November 2007

On November 25, 1907, the Mobile Press Register printed the following report:

“Yesterday afternoon about 2 o’clock Jim Wilson , chauffeur for Mr. Louis Forcheimer , while driving the automobile of Mr. Forcheimer to the garage on St. Joseph street, passed the Bienville Hotel corner at a rate of speed which (he) himself said was not over ten miles an hour, when the speed limit is eight. He narrowly escaped running over a little son of Mr. George Hervey , who was crossing the street. … The complaint was made to Steward Jack Dair , who located (the driver), and Wilson was placed on the docket to answer the charge of furious driving.”

How’s that for road rage? Needless to say, we’ve changed the rules. It makes me wonder what “furious driving” will look like a hundred years from now:

• “Driver arrested for flying too low. Insists it was his clone.”

• “Wilson cited for hovering in a school zone.”

• “Forcheimer and Hervey purchase Bienville Hotel; Wilson appointed to oversee new helo-auto docking stations.”

• “Chauffer crashes car when Great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of George Hervey sends a holographic image into St. Joseph street. ‘Revenge at Last!,’ exclaims little Georgie.”

Regardless of how technology changes, human nature will still be, well, naturally human.

There will always be somebody testing the limits.

There will always be somebody moving at a different pace (either faster or slower) than you.

There will always be somebody putting themselves in danger without realizing it.

There will always be somebody who will want to cite you, charge you, humiliate you, or lock you up whenever you do something “furious.”

There will always be somebody to announce your issues to the world – if not the press, somebody in your network.

There will always be somebody saying, “It’s not my fault.”

And a hundred years (or days, or hours) later, there will be somebody – like me – who thinks the whole thing is really funny.

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