As a Phoenix transplant, I often find myself confused by other drivers. Why do they drive so fast? Why is everyone so aggressive? (Those questions may explain why there are so many accidents on the Loop 101.) Within the past two years, several other questions have come to mind: Why have I seen people here drive with a phone up to their ear? Don’t they know Bluetooth exists?
I could understand people not being aware of Bluetooth if it was some newfangled technology that came out last year, but that’s not the case. Its origins date back to 1996, when Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia “met to plan the standardization of … short-range radio technology to support connectivity and collaboration between different products and industries,” according to the Bluetooth website. The name Bluetooth was inspired by a historical figure from centuries earlier: King Harald Gormsson, who was nicknamed “Bluetooth” for the color of his dead tooth. He united Denmark and Norway in 958, much as Intel and its competitors wanted to connect the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.
Bluetooth, whether factory-installed or in an aftermarket head unit, has been available in cars for several decades, providing users the ability to stream music and carry on phone conversations through their vehicle’s sound system while on the go. Practically every new car has it these days, especially the pricey ones. Despite this, I have seen three people holding their smart phone to their cheek as they drive. Two of them were in late-model Bentleys; the person I spotted doing this most recently was behind the wheel of a C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. I know the ’90s are back in style these days, but there’s a big difference between wearing a baggy shirt and keeping one hand on your phone while you cruise. It’s distracting to the driver and the people who drive past who are struck by the odd sight of a person so clearly and needlessly living in the past (business idea: start selling throwback “Perot for President” bumper stickers).
Perhaps the people I saw living in yesteryear were in rentals or in cars owned by the dealerships that employ them. Maybe they didn’t want their personal phone linked to a car that wasn’t theirs. Whatever the case may be, it’s possible to delete your phone from a car’s Bluetooth system.
I understand a certain reluctance to embrace tech because some of it can be unnecessarily convoluted (having to adjust your power mirrors using an infotainment system’s touchscreen, for instance), but I’ve connected my iPhone to the Bluetooth in hundreds of review vehicles over the last decade without an issue. It makes life so much easier—for those who let it.
