Here in the PRM (Peoples Republic of Massachusetts), our state Legislature is about to further expand the Nanny State and ban livestreaming while driving (“Drivers’ video ban bill clears House,” Gazette, July 12). That drives me so mad, I just had to livestream you this rebuttal before I exit the interstate.

Is using your smartphone while driving safe? Please, remove all thoughts of brain tumors from your mind. They say the livestreaming ban is to “improve safety.” But the truth is that today no one really cares about safety any more. In 2021, 42,915 people died in car accidents. and you don’t hear any of us of whining about improving safety.

More people are injured using their own bathrooms then they are using their phone. What will the state ban next, livestreaming from in the shower?

The truth is it’s less dangerous to livestream while driving than it is to cross the street. For example, yesterday I was streaming an unboxing video while driving to the drive-thru, when suddenly there’s some idiot walking in the middle of the crosswalk. He didn’t get out of my way fast enough. They should really make an app that warns you about pedestrians. But it turns out that he wasn’t paying attention because he was watching my livestream on his phone the whole time! That’s how he knew that I almost ran him over.

What am I supposed to do in my car if I can’t livestream? Driving is so boring. I’m not a phone addict; I can quit any time I want. I just stream 24/7 because my followers like it. My wife said driving on the phone is more dangerous than driving drunk, but you can still legally drink and drive; you just can’t be over the limit.

The truth is, livestreaming isn’t the problem. The problem is the pathetic person who can’t perform two tasks at the same time. That’s called multitasking and … Please honey, not now. I’m livestreaming this rant and I can’t concentrate.

Now where was I? My train of thought got derailed. And now you made me miss my exit! Oh well, I’ll just back up.

But I digress. Livestreaming doesn’t cause car crashes, careless people cause car crashes. Don’t blame smartphones, blame dumb people. Cellphone use is totally safe. Sure, cellphones cause brain tumors, but they won’t impact your driving for years.

The bottom line is, why should I have to give up my right to livestream just because you might get killed? How is that fair to me and my many followers?

So you can try to take my Bluetooth, but you’ll have to pry it out of my cold dead ear. Actually I just thought of a simple solution that will easily solve this whole complicated problem. All you do is … Hey, I’ll have finish this mega-rant later. Someone is messaging me, and I have to take this.

Andy Morris-Friedman lives in Hadley.