Create a handbook for non-drivers

Rules to save lives

2010-05-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

Rule One...

Do not talk on the cell phone and cross the street at the same time...

Tell the person to hold on :-)

Takeaway -

Don't talk and walk across a street

Too good not to mention...

2010-04-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

The other day, mid last month, I was on my way to drop my daughter at a birthday party with a friend from school and even though she was running late I took my time and drove her there.

Keep in mind I was not rushing...I have the whole week for that type of pressure.

So I took the same route I take week day to school. There was traffic but another driver was nice to let me ahead while waiting for the light to change. What happen next was unbelievable.

A vehicle was coming from the other direction from a turn on to my waiting street as I turned on...

I am not sure who was right or who was wrong but one think I knew name calling was not necessary.

I wonder, approximately 25 years hold steered at me as she came to cross where I came on she hung her head out her window as she passed by and I lowered my window to be civil but she shouted at me to watch where I am going...I responded calmly 'but you were on my side.

She kept shouting and rolling her car around me to cross to where I came from...I said calmly calm down.

The look on her face was priceless...she was confused and bewildered...it took her a moment to respond.

Guess what she said in her response...B****!

I said calm down again...in the same tone and her only golden response was ...B****.

My daughter asked me a moment later what that meant.

I had to wonder if I was like that when I was that woman's age.

Is there a tip...

I could have said 'let us call the police to settle this (the station was right across the street from the light), would you like to call or should I'

Takeaway

Do not tell someone to calm down but keep you cool.

Crossing the road...

2010-03-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

There are times one may think that one sees the opportunity to cross a road therefore one makes a dash for it. Well, remember that squirrel, the one that waited on the side of the road then dashed across and did not make it – it thought that it could make it too.

How about the agile deer or the nine-life cat, they too thought they could make it.

There are specific places I would suggest that you do not cross. These seem to be the popular places to cross…

Between cars, more so a van or a truck
On a curve or right after a curve, sharp curve
Wide highway, multiple lanes
By a merge lane
Behind reversing cars

I mention these because I have seen people cross there repeatedly and I have seen the look non-drivers give drivers after incorrectly crossing the street and it is not the look of apology most of the time.

Recently, I drove down a one-lane main street and while coming to a stop light the lanes split into two. One lane allows traffic to turn right and the other allows traffic to turn or go straight. While making my way to roll into the right lane a man hopped out from between a van into my lane of traffic as the light turned green. He gave me a look of assumption and disgust as he incorrectly crossed the street. Fortunately, for both of us, I was not going fast and being alert.

Tip of the day

For every action there is a reaction

Take away

We all have to co-habitat on the same streets

Moms and Sub-Moms...strollers

2010-03-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

...you know who you are.

I will be short on this one because it is a no-brainer.
Oh! Let me take that back.

It is funny that a blog comment about strollers came up, for two reasons.
One, this topic was on my list to post and two, recently when I said to a friend that I was going to write about the handbook for non-drivers, he mentioned that this was his non-driver ‘pet peeve’.

This section is not far off from my comments on 'riding the curb'.
The fact remains that the same drivers cannot read your minds.

Really, who is the driver here, the child or you?

Do we need to create a handbook for Stroller-Users?

If you, Moms/Sub-Moms, cannot see to cross then you should stick yourself out there and look.

You are the groundhog in this scene, stick your head out and see if you see your shadow.

You are the prarie dog in the open, stick your head out and see if it is safe to come out.

You are the rabbit, stick your head out and see if it is safe to come out.

You are the protector.

FYI, Non-drivers tip of the day

Really…do you think?

Wow!

Strollers do not protect a child or you from a moving vehicle that is many times your weight so, please do not ride the curb with a child’s life.

Take Away:

The child in the stroller depends on you.
Keep them near by, beside you, turned away from the street until it is safe to cross.

Riding the curb…

2010-03-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, probably not the first time nor the last time this will occur, as I arrived at a T-section to turn right at a traffic light there was a non-driver adult male standing on the curb, stomping the ground with a tall umbrella, at the mouth of the corner. His foot was almost hanging over the curb. He stood there, as all the cars passed and turned from this narrow turn to the main road, did not see it necessary to move back a few inches so that he did not place both himself and the drivers passing by in both lanes in danger.
What is my definition of a non-driver? A person or a pedestrian who does not drive at all (0%) or does not drive most of the time (~85%) or even a driver who does not walk most of the time (~15%).

Sure, standing on the corner to cross the road is the obvious thing to do; you want to get to the other side, right? Because why does the chicken want to cross the road …to get to the other side.

Nevertheless, should a chicken stand on the edge of a curb with vehicles passing by so that beyond regular dirty water can splash on its nicely cleaned feathers or a vehicle could almost clip its wings?

Have you ever seen a squirrel sitting on the side of the road waiting, for something or something to happen, then darts across the road just missed or not by a car or a truck or they run the other way? I have seen many of those ‘not’ make it across (‘road kill’). As a driver, we cannot read the mind of a non-driver, as we cannot the mind of a squirrel.

Really, why do non-drivers find it necessary to stand on the very edge of the curb/sidewalk, when they are not able to cross or are just waiting on transportation? Are they like a squirrel taking a chance that the driver will not hit them?

FYI, Non-drivers tip of the day

Did you know that there needs to be a safe distance between a car ahead and a car behind so that the car behind can move around the car ahead in case of an emergency? There is no room to move in case of emergency if non-drivers are hanging on the edge of the curb.

Take away: Let us plant the seed in the minds of our youth from very early. Teach little ones not to stand at the end of the curb because it is dangerous for all parties, drivers and non-drivers involved.

Preface

2010-03-11T23:05:00.000-08:00

The whole point of writing this blog is to share information as well as bring awareness of the things we do.

Not to leave any group out, please note that there will be a blog 'create a handbook for drivers' from other drivers as well as non-drivers perspective.

The things that you see on the road on a daily basis may boggle your mind or maybe not. Maybe you would have done the same too. You may get a chuckle or two.

You can share your experience here. Your comments are welcome :-).

Introduction...

2010-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

I recently, over a month ago actually, watched a movie, most of you probably know it, 'Julie and Julia' and before that inspired while driving to work to write a small but not too significant book about what it is like to be a driver watching the non-drivers walk.

Then it hit me like an energy saving bulb .

As drivers we have a driver's manual/handbook from the DMV but what about one for the non-drivers.