Satire In Driving, While Stupid By Dave Barry

Superior Essays
Driving, While Stupid Final
In this short persuasive essay, a lot of what the author is saying should not be taken in a literal sense. There is a specific quote that can be found at the top of page 571 of the Evergreen, A Guide to Writing with Readings: “Humorist Dave Barry loves to poke fun at Miami, his hometown ( “Motto: an automatic-fire weapon in every home”) Dave Barry, “Driving While Stupid,” Miami Herald . Throughout “Driving While Stupid” the use of satire is vital to getting the author’s point across effectively. Dave Barry has a fairly strong opinion when it comes to the busy interstate 95 highway traffic in the downtown portion of the gorgeous city of Miami, Florida. The author also talks about multiple other locations around the world that he has driven or been around. He compares locations like
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“I got a clear view of why he was driving so erratically, he was watching a music video; watching it on a video screen that had been installed where the sun visor usually goes, right in front of his face” (Barry 572). Barry is showing how technology can be a distraction on the road and a major reason why people are bad drivers. This quote that was borrowed from the text also supports the author’s argument that people in Miami are the worst drivers because of the fact that this particular incident occurred in Miami. Therefore, this example would help to explain why the drivers in Miami are so reckless on the roads.
Another example of insufficient driving in Miami that Dave gives is an eyewitness report that supports his theory that downtown Miami has the worst driver in the world.“I recently received mail from an alert reader named Kate Chadwick who reports that she drove behind a man who was SHAVING HIS HEAD, with his, ``visor mirror positioned just so, windows wide open for hair disposal, and for a significant portion of the ride, no hands on the wheel.''(Barry

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