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State senator seen in video call while driving on same day as distracted driving bill was introduced

MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
gizmodo.com

Politician's Zoom Background Can't Hide Fact That He's Actually Driving

Andrew Brenner, a state senator in Ohio, is getting some heat for driving while participating in a Zoom call earlier this week. The Ohio Senate is currently taking up a bill that would create additional penalties for distracted driving and a local newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch, pointed out...
gizmodo.com gizmodo.com

Andrew Brenner, a state senator in Ohio, is getting some heat for driving while participating in a Zoom call earlier this week. The Ohio Senate is currently taking up a bill that would create additional penalties for distracted driving and a local newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch, pointed out the irony of the situation.

Brenner, a Republican, can be seen at the start of the meeting sitting in his car while it's stationary, according to video available on the government website the Ohio Channel.

Monday's meeting of the Ohio Controlling Board was just 13 minutes long, but those were apparently precious minutes that Brenner couldn't waste. Brenner turned his camera on and off repeatedly in an apparent effort to disguise where he was actually calling from.
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Brenner picks up his phone around the 1:50 mark in the video and his camera is suddenly turned off. When it's turned back on at about the 2:35 mark we see him tinkering with the virtual background and Brenner puts up what appears to be a home office behind him

The camera is turned off yet again, and the next time we see Brenner is at the 4:20 mark, still with his seatbelt fastened, and his ridiculous virtual background flickering away. Amazingly, he then turns his camera off yet again, apparently unhappy with the way it's making him look.

Brenner's video comes back one last time, glitching as much as ever. You can even see outside the window behind Brenner's head as the scenery rushes by. No one in the meeting comments on Brenner's location nor his weird background, but you can see at least one fellow politician smiling to herself.
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When confronted with questions about the bizarre situation, Brenner told the Dispatch that it was no big deal.

"I wasn't distracted. I was paying attention to the driving and listening to it," Brenner said to the Dispatch. "I had two meetings that were back to back that were in separate locations. And I've actually been on other calls, numerous calls, while driving."

Brenner's explanation would be a lot more believable if he didn't bother with the virtual background and wasn't constantly fiddling with his phone while he was driving. His entire ruse made him way more distracted than if he had simply kept his camera off and only had the audio going.
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Link to the video, can't seem to get it to load here though:

The Ohio Channel

ohiochannel.org ohiochannel.org
 
cdm00

cdm00

The Fallen
Dec 5, 2018
2,225
Lmao he tried to conceal it with a home background
And ofc he's an R
 
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
59,947
The filter is gold. Comedy gold.

You have seatbelt on, doofus lol.
 
Aurongel

Aurongel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
7,065
I actually kind of like this, it's comedy gold.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,964
edit: i didn't really think this joke out well enough for my satisfaction but also we can see this dude's seatbelt
 
jml

jml

Member
Mar 9, 2018
4,783
If it wasn't for the background trying to hide it I would've 100% thought this was intentionally sending a message & typical GOP temper tantrum shit. "Oh you say I can't do something because it's unsafe, well now I'm gonna do it for everyone to see because liberty and freedom!!!"

I'm still kinda leaning that way even with the background.
 
kyle mechlachlan

kyle mechlachlan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,280
I assume this happens *a lot* now. People assume it's no different than taking a call in your car putting it on speaker. I see no reason why he had to even be on video in the first place if you're just listening.
 
Jakenbakin

Jakenbakin

Member
Jun 17, 2018
11,792
"actually while it may look like I was distracted I'm actually just a really good driver" is basically the calling card of every asshole I've ever known and wanted to see a revoked license of.
 
Cation

Cation

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
3,603
starhoppin said:
my brain immediately imagined this dude crashing on the call and without a seatbelt he just suddenly flies off screen and out of view
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Or that a cop pulls him over for not wearing a belt and we see a cop materialize out of no where in his "home"
And then promptly disappear again after giving him a ticket
 

B.K.

Member
Oct 31, 2017
17,015
"Do as I say, not as I do." is the motto of basically every politician. They all think they're above the law.
 
VirtuaModel

VirtuaModel

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,711
That's pretty funny.

Also, I don't use Zoom but their background removal seems really impressive.
 
KarmaCow

KarmaCow

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,151
"I wasn't distracted. I was paying attention to the driving and listening to it," Brenner said to the Dispatch. "I had two meetings that were back to back that were in separate locations. And I've actually been on other calls, numerous calls, while driving."
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The fact that he wont get meaningfully reprimanded kinda sours it but what an amazing bird brain response.
 
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