Thursday, March 28, 2024 -
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The co-pilot is you

Last Wednesday morning, people stumbled into work incrementally due to an abysmally icy commute. Surprisingly — or not — the litany of complaints had less to do with treacherous roads than the habits of other drivers. Too slow. Too fast. Overly anxious. Supremely confident.

Speer Boulevard and 13th Avenue, for example, were like rush hour in New York City. Drivers inched along, stopped (or tried to stop), charged ahead (and slid through the intersection), barreled up hills (and stalled), swerved around stuck cars with arrogant determination. Some people turned off, preferring the empty, unplowed, unknown to crowded chaos. Can you blame ‘em?

Even on good days, drivers must obey fixed rules and common civility. That includes concentrating on driving instead of what’s for dinner; no texting; limiting cell phone use to emergencies rather than idle distraction.

When we were 16, we all had to take a driver’s test. The supervisor riding with us took immaculate notes of every right and wrong move. We offered excuses: “My father never told me I had to look before Ichanged lanes.” The retort was not sympathetic:“I don’t want to see you here for six months or until you learn how to drive!”

The weather is beyond our control. But we do possess a little sense and sensitivity — or we should, by now. G-d may be the pilot, but a lousy co-pilot — in this case, we drivers — determine our landings.

Now, if only the City and County of Denver would do away with its nothing-to-do-with-safety, no-place-to-plead-innocent, cash-grabbing, fleece-the-populace, annoying, pretentious, gimmicky ($75 bucks for two inches over a white line), automatic photo-ticket cameras, we could make those landings perfect. Mayor Hancock, are you listening?

Copyright © 2012 by the Intermountain Jewish News




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