Needless death

As incarcerated rapper Big Lurch once rapped in his song I did it to you, 'There are a million ways to die, a million ways to kill.' Sure, it's a horrible statement, but it's true. Some people die due to old age, health issues, disease, accidents and even their own stupidity. In other words, you can go at any time.

This certainly occurred to me when I read that celebrated plastic surgeon to the stars Dr. Frank Ryan was killed in a car accident. It's a pretty common way to die these days, but what struck me most was that he was tweeting on his cell phone whilst behind the wheel, resulting in his car veering off the highway and plummeting down a cliff. Dr. Ryan was killed but his dog, who was riding with him survived despite suffering injuries to her head and paw. He was only 50 years old.

Naturally, his celebrity clients were devastated by the news. And who could blame them? They now have to find someone new to further manipulate their body image and self-esteem. But none was more saddened by this tragedy than Dr. Ryan's most infamous client, former The Hills starlet Heidi Montag, who called him 'The most brilliant, talented surgeon who will ever exist' and that she sympathised with 'Anyone who was blessed enough to meet him.' I can understand why she's upset. It takes a real trooper to be able to keep a straight face and a strong stomach in granting a silly girl her wish of undergoing ten full-body procedures in one day, which she did last November. Ok, enough about Heidi, that's for another blog, the real issue at hand here is how some people out there are at risk of dying in the same needless manner that this man did.

There are different types of drivers that drive me up the wall while I'm on the road. People who speed for no reason, extremely slow drivers, drivers who don't indicate when turning, drivers take up two lanes, drivers who can't park etc. Shortcomings behind the wheel aside, I really do not understand people who feel the need to use their phones while driving. When I was still a learner driver, my instructor always told me 'driving time is concentration time'. Thefore, you shouldn't be doing anything else while driving. Ok, I'll admit I've broken this rule a few times. I tend to change radio stations, chat with my passengers and I have been guilty of answering my phone. But you want to know what happened most of the time when I tried multitasking? I nearly hit a car in front of me, I nearly ran a red light and I almost caused a pile-up in a roundabout. I'm not going to lie, I still change radio stations once in a while, but I no longer use my phone. If someone gives me a call or if I need to make one, I pull over onto the side of the road and get my business done. Otherwise, I save it until I park somewhere, even if it means that I miss the call.

If Dr. Ryan just had the common sense to pull over before posting his thoughts on Twitter, perhaps he would still be performing another procedure on another insecure celebrity. Don't get me wrong, any person's death is a tragedy, but when I read the manner in which this guy died, the first thing I thought to myself was 'what an idiot'. Even if he couldn't pull over onto the side of the road, then why couldn't he just wait until he got home before posting? Common sense, people! You don't see a lot of it going around these days and it's pretty scary how some people get behind the wheel without it. Makes you wonder how these clowns got their licence in the first place.

Another pet peeve I have are women who put on their make up while driving. I'd say that this is probably more dangerous than using your phone behind the wheel. How is it even possible to apply your make up, watch the road and control your car all at once? You might as well be a college student studying for an exam while trying to cook your dinner and juggle chainsaws at the same time. These women should have got all made up before leaving the house, even if it means they might be late for work or a party of some sort. Wouldn't it be better to be late than get killed in a car wreck? Using the rear-view mirror to look at your face would be a hassle anyway, since you'd have to keep moving it up, down, left and right. As far as I'm concerned, the rear-view mirror should only be used for one purpose, which is to look at what's coming behind you.

What happened to Dr. Ryan should serve as a cautionary tale. Driving should only be about driving, period. It's not a time to call a friend, it's not a time to check your facebook or post on Twitter, and it certainly isn't a time to put your make up on. It's about operating a moving vehicle that can potentially get you fined or worse. I'm sure the last thing you'd want is a photo of you in the morning paper's obituary pages with an accompanying statement detailing how you perished in a car wreck simply because you decided to update your Facebook or Twitter.