This fan of news in all its various forms and presentations could not resist making the connection between the Northwest Airlines pilots’ story and our Oregon governor’s decision to declare in-car talking/texting off limits, effective Jan. 1, 2010.

What a teaching moment for our school kids to see and discuss what two irresponsible adults have done versus the students’ compulsion to send/receive spoken/written messages in kidspeak, while sitting in the driver’s seat of a two- to four-ton vehicle in our local streets.

As for the outcomes of these parallel events, well, it’s a no-brainer. The pilots live in the real world, so they will lose their jobs and their licenses. The students, meanwhile, will receive a warning from the police, beginning on New Year’s Day. In their second incident, these young drivers will receive a fine, which their parents may or may not pay; and these same drivers will likely see their driving insurance rates go up. In the pilots’ world, they violated company policy for their use of personal computers while working, so their punishment is understandable. For the students, I offer a solution that to some may seem a bit callous.

I recommend that parents this upcoming Christmas season give their teenage drivers no gifts except for enough cash to cover the cost of the approaching and inevitable first moving violation ticket for talking/texting while they are driving. As for the increase in their insurance rates, well, that’s a family matter.

Welcome to this reality show.

Richard Sebesta

Charleston