Recent surveys by insurance companies and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back up something The Rail has thought for quite a while -- eating and driving do not mix.
Hagerty Classic Insurance President McKeel Hagerty found that the problem is more the "spill" than the "eating."
"Anything that drips is probably not a good idea," he says.
The following is the Top 10 list of things not to try to consume while driving.
1. Coffee. It always finds a way out of the cup.
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2. Hot soup. Many people drink it like coffee. Same results.
3. Tacos. "A food that can disassemble itself without much help, leaving your car looking like a salad bar," Hagerty says.
4. Chili. Dangerous drips and slops down the front of clothing.
5. Hamburgers. Grease, ketchup, mustard on your hands, your clothes and the steering wheel.
6. Barbecue. Spicy and dicey. There is the temptation to lick your fingers. More grease on the steering wheel.
7. Fried chicken. Ditto. Grease coats everything you touch.
8. Jelly or cream-filled doughnuts. Dangers relate to oozing while cruising. Raspberry jelly stains are difficult to remove.
9. Soft drinks. Prone to spills and sudden fizzing if car makes sudden movements. Cola fizz in the nose is perilous while driving.
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10. Chocolate. Tempting but treacherous. Try to clean it off the steering wheel and you're likely to end up swerving.
The only thing worse than eating while you're driving? Cooking!
Source: MSN Money
Nick of time
The Rail's 10th birthday issue of Nickelodeon magazine arrived in the mail over the weekend.
The following facts were gleaned from the issue:
- More people are born in August than in any other month. About 21 million Americans have a birthday in that month.
- Birthday cards began in England 100 years ago as an apology for not being able to visit on someone's birthday.
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- The first song sung in space was not "Rocket Man," but "Happy Birthday." The Apollo 9 astronauts sang it on March 8, 1969.
To contact The Rail, send an e-mail to features editor Dean Rhodes at drhodes@forumcomm.com and he'll forward it when he's not driving, or click on the Valley R&R icon at In-Forum.com
Today's best bet
"Peter Pan," 7 p.m., staged by the Gooseberry Park Players.
Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre, Concordia College
