There are a few truths that frequent Twitter users need to understand. First, be careful about tweeting at work. Your boss may not be too happy to learn that you are engaging in social media when you are supposed to be paying attention to your job. Second, don’t tweet from behind the wheel, as it can put you in danger. And, if your job happens to be driving a racecar at hundreds of miles an hour around an oval track, well, perhaps it would be best if you left your smartphone with your pit crew.
That is exactly what NASCAR ordered its drivers to do, and that is exactly why it fined Brad Keselowski $25,000 for violating the rule this weekend. The fine was a bit of a slap in the face for Keselowski, who had gained thousands of followers by tweeting from his car earlier in the year.
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Back in February, during the Daytona 500, there was an extended delay, due to a driver that crashed into a load of jet kerosene. During the ensuing fire, Keselowski took the opportunity to tweet photos and comments from inside his car. He gained more than a 100,000 followers in a two-hour period. At the time, he was not penalized, as NASCAR did not have an existing policy covering his behavior.
But since then, NASCAR has notified drivers that smartphones are not allowed in cars, and thus the fine was levied against Keselowski. Though the organization encourages its drivers to participate in social media, it does not feel that doing so from inside the car is appropriate.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
