I'll take a cheeseburger to go

In September of last year, Phoenix, Arizona became the first US city to ban texting while driving.

Apparently, after strenous testing, they have decided that texting while driving is dangerous. If I remember correctly, some of the tests have shown that texting while driving can impair you as much as drinking while driving. It is that dangerous.

I have no problem with laws that protect the innocent. Laws that prevent accidents and incidents. What I do have a problem with is the slippery slope that banning texting may have.

After all, if texting while driving is dangerous, what else could be? Is eating a hamburger dangerous while driving? What if it is a cheeseburger - does that up the danger quotient? Is a hamburger ok to eat while driving, but a taco is too distracting?

What about putting on makeup while driving? We all know that it is dangerous, but to what effect? Can I put on my lipstick, but not my mascara? Am I allowed to put on makeup if I am stuck in rush hour and not traveling more than 15 mph, but over that I must put up the mascara wand?

For that matter, can I text while sitting at a stop light? Or is that 'while driving' and thus too dangerous? Would they rather have me holding my phone with one hand to my ear, only one hand on the steering wheel and still trying to navigate a stick shift?

I completely respect lawmakers trying to save lives and prevent accidents, but where does it end? At what point do we have to stop letting laws dictate what we do and instead, grow up and choose for ourselves? At what point do we become functioning, intelligent beings and stop being automatons who only do/not do something because the law has forbidden it? When do we take responsibility for ourselves?