Saturday, December 09, 2023

Distracted driving in my neighbourhood

Updating his feed at the wheel
London, ON
November 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Behold the second generation Ford Escape.

I noticed this vehicle driving through our neighbourhood the other night. As the dog and I waited on the sidewalk at an intersection, the driver casually turned the corner without signalling, his phone in his hand against the steering wheel.

He was so engrossed in his device as he drove on autopilot that he had no idea we were even there.

We continued our walk, only to soon realize he had stopped a couple of blocks away. I walked past on the sidewalk and he was sitting there, foot on the brake, madly playing with his phone. Again, he had no clue he wasn’t alone - or that I was quite literally standing Right There watching him patently violate our province’s Highway Code.

So in the most passive-aggressive Canadian way possible, I stole a fast photo of the idiot’s license plate, figuring when he inevitably destroys some unfortunate soul’s parked car - or worse - I’ll at least have an image and an experience to share with our local police force.

That the light signature looked kinda fun wasn’t lost on me. Even scofflaw motorists can inspire some memorable guerilla street photography.

So for the record, this is a 2008-to-2012-model-year Ford Escape, Ontario plate CBAP 316. I don’t expect London Police Service - Canada to weigh in here, but I can’t miss an opportunity to at least get some of these terrifying on-the-road behaviours entered into the digital record.

I feel like this could be the start of a road safety vigilante thing. Maybe next time I’ll camp out at the nearby stop sign that has become a mere suggestion for some - yet in the decades we’ve lived here we’ve never seen so much as one ticket handed out.

Enforcement isn’t really this town’s strong suit.

Perhaps if we start making these things more visible, things will change.

(OK, I know I’m fooling myself, but still, I’m a hopeful Canadian.)

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