Cell phones on the T
As a result of the recent green line crash, the MBTA is planning to ban train operators from even carrying cell phones while on the job. As you probably know, trolley driver Aiden Quinn admitted that he was texting his girlfriend when he went through a yellow light and a red light, slamming into a stopped train in front of him and causing dozens of injuries and $9.6 worth of damage to the trains.
This is not a popular position to take, but I think that such a strict cell phone ban is excessive. People are responsible for their own actions, and it is paternalistic and insulting to T operators to send them the message that they cannot be trusted to carry cell phones. The job of a T operator is to drive the train safely and efficiently, and it is each operator’s responsibility to decide what they need to do in order to accomplish this. Carrying cell phones does not, in and of itself, impede a person’s ability to drive a train, and it does not hurt anyone. Yes, Quinn made a bad decision to text while driving a train, but it is unfair for all T drivers to be punished as a result.
I also think that it’s stupid that people are saying Quinn, 24, was too young to be operating a train. I’m glad that the T does not have any immediate plans to change its policy of allowing people 18 and up to drive vehicles. “I’m not compelled by the argument that age is a factor here,” said MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas. I agree. I’m opposed to policies that make generalizations about people based on their age, gender, or other characteristics. An 18-year-old can be just as good or better at driving than a 45-year-old.
All this talk about texting has spilled over into automobiles as well as trains. People are also calling for bans on texting (and even talking on the phone) while driving a car. I’m opposed to such laws, and I think this is just another example of government paternalism. Drivers are obligated to drive well and avoid hitting anyone. If they can do that while talking on the phone or texting, than they are not doing anything wrong. Drivers should be punished for driving badly and hurting people, not for using their cell phones. It is people’s own responsibility, not the government’s, to decide what they need to do in order to drive safely.