I'll second that, it's sad but true
JB, <br /><br />I used to agree, with that premise.<br /><br />However, "old folks" tend not exceed the speed limit, thus you can see them from a mile away.<br /><br />Young, "don't cares": come out of nowhere and have no clues as to the rules of the road, and don't care to.<br /><br />Senilty and attitude are two different faults. One is correctible (maybe), the other not.<br /><br />I'll give the "Greatest Generation" room.
<br /><br />Thank God, the roadways here are modern and in good repair. Otherwise, it would be carnage.
<br /><br />Like ummm, you know, I have to agree with DJ...>as snapper smacks his chewing gum< Number two on my list is the teenage female w/cell phone.... <br /><br />Number three is the young punk in the "sport compact" car... Look sonny, that rice grinding hoop-dee is'nt fast, and your highly distorted, rattling liscence plate boom box with a rusted coffie can muffler moblie, does'nt impress me either... <br /><br />Number four.. Any driver with a cell phone... Might as well drive drunk if your going to talk on the phone... I think the penalty for driving with cell should be the same as driving drunk...<br /><br />Now I have to say that most of the oldsters do ok out on the road.. Typically they have both hands on the wheel and they're at least somewhat alert, mainly because they're not on the phone... <br /><br />Here lately it seems like the only place oldsters get into trouble is in parking lots.. The typical oopsy is the "mistake the gas pedal for the brake, and park the vehicle inside the lobby of the store or doctors office"... I'll second that! And add tourists.<br /><br />The problem with old people and young people both is the speed differential. <br />Old people - too slow for traffic, and reaction times that are often times too slow to handle the situation.<br />Young people - too fast for conditions and lack of experience to handle the situation. And they drive with the seat back so far that they can barely reach the steering wheel or see over the dash.<br /><br />When I was young (under 20) I nearly got wiped out by blue-hairs at least three times. The most blatant was a guy pulling out of Meijers (like Walmart) onto a five lane section of highway. He had a flashing Red light and I had RIGHT OF WAY in the left traffic lane. I was up on the curb in a driveway on the other side of the road from Meijer by the time he had his car under control. He pulled out of Meijer, ran me out of the left lane(having already crossed three lanes of traffic), out of the right lane and into the driveway, all the time looking AT me. He saw me, he just didn't care. And after all of this with my horn blowing the whole time he drove away. Never stopped, never did anything. He was old so he owned the road. In my little corner of the world this is not unusual.
Ummmm, this is a close call.<br />Out here it would be a well-dressed (mourning commute) high maintenence type, professional female, 30-45. The cell phone still applys. The car would be a silver Honda Accord or black BMW. <br />She's two and a half foot off your trunk latch at 77mph. You start flipping loose pennys from your center console out the sunroof. Bling...snap.....gotcha..., instant road-rage.
