As Randall Reid and his wife were touring the Louvre Museum in Paris during a vacation last summer, his eyes fixed upon a classic statue depicting a man gazing into a marble cell phone.
“Oh look, honey, he’s texting,” he joked as his wife, Connie, snapped a photograph of Reid, Alachua’s county manager, striking the same pose with his own cell phone.
Although it started off as a lighthearted jab at antiquity, the picture has now become the banner for a more serious message — it’s now being used in the city’s campaign against text messaging while on the job.
The phrase “Thou Shall Not Text,” serves as a reminder to all 900 city employees to keep their fluttering fingers in check while on the clock.
“I wanted to do something more than just a morning e-mail,” Reid said. “I have a warped sense of humor.”
According to Reid, the ban is the city’s way of leaning on the safe side while the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the courts decide whether text messages should be considered public record.
After consulting with the city attorney, Reid believes that text messages should be considered as such.
“It doesn’t help if chief legal authorities don’t take a position,” he said.
Although the message may appear daunting, Reid wants his employees to take an active role in the campaign. He has opened up the floor for employees to submit new ideas for the poster’s caption.
“We want to address this issue proactively,” said Reid, who does not use text messaging. “We go to great strides to be open and transparent.”
