Driven by Apathy

In my quest to think globally act locally I called my local Traffic Sheriff guy and mentioned that yet another parent stated they would not allow their children to walk home because people choose to drive too fast on the street, which goes in front of the school.

The Sheriff said he tickets a lot there but the parents refuse to slow down.

I emailed the PTA, I didn't hear back.

I heard from someone else that PTA doesn't want to deal with that.

So basically I'm left with looking like a radical nut who is, what, supposed to go stand on a corner with a please slow the hell down sign?

Once my show in Chicago ends I will hold a community meeting and try to gather some strength in numbers.

Does Your Car Represent Your Freedom?

Stumbled upon this great question, Does Your Car Represent Your Freedom, by Distracted Eyes which then linked to this thought provoking article.

Paul Altchley, the author of the post brings up great ideas about how the car did used to equal freedom. It always blows my mind at how people drive their cars as if they are in a movie and other people seem to hold little to no value to them.

While I can sympathize with a motorcyclist whose choice will most likely only affect them, the issue of distracted driving is not about preserving personal freedom at all. We don’t have the freedom to place others' safety at risk with our decisions. While we have a right to free speech, as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. noted, we are not free to falsely shout, "Fire!" in a crowded theater. Likewise, while we are free to text, we are not free to text when doing so significantly increases the likelihood of killing someone else on a public roadway. No one relishes the idea of giving up their freedoms, but on the other hand, we have demonstrated that we are willing to tolerate quite a bit of regulation in exchange for an increase in safety. Few other exchanges of “freedom” for “safety” match the benefits to be gained by ending distracted driving.

How about you, does your car represent freedom to you?