European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By gridlock gadgets faxing away the Monotony by Eric Bailey los Angeles times squandering time in traffic not Bruce Mcgowan. When the san Clemente calif., computer operator hits the Road each Day steeled for a 90-minute commute he totes All manner of gadgets to ensure drive time does t become wasted time. Strapped to the passenger seat is a Handy Nylon pocket organizer stuffed with Highlighter pens cassette tapes and paperwork. As traffic trickles to a Stop Mcgowan whips out a wooden Plank he has fashioned into a portable desk and performs office chores amid the gridlock. When the idling pack begins to poke along again Mcgowan might even flip on two tapes at once a self help tape on a portable recorder gets his attention while soft background music croons from the car s built in cassette player. Quot essentially i spend about three hours a Day on the Road Quot Mcgowan observed one recent afternoon before heading off into the Ozone. Quot that s a significant amount of time to be wasted so i try to make the most of  just like Mcgowan motorists across the United states Are turning to a ready remedy for their traffic woes. Don t worry they say. Get gadgets. Like never before commuters Are filling their cars with All the comforts a and distractions a of Home and office. Gone Are the Days when a wide Bottom Coffee Mug on the dash seemed exotic. Today Drivers have taken to outfitting their cars with a glitzy array of Auto accessories a Mobile fax machines bucket seat massaging devices portable refrigerators that plug into a car s cigarette lighter even High Resolution mini tvs. Quot it certainly seems to be a growing trend Quot said Alan Pisarski a Washington transportation policy consultant and author of commuting in America an analysis of the nation s changing commute patterns. Quot it s there because people want to make better use of their time. Who is it that said americans feel guilty doing Only one thing at a time this is an outgrowth Quot and Why not with commute times ballooning in Urban areas american motorists Are increasingly looking for new ways to better use those agonizing hours spent behind the wheel or in a passenger seat. Some corporate trend watchers figure the proliferation of gadgetry will Only continue. Campbell soup co for one. Predicts that by the year 2000 one in four cars will feature microwave ovens. Quot we want to indulge ourselves in our cars Quot said David Hillburn a Rancho Palos Verdes  Independent marketing analyst who specializes in the Auto Industry Quot but it remains unclear whether this concept will explode. There a a Fine line Between entertaining yourself in your car and having some goofy  its not All fun and games some Highway safety experts fear that All that taxing and dealing and to watching poses a serious Accident risk. A people forget that driving a car demands �100 percent of their attention Quot said Peler o Rourke director of the California office of traffic safety. Quot you can t give 100 percent when you re making a fax transmission. Or typing a letter on your personal computer a in some cases use of gadgets behind the wheel is illegal. Watching television operating a computer terminal or wearing stereo headphones in the Driver s seat is prohibited. But there Are no restrictions on cellular phones even though a 1987 stud commissioned by the California Highway patrol found that manual Diang was a continued on Pago m  Iff if of go  imm i Law we i remt mfg Nettl sunday july 8, 1s90 the stars and stripes Page 13