Escape-A-Date

The New York Times ran an editorial last week about Cingular's new "Escape-A-Date" feature for cell phones, calling it "another step forward in the institutionalization of lying, for those who lack the mental wherewithal to lie for themselves." A few weeks or months ago (I really can't remember), they had another story about alibi clubs, which provided excuses for people to get out of things they needed to do and fake stories for people who wanted to do things they shouldn't be doing. Frankly, these things scare me - are we really at the point where people need to use technology and these "rescue calls" to get themselves out of situations like bad dates?

Maybe I'm getting this from TV shows or novels, but what happened to the days when someone would enlist a friend, someone they knew and trusted, to do this sort of rescue call thing, and would only do it if absolutely necessary? (At least there's some interpersonal connection and bond-building going on with that type of experience.) Or how about just suffering through a bad date, excruciating as it may be, to learn from it and move on? Or even relying upon yourself and your own ingenuity to figure out how to get out of a sticky situation? (Or in the cases of some of the alibis, how about just not cheating on your spouse? That could be a good place to start, rather than relying on someone else to give you an out.)

Am I just idealistic in thinking that people shouldn't be relying upon their cell phones to get them out of situations that make life interesting? I guess Escape-A-Date just wasn't made for people who think like me. ;-)