|
That time in your life that every parent dreads is finally upon me. The day when your first child is ready to start preparations towards getting their driver’s license. It’s getting close, and I am constantly being hit up by my daughter to take her to those out of the way places where she can get behind the wheel and hone her driving “skills.”
So far we have had a few outings but I can tell that there is a lot of work to be done in a short period of time. We will get there. Rachel is a quick study and just driving with me is like being in a form of a driving class except, I am sure, with more expletives being tossed around.
If you drive in the San Gabriel Valley I don’t have to tell you that we are probably home to the worst drivers in the continental United States. So, if you want to show a new driver how NOT to do things when behind the wheel, this is the place to do it. As many of you long time readers know, the topic of driving in this area is one of my favorite topics. Well favorite may be the wrong word. It’s not that I like writing about how horrible the drivers in this area are, it’s more like I feel compelled to. Especially after being behind the wheel for more than five minutes.
I’ve tried to point out things that happen right in front of us as examples of what not to do while behind the wheel, which is easy. In fact you can begin doing it as soon as you’ve left your driveway.
I think that we, as parents, need to start teaching our kids the proper way to do things while they are in the car with us. Otherwise, by the time they get behind the wheel, they will see the way that the majority of people in this area drive, and despite what they may learn when they are with a traffic instructor, they will revert to going with the flow of what they see.
Like the non-use of turn indicators. Although it is not exclusive to them, it’s something that seems to affect people driving Mercedes and Lexus more often than others. This is the most infuriating of all the infractions that you see everyday. It is not only dangerous, it is flat out rude to the other drivers on the road. I’ve said it before, unless you have fine-tuned physic abilities there is no way for you to know what the other guy is thinking. This is a recipe for disaster. For those of us who do use them religiously it makes us absolutely insane.
It’s a hard lesson to teach your new young driver especially when you are sitting at an intersection where there are Sheriffs present and you both see someone who doesn’t use their turn indicator and the Sheriff just looks the other way. That basically undermines what I am trying to teach my daughter and at the same time says that there are some laws that are OK to break. If they can get away with it why can’t I?
I know that all police agencies are understaffed but when you have a problem that is so rampant how long do you wait before you take action? I have bitched for years about what a circus it is in front of our schools when parents are dropping off and picking up their kids. Just last week I was thrilled to see our local motorcycle cop giving tickets in front of two of our schools. I just hope they were tickets for driving like a fool and not just stopping in the red. It sends a message not only to the person getting the citation but also to the rest of the clowns who are usually making crazy maneuvers in front of the drop off zones. I’m sure the Sheriff’s heavy presence in front of our schools in recent weeks will have a beneficial impact, at least in the short term.
So why can’t there be a concerted effort in the turn indicator arena? Again, sure they are understaffed, but I can’t tell you how many times I have seen multiple Sheriff cars at the scene of a single car being pulled over. How many Sheriffs does it take to give a ticket to someone or arrest a teenager? After they are in the back seat of a cruiser I think the danger period is over. So why are there still three cruisers at the scene? Especially when they could be giving out tickets to the guy who just made a right turn without using his indicator and almost hitting a pedestrian in the cross walk right in front of them. Not too long ago, I witnessed this exact scenario at the corner of Rosemead and Broadway. That intersection, by the way, is one block away from the Temple Sheriff Station.
I think one of the major reasons that we are seeing an increase in the lack of turn indicator use is cell phones. The State of California needs to adopt a law banning the use of cell phones while driving. Definitely the hand held versions if not all usage including the hands free kind.
The hand held ones make it impossible for someone to use their turn indicator, so if for no other reason they should be banned. The hand free version should go based on the fact that for some reason many people can’t drive and talk at the same time. As soon as they start talking they either start slowing down or stop paying attention to every driver around them. If your phone conversation is so important that you have to take it then pull over and park.
As a reminder, if you are in front of Temple City High School between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays and you don’t have a permit, don’t park, just stop. And keep your eyes pealed for the Parking Nazi’s. Oh, and to the guy who wrote in claiming that the term Nazi is somehow a racial slur, the Nazi’s were not a race, Einstein, they were an evil political party, so go back to history class. Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.
While I have more problems about the driving in this area that need to be addressed, I’ll address them in the future as the driving lessons continue. As to the couple of points I’ve touched on to teach my daughter so she becomes part of the solution, and not part of the problem, let’s review.
Always use your turn indicators even if you happen to be driving a Mercedes or a Lexus. Never talk on the phone while you are driving, even if you have one of those stupid looking hands free ear jobs. And always pay attention in history class.
The Shrub Speaks: Now, there's some rules, and it's important for you to know the rules. One, you can't take your money that you set aside in the personal account and go to the race track. ...Secondly, you can't pull it all out when it comes time to your -- you can't take it all and then go to the track. Tampa, Florida, Feb. 4, 2005
B.D.’s Response: Dubya, gambling is gambling!
|
