Keller @ Large: Horror Stories Behind The Wheel

BOSTON (CBS) - It showed up out of the blue on my Twitter feed Monday, a note from a follower named Chris who reported: "Just saw someone scratching a scratchie on the Southeast Expressway…while driving."

Scratching a lottery scratch ticket is definitely a two hand job. And that of course raises a question – who is holding onto the wheel?

Luckily, the expressway is a quiet road with forgiving traffic, so I'm sure nothing came of this.

But it prompted me to reach out for more horror stories, and they're out there.

Kathy wrote: "I was driving down 128 and passed someone who was reading the paper while driving with the paper spread out on the steering wheel…during morning rush hour."

And Danny says: "I am in sales and drive all day. You should see the things I see. My favorite is people eating from a plate with a fork while knee-steering."

Perhaps that was also the scratch ticket guy?

I am not holier than thou, I admit to wolfing the occasional sandwich with one hand while steering with the other. I know I shouldn't, but we all lead busy lives and with commutes the way they are around here, sometimes multi-tasking is unavoidable.

But these tales from the crypt speak to a broader issue – our cars and trucks have evolved from forms of transportation into multi-purpose mobile homes.

They are entertainment centers, complete with TV, videos and podcasts; communication centers with phones and Face Time; and if that's not enough distraction for you, there's always the GPS screen to divert your gaze from the road if you get tired of playing Pokemon.

No wonder highway fatalities are on the rise after years of decline.

After all, what's more important?

Your life, or finding out if you hit for $25 on your scratchie?