An Open Letter To A Couple Of Gents

[Calamity Kris]

Dear sirs;

 

I'm writing this to voice my concern.  I was one of the motorists caught behind you today and I'm concerned.  Not for myself but for you.  In the first instance, you were driving between 45 and 50 on the interstate where the speed limit is posted as 70.  The average speed on a clear, light traffic day as today tends to be much higher.  You had a death grip on the steering wheel and appeared to be quite nervous.  Your bride was belted in the passenger seat staring straight ahead silently.  In the second case, you were driving between 25 and 30 on a busy two lane highway with a posted speed limit of 45 and 50.  You had difficulty keeping the car in the lane, partially because you were leaning over the steering wheel and had your face very close to the windshield.

 

Please let someone help you.  I understand you don't want to loose your independence.  No one does.  However, there comes a time when you have to think of your safety as well as the safety of others.  Your reaction times aren't what they used to be and you won't be able to break as quickly as you used to.  In the first case, if the young man on the motorcycle hadn't sped up, you would have hit him because you didn't see him change lanes so fast.  In the second case, the young man in the big truck that cut you off by driving on the shoulder, caused you to jerk the wheel, sending you into the opposing lane.  If a car had been there, it could have been really tragic.  With as close to the windshield as you sit, If your air bags had deployed, you would have been seriously injured or worse.

 

If you don't have family members or friends able to help you, please consider one of the transportation services available to you.  There are several in our area.  If you live in an area that doesn't have a service, consider having a friend, neighbor or family member help you.  There is nothing wrong with asking for or accepting help.  You've done a lot for your family and friends.  Let them pay you back by helping you in return.

 

The impetus.  I was behind both of these drivers today and feared for them.  Both gents appeared to be near the age of 90 and didn't appear to have adequate control of their vehicles.  I feared if either of those near misses had been accidents, it would have been really tragic.  If you are a family member or friend of an older driver, offer to help.  If the driver won't allow it, see if you can get them to a doctors office or drivers license office to be tested.  I realize it's a difficult thing to do, however, the alternative could be fatal.  I know.  My father's doctor took his license away because he was a danger to himself and others.  Dad was quite angry for a while but he got over it when my brother was able to flex his work schedule to assist with dads doctors appointments.

[MizPete]

You are not wrong.  We took my MIL's keys away from her after a phone call from a close friend who had witnessed her trying to back out of a parking space in a grocery store parking lot.  It took a long time as she was trying to back out to be able to drive away in the same direction she had pulled in.  She contacted her long-time auto service person and had another set of keys made.  We had to take away her car.   She was furious but it was the right thing to do.  On the other hand, my mother was perfectly capable of driving a car (locally) but she could no longer distinguish the colors of a stoplight.  I suggested she enlist a friend who could still recognize colors.  Her response:  All my friends are dead.   Sad, any way you look at it.  God grant me the wisdom to know when my driving time is over. 

[Pat Riot]

I have told my wife on numerous occasions “If I ever start driving like an old man please tell me so I can get the hell off the road and out of the way. I don’t want to be a nuisance on the road.”  

It would be hard for me to give up driving but knowing I was driving like some of these people I often encounter would be enough for me to hang up the keys.