Why do Air Force pilots train for hours to fly in formation yet anybody who can drive around the block a few times can get a license and then drive down a six-lane freeway at 70 miles per hour “in formation” with the other cars on the road?
Does that make any sense to you?
Who are we kidding? We have young speedsters weaving in and out, guys in trucks two-stories high barreling down on compact cars, old ladies whizzing by waving hello with one finger and numerous people driving with a phone stuck to their ear while they fail to use their signal and can’t seem to make up their minds if they are going to go ten miles below or above the speed limit.
If we knew the pilots on a domestic flight were doing any of these things, would we board the plane at all? What if it was your bus driver or taxi driver?
So why are ordinary people given such freedom?
My sister was in a near fatal accident some years ago. SEVERAL people had been in similar accidents on that stretch of freeway. However, not enough people had died to warrant a change be made to the freeway to prevent further accidents.
You know what this means? It means that freeway driving is now the number one method of eliminating the unfit from our gene pool. It is totally “survival of the fittest” when it comes to driving.
Now, as a mother, I’m really concerned. NOT because I fear for my children who will one day drive. I fear that someday I am not going to survive the freeway myself especially when I have kids making strange noises in the back seat.
“All right, who popped that bag? Did you see I almost rear-ended that lady?”
“Who’s crying? I can’t hear you? What’s the problem?” (Followed by much neck craning to see what’s going on.)
“What is that clicking noise? Everybody be quiet. Is that the wheel? You have a game that makes noise? TURN IT OFF!”
Now all this just adds to how dangerous it is to drive on today’s roads. Take all the people mentioned above, throw in a good handful of harried mothers and all those people wearing hats and you are truly taking your life in your hands when you leave your driveway.
So why don’t they make cars with a big rubber bumper that goes all the way AROUND the car? And why don’t they line freeways shoulders with rubber walls? Wouldn’t that help? I mean, we don’t have the training that an Air Force pilot has, shouldn’t we at least have the protection we have when we go to the amusement park and ride the bumper cars?
I think about these things. I worry. I’m a mom, after all.
(Jelly Mom is written by Lisa Barker, a busy mom of five, and syndicated through Martin-Ola Press/Parent to Parent. To read more, visit www.JellyMom.com.)
