Most people understand that talking on a mobile phone while driving is problematic. Distraction behind the wheel is a danger.
New York taxi drivers have a different take, though. In the city last week on the day a new law went into effect making it illegal for cabbies to talk and drive, I got many unrequested lessons in the unfairness of it all.
"It's bad enough they passed the law," one cabbie said. "It's worse that they have to tell you about it on that television screen (in the backseat). If you want to call in and turn me in, you can."
"No," I said, as the car weaved in and out of lanes, "I'm fine."
Another told me he and other New York cab drivers are professional multitaskers behind the wheel, able to do many things at once while getting passengers to destinations.
"See this?" he said, punching the meter as we passed through a toll booth. "I'm doing something now that's distracting, but I'm still driving.
"See this?" he said, changing the radio station. "If you want different, I do this, but I'm still driving."
When I made the mistake of engaging a driver in friendly debate about the pros and cons of New York's law, which promises to take the licenses of repeat offenders who talk and drive taxis at the same time, I learned that they don't see the area as gray. I told one, for instance, that I had been in two taxi fender-bender accidents over the years, both in New York.
"Maybe there's so many distractions on the road in Manhattan," I said, "they need to eliminate some."
The driver told me he and the other hundreds of New York taxi drivers work 12-hour shifts with few breaks. He said if they obey the law and avoid the phone while driving, they can't get service calls or talk with family members. To talk on the phone, they have to pull over and take an off-duty break.
Realizing consensus opposition to the new law among New York's taxi drivers, I asked one what they planned to do about it.
"Wait and see," he told me.
At first, I did not understand. But then he continued.
"They have a law that says we can't smoke in the car either," he said. "I smoke a pack a day on my shift. I've only paid a fine once."
In other words, he thinks and hopes the new law will not actively be enforced. If so, then that's a different story.
"Can you imagine," he said, "New York at rush hour? All the taxi drivers taking a break at once to make phone calls, and nobody gets a ride."