your cell phone in a handheld way. Either go cold turkey or buy a cheap — and I mean they are cheap — Bluetooth adapter so at least both hands can steer and you do not have to move your eyes from the road ahead.

But of course, for some, you can’t do this as you simply believe and delude yourself that there is no problem with driving distracted. So when a loved one gets hit and maimed by a drunk driver, please don’t bitch about it, because you are no different.

The next category of driver is the psychopath. I use this term only in context to driving. This is the driver who tailgates everybody trying to get ahead, nearly misses people by cutting off and changing lanes like a daredevil, ignores stop signs, and will even drive in the opposite lane to get around somebody. These individuals do exist in this town and put all of us at risk of life and limb. They should not be driving a vehicle.

Key advice: You can see them coming in the rearview mirror. Change lanes if you can, and even if they still jack with you, which sometimes they do, don’t try to retaliate. Just have faith and know that karma will come full circle at some point for these psychopaths — and it will likely happen within their immediate lifetime.

OK, what about law enforcement? Are they to blame? Nope. I heard secondhand that we simply do not have enough officers to do any real effective traffic enforcement that would lead to a reduction of incidents and increasing the overall safety. Although I had thought at one time that we had a lot of officers per capita, the truth is that they are busy responding to serious crimes, already incurred accidents, and domestic disputes most of the time. Also, I would add that our local law enforcement officers are underpaid compared to other parts of the country — which should not be the case at this point, city council members.

So what is an awakened driver? See the above definition in the first paragraph. You make the decision to drive with focus and awareness at all times. You don’t drive like a psychopathic driver. You care about other drivers’ safety, and realize that you would be violating a state law if you used your cell phone in a handheld way. Simply, if you have to use your cell or answer it, you pull off the road and park or have a Bluetooth setup. As an American, you do the right thing.

I urge the state of Utah to wake up and do the right thing as well. Other states have taken steps to rectify this problem long ago. Make it a primary offense to drive with a handheld cell phone at least. On the other hand, the next problem would be local enforcement of said law. But at least it could be enforced at this point.

To those who would disagree, and keep driving distracted — and no doubt there are more than a substantial few of you out there, if you even took time to read this far into this letter before picking up your cell phone — just realize that you are drunk drivers going by a different name.

I wouldn’t wish a hit and run on anybody. I forgive all you zombies, and may the bicyclists, joggers, and motorcyclists avoid your negligent and illegal behavior, because you are the problem. “Wake up” is all I can say. And to the awakened drivers, there is no doubt that without your participation more people would suffer injuries and more deaths would occur in these parts. You are the angels of the road saving lives every day. God bless.

Jerold Nodvik

Santa Clara

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