Rants
Why are you driving like that?
July 04, 2012
Originally published April 16, 2010
I can't understand why people don't take driving more seriously. I'm a very good driver. I had my license for more than 44 years without a ticket or an accident. When I was 13 my father taught me to drive on a 4-speed stick shift, and in the winter, he made me practice going into a spin in an icy (empty) parking lot and getting out of it. As a result I've been an observant, defensive (smart) driver who has avoided many accidents.
Yesterday I passed a woman driving a car who was eating the fast food sandwich in her left hand and drinking from a soft drink container she was pressing against the steering wheel with her other hand. I have no idea how she was steering, let alone signaling turns, but I could see there was an accident waiting to happen.
I often go to WalMart to pick up prescriptions and despite stop signs in front of the store entrance and exit, as a pedestrian I have nearly been hit several times by cars zooming by without even slowing. What I've noticed is drivers on cell phones don't look to the side or in their rearview mirrors. They look straight ahead and still don't see what is slightly to the side of what is in front of them. This is scary. I've seen women and men drivers on phones who pull out from parking lots into the road right in front of me without even looking to see if there is any traffic or how fast the oncoming traffic is going.
If I could, I'd make a citizen's arrest on any driver I see who is talking on his/her cell phone, eating or drinking, putting on makeup, or shaving. If you need to do any of those things... pull over first. Being a few minutes late is certainly better than being referred to as "the late Mr./Ms. __________". I'm thinking I might starting writing down license plates and posting them, or maybe taking a photo and posting it online.
My message is this: Aim to save one life everyday. Focus on your driving and be aware of where you are and what's all around you. Nothing else.
I can't understand why people don't take driving more seriously. I'm a very good driver. I had my license for more than 44 years without a ticket or an accident. When I was 13 my father taught me to drive on a 4-speed stick shift, and in the winter, he made me practice going into a spin in an icy (empty) parking lot and getting out of it. As a result I've been an observant, defensive (smart) driver who has avoided many accidents.
Yesterday I passed a woman driving a car who was eating the fast food sandwich in her left hand and drinking from a soft drink container she was pressing against the steering wheel with her other hand. I have no idea how she was steering, let alone signaling turns, but I could see there was an accident waiting to happen.
I often go to WalMart to pick up prescriptions and despite stop signs in front of the store entrance and exit, as a pedestrian I have nearly been hit several times by cars zooming by without even slowing. What I've noticed is drivers on cell phones don't look to the side or in their rearview mirrors. They look straight ahead and still don't see what is slightly to the side of what is in front of them. This is scary. I've seen women and men drivers on phones who pull out from parking lots into the road right in front of me without even looking to see if there is any traffic or how fast the oncoming traffic is going.
If I could, I'd make a citizen's arrest on any driver I see who is talking on his/her cell phone, eating or drinking, putting on makeup, or shaving. If you need to do any of those things... pull over first. Being a few minutes late is certainly better than being referred to as "the late Mr./Ms. __________". I'm thinking I might starting writing down license plates and posting them, or maybe taking a photo and posting it online.
My message is this: Aim to save one life everyday. Focus on your driving and be aware of where you are and what's all around you. Nothing else.
Big, fat, car doors
July 04, 2012
Originally published April 16, 2010
At Lowe's the other day I parked my van far from other cars. I do this because my front van doors are big and they open wide. After shopping, I returned to my van where there was another big van parked right next to mine with a young woman in the driver's seat talking on her cell phone. I'm glad she was parked and not driving, but she was oblivious to the fact that she was parked so close to my van that I couldn't open my driver's side door beyond a few inches. She was driving a van the exact size as my own, so why wouldn't she realize the doors on mine would be like hers?
Oh, because she was on the phone and phone talkers are rarely aware of what's going on around them. I motioned to her to move forward or back, and finally got her attention and she backed up to give me room to open the door.
At Lowe's the other day I parked my van far from other cars. I do this because my front van doors are big and they open wide. After shopping, I returned to my van where there was another big van parked right next to mine with a young woman in the driver's seat talking on her cell phone. I'm glad she was parked and not driving, but she was oblivious to the fact that she was parked so close to my van that I couldn't open my driver's side door beyond a few inches. She was driving a van the exact size as my own, so why wouldn't she realize the doors on mine would be like hers?
Oh, because she was on the phone and phone talkers are rarely aware of what's going on around them. I motioned to her to move forward or back, and finally got her attention and she backed up to give me room to open the door.
Very soon after, I was parked at the post office and when I came out a car was parked close to mine, again. Because it was a windy day, there is no way I could hold my door half-way open so the wind wouldn't smash it against his car while hoisting myself up into the driver's seat. (Because the seat is so high, it takes both hands to get up onto the step and position myself onto the seat.) Thankfully, the driver realized that he needed to back up for me, and did. But I wish other drivers would realize that big vehicle doors on vehicles like pickup trucks and cargo vans open wide, and would stop crowding big vehicles.