DWO
Driving while old. The other day, I was listening to The Phil Show in the car and the topic was when people should take the car keys from their aging parents. One man who said he was in his 70s called in to say that no one was ever going to take his license and car from him. That he drove just fine. And on and on. And I’m sure he could as he sounded quite coherent and capable.
This, however, was totally overshadowed by the fact that some participant in Buick’s Last Time Buyer’s Program was sideways in the road in front of me, blocking three lanes of traffic, trying to make a left hand turn where she shouldn’t.
February 15th, 2012 at 10:24 am
Stop it. I’m not far from there. Respect your elders.
February 15th, 2012 at 11:10 am
Boomer bait. The same people who were the scourge of insurers as teenagers got to watch and listen as the numbers crunchers suddenly discovered that guys in their twenties drove even worse, women could be bad drivers too, kids in the car are a distraction, middle age brought even more hazards. And now, the final indignity. Get on the ObamBus. Here’s your new card.
I make a point of riding with my father a couple of times a month, and driver training and observation used to be part of my job, so I’m watching. I’m pleased that he recognizes his limitations (for instance, he won’t go out at dusk when it’s wet–can’t see the lines). If and when, the transition shouldn’t be too much of a burden, since we both have made the prior sacrifices of living close.
For millions, though, losing the car is giving up life. That should never be arbitrary, or mandated. Extra exam? Sure, okay. Target date? “Come and take them.”
February 15th, 2012 at 11:25 am
“…sideways in the road in front of me, blocking three lanes of traffic, trying to make a left hand turn where she shouldn’t.”
I wondered where she’d gotten off to. I usually see her about three times a week.
February 15th, 2012 at 11:32 am
“I usually see her about three times a week.”
I see her even more often, and she usually has a cellphone stuck to the side of her head. I see more problems caused by celltards than old people.
February 15th, 2012 at 11:37 am
A cell phone stuck to her head, applying makeup, and dog agitating on her lap.
February 15th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I was lucky that my Mom made the decision herself when she was 81. She just didn’t feel confident about driving anymore.
February 15th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Hell, I’m 76 and I can still take my exit off rt 2 on two wheels without spilling my beer. Jack.
February 15th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Can I politely suggest renaming this one DWG – Driving While Geriatric. According to Urban Dictionary, DWO is already taken.
February 15th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Not sure that’s necessarily age.
Because I’ve seen people do that crap at every age. Admittedly, the younger culprits aren’t doing it in Buicks, because only old people buy Buicks.
February 15th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
My dad didn’t need to be told that it was time to hang up the keys.
I have what I call “The Rule of Vertical Taillights”, originally named for those iconic taillights on the Cadillacs of the 80’s and 90’s, where I spot OldsmoBuicks and similar cars at distance for the purpose of getting around and avoiding older drivers. I currently reside near Sun City in Las Vegas, so I get lots of practice, and it’s kept me out of quite a few potential scrapes and a lot of aggravation.
Funny thing, though, I hardly ever notice old people causing problems in L.A. the way I do elsewhere… probably because the traffic usually forces everyone else down to their speed, and they are hard to spot among all the makeup appliers, script readers, texters etc. (I’m not kidding about script readers; I had multiple sighting of that.)
February 15th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
My father’s driving, when he reached his late seventies, scared the daylights out of me. But when he quit driving he just stayed home, vegetated, and was gone in a couple years.
February 15th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
A 92 year old woman here in the Twin Cities was recently convicted of neglectful driving and had to surrender her license, plus a thousand dollar fine and a stayed sentence or something. Her crime: running into the back of a city maintenance truck with lights on and reflectors out at 40mph, pinning workers between her car and the back of the truck, severing one worker’s arm and breaking several bones, such as hips and pelvii on both.
I understand driving is independence, but so many people are driving past the point they should be. Is it worth someone’s life or limb? I’ll be keeping an eye on mom as she gets past 70.
February 15th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Old men in hats. That’s who you really have to watch out for.
February 15th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
I’m convinced the “80/20” rule present in many companies applies to driving.
Business: the top 20% of customers are responsible for 80% of sales.
Driving: the worst 20% of drivers are responsible for 80% of accidents and problems on the road.
It’s way too easy to get and hold a drivers license here in the US. Here in Georgia, they don’t even check a drivers vision for license renewal.
The worst 20% of drivers should be weeded out. It should be much more difficult to get a license, and thorough testing should be required every other renewal or so for EVERY driver, regardless of age. Let the drivers pay for this expense. If someone can’t afford the testing, they can’t afford to insure and properly maintain a vehicle! Instead, the powers that be “crack down” on speeders and minor violators, and conduct Gestapo-style road blocks in the name of “safety’. Raising the standards of getting and keeping a drivers license would make the roads much safer instead.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:59 am
If anyone’s going to take elderly drivers off the road due to poor vision, reflexes and excessive timidity, then by all means take the keys from the jackdaws (of all ages) that do 80+ mph on 55 and 65 mph roads and weave in and out.