It’s taken 15 years of hard work, blood and sweat but last Saturday Tony McCoy, Northern Irish horse racing jockey finally managed to ride home the winner in the Grand National at Aintree. However just a few hours later, he was stopped by police on his way home from Aintree for talking to his mother on his mobile while driving. Even though many of the surrounding Aintree crowd were pleading for his clemency, he was fined £60 and had 3 penalty points added onto his licence..
Mr. McCoy seemed astonished that he could be reprimanded on such a momentous day, “You would have thought that on Saturday of all days they might have let me off, especially as I was on the phone to my mum at home in Ireland.”
It seems that Tony should remind himself of his winning horses’ name, “Don’t Push It”, just because you’ve won the Grand National doesn’t mean you’re above the law. Road safety is not something to be taken lightly or turned on or off at will.
I myself take the precaution of turning off my phone completely when I get into my car. Not silent, not vibrate, but off completely. And you know what…it’s the best thing I’ve done in ages. It’s like putting a big “Do Not Disturb” sign up. It’s a breather, a time out when I can concentrate on other things in the knowledge that I won’t be disturbed or side tracked. I’m sick and tired of the obligation that comes with mobile phones. Because they fit into your pocket, there’s always this obligation to instantly answer.
But I’ve reclaimed my free time and I may start turning my phone off at home too. And if you’ve got a problem with that, you can leave a message after the beep…
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Read more about Tony McCoy getting fined for talking on mobile while driving on the Telegraph.co.uk