We had cause to contact an American Pastor this week and when he responded to us he did not address us at all. He typed two or three lines of a non-response to our questions and that was it.
We sent another e-mail to take him to task for his lack of courtesy and his failure/refusal to answer the questions we put to him.
He responded by apologising for his lack of formality which he explained was due to the fact that he was driving at 70mph whilst texting his response to us.
We were horrified to think that he was putting himself and other drivers and pedestrians in danger whilst he responded to our e-mail.
We contacted him again and informed him that if he texted whilst driving in Northern Ireland he would be a lawbreaker.
NI law states that “It is illegal, while driving, to pick up or use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device.”
The Pastor’s responses to our rebuke of his cavalier attitude to his potentially dangerous driving were as follows,
“This is ………… where we have freedom and don’t like nanny-state serfs and peasants telling us what to do while driving. So yes, I text and drive.”
“We prefer liberty OVER safety on this side of the pond.” (He capitalised the word OVER for emphasis)
To spare this fellow’s blushes, we will not name him or his State.
The Truth Shall Set You Free 
So much of your blog contains such narrow-minded stuff that I, and most of the normal-thinking world rightfully scoffs at and ridicules, yet on the rarest occasion you do post the odd item that makes total sense, and this is one. Though instead of using the word “Illegal” (which when a lot of americans hear they just dismiss, arguing their “rights”) you should have told him that it is “LETHAL” or “EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for him to text while driving. That stupid idiot of a Pastor who clearly thinks he is immortal behind the wheel should be told of the story of Juliana Ramos, who ended up the way she now is due to doing the same thing he was, plus she was driving in bad weather and not wearing a seatbelt. Google her and forward it to him. If he thinks it couldn’t happen to him, he is DEAD wrong about that.. what an idiot.
We will google the case of Juliana Ramos, read it and forward it to the American Pastor.
In most states in the USA it is illegal to text and drive. Also some but fewer states including my state of California, it is illegal to use hand held mobile phone to make phone call while driving but hands free is legal. Also there is federal law prohibiting those who drive Commercial Motor Vehicles (such as big rigs/articulated lorries) from hand held mobile phone use while driving with a potential fine of 2,750
Thank you for commenting and reassuring us that in most US states it is illegal to text and drive. The Pastor who is the subject of our post gave the impression that Americans as a whole elevate liberty over safety and that it is permitted to drive and text in your country. He did you an injustice. We gladly give you this opportunity to set the record straight.
I have to drive an hour to Bible study tonight. I’m going to text the entire way there. And back. God Bless America.