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The texting bride has nothing on the Bayou Driver: Why America can't put thephone down

We know you love your text messaging, America. We know that it's your lifeline to the virtual world when the real one often proves mundane, monotonous, and . . . well, way too real.

But don't you think you could break — brake? — before you text yourself into the bayou?

Apparently one Houston driver wasn't able to honor that simple request. On Sunday, a man heading east on US-290 exited the freeway — and kept right on rolling. He ended up at the bottom of the bayou around the Brickhouse Gully, but managed to scrape his way to the surface without more than a few bumps and bruises.

Authorities suspect that he was — you guessed it — texting and driving.

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

But you know what might be worse? Texting and vowing.

As in the matrimony-type vows. Because even on her wedding day, while clutching her father's hand and listening to the preacher explain the sanctity of her undertaking, a California bride simply couldn't resist the urge to . . . update her Facebook status? Tell her best friend she was getting "sooooooo wasted" after this old man stopped his yapping?

You're obsessed, America. And if these ridiculous situations don't put a glaring spotlight on your own text-heavy behavior, we're not sure what will.

accessibility brings empowerment

Autonomous cab company cruises into Houston with wheelchair-accessible rides

Cruise wheelchair-accessible cab

Courtesy of Cruise

The six month program is available is more than 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

A California company with autonomous cabs has announced a new pilot program in partnership with a provider of wheelchairs and mobility solutions.

Cruise has teamed up with Numotion for a six-month wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) pilot program in Houston, offering free transportation for qualifying Numotion customers, according to the companies. The program will operate in over 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

“Numotion is excited to partner with Cruise to offer a seamless and convenient solution for wheelchair users in the Houston area. By providing transportation to and from repair appointments, we're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster,” says Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion, in a news release. “We're constantly striving to innovate and improve the lives of our customers, and this collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing beneficial customer experiences."

Cruise entered the Texas market last year, with Houston services launching in October 2023 before the company put all operations on pause following a California crash. This is the first Texas announcement for Cruise since the pause.

"Accessibility is core to our mission at Cruise. This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides – it’s about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future," says Craig Glidden, president and chief administrative officer at Cruise about the new pilot.

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The story originally was published on our sister site, InnovationMap.

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