Distractions and a Family Commitment

A few weeks ago we took a "family trip" and, as always, we were in a hurry to get to our destination.  We left early in the morning and let the kids go back to sleep.  When they woke up we ran through a drivethru and grabbed breakfast, and got back on the road.  That got me thinking; when did it become fashionable, or even acceptable, to eat while driving?

My first van, a 1974, didn't have a single cup holder in it.  The car and truck I learned to drive on (1978 and 1976, respectively) didn't have any, and certainly no place to put food.  I don't think I had a cup holder in any car until I got my 1990 Ford Bronco, which had some on the center console.  From there, every car I've had has had more and more, and some even have places specifically to put food.  I didn't really notice this until I got my first European car, which while it has cup holders (only two, in front) they are very obviously an afterthought and not well conceived (one is actually covered by the arm rest and unusable).

Eating while driving, it seems, is an "American" thing, and I'm not sure it's the best "cultural identity" we've ever exported.

Part of my thought on this was the fact that driving and eating is dangerous.  I don't so much mind the cup holders really; having fluids while driving isn't so terrible, as long as the cup or bottle has a top on it (a requirement both my wife and I hold to).  It's the food that has started me thinking.  It's dangerous to take that much attention off the road, and what would happen if someone choked while driving?  Hit a bump at just the wrong time and it could have a rather poor ending.  Worse, what if the child sitting in the back seat chokes and the driver doesn't notice, since they will likely be too distracted from eating, talking on the cell phone and perhaps even driving?

So, we talked, and we have made a family commitment; no more eating while driving, unless it is simply unavoidable (there are ALWAYS inconvenient exceptions to great ideas); and unavoidable has to be serious, not merely an inconvenience.  A few years back I had to get my wife to her parents' house 1500 miles away and do it in a very short amount of time (short enough that we didn't even want to lose time to finding a flight to take).  So I tossed the whole family in the Mustang and drove her home.  Yeah, we ate in the car on that drive (which is notable mostly because we had an stern policy of "no eating" in the Mustang).  Everyone else moreso than me since I had to keep both hands on the wheel that day (but that's a story for another time).  At least in this case my wife, in the passenger seat, could keep her eyes on the kids while I drove.

Now, when we are out and we're hungry, we will stop, get out of the car, go inside (or use a picnic table), sit down and eat like human beings.  I also used to get breakfast while driving to work some mornings and even get dinner some evenings; no more of that either, thank you.  This isn't just a "we need to slow down" thing, it's bigger than that.

My car is cleaner now, too.