BE EVEN MORE AFRAID


they drive; we deride.

Got a great email this morning from TWM reader, distinguished writer, and Carbolic colleague Ms. Mon, who responded to Friday's Note about those Road-Warrior-worthy Children's Institute bus drivers with a hilarious, spot-on, three-paragraph rant about the sorry states of driver education, examination, and impromptu photography:

Drivers exams are, without question, too easy. If we want to save the environment, one of the first things we could do is award licenses only to those who can actually drive safely. Whatever hit the automobile industry takes, we can make up with a new driver's education industry (and the inevitable spike in bicycle sales -- I won't go into public transportation for assorted reasons), which would, in my sick mind, include participating in an extreme virtual reality experience of an automobile crash meant to scare the shit out of you.

On a good day, I think to myself, "OK. I'm being unrealistic. Maybe I don't need to be on the road with motorists who understand the rules of the road as I do. Just ones who fear death as much as I do."

We're all afraid of those insane terrorists, but I tell you, the one we should fear much more is often a woman in a minivan or an oversized SUV and many times, yes, the Chevy Cavalier, no, make that Cobalt, now (probably the WORST group of drivers out there), turning around to take photos with her camera phone of her child in his booster seat (I've seen this!), driving at 85 mph about two inches from your bumper -- in the right lane.

I've seen that too, Ms. Mon. And much, much worse. Right before my life -- along with several tons of near-missing metal -- flashed before my eyes.

(And that was just this weekend.)

Posted: Mon - November 19, 2007 at 02:55 PM          

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