Here’s Some More Thinking About Thinking and Driving

Regarding “Don’t Think and Drive” by Cathy Curtis [July 26]:

I think, therefore I am. I read Curtis’ Carmentary over breakfast, made my way onto the Hollywood Freeway north, and did what Curtis said I shouldn’t do: I started thinking. Ironically, I began thinking about what she wrote.

Come on! What else are fully functional Angelenos supposed to do? Our time in the car is precious, the rare time that we spend alone pondering work issues and personal problems. For most, it is our most productive time.

Denying thought to the millions who drive daily would cost our economy hundreds of millions or billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. It would also cause countless relationships to fizzle. Just as we can “sit and chew gum” at the same time, we can drive and think.

Many years ago, a famous philosopher said, “I think, therefore I am.” I would like to amend this quote to make it more apt for the modern age and for Angelenos: I think and drive, therefore I am.

CALVIN NAITO

Los Angeles

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I liked Curtis’ story, which only points out what should be obvious: that driving requires a sort of perfection that humans are not good at but computers are.

Only the most able people in our society can drive, and even those can’t do it perfectly all the time. As a software engineer, I think that it’s time to let computers take over driving, and free ourselves to do what we do best.

Giving up power isn’t easy, but rewards may come in unforeseen ways.

JIM WOLFE

Santa Rosa