| Author | Message | ||
     Mayor McCheese Supporter Username: Mayor_mccheese Post Number: 775 Registered: 7-2004  |
Today at about 1:30pm an old man pulled out of the Maplewood Country Club on Baker Street and almost killed me. I was driving along and I suppose that he didn't see me. He pulled out and forced me into the other lane of traffic. Thank God that there were no cars coming the other way or I would have died. I wanted to yell at him and let him know how I felt about his terrible driving, but as I waited at the red light at the corner of Baker and Valley, I could see that he would would not catch up to me so that I could yell at him. This was because he was moving at 5 MPH! I don't know how I feel about re-testing drivers who reach a certain age, but I know that this man should not be allowed to drive a car. | ||
| buzzsaw Citizen Username: Buzzsaw Post Number: 3517 Registered: 5-2001  |
 I feel your pain. An older woman ran a stop sign and t boned my beloved purple crown vic and killed the car and really freaked my wife and kid out (thank God no one was hurt). This was 2 years ago, my son still talks about the car crash. | ||
| buzzsaw Citizen Username: Buzzsaw Post Number: 3518 Registered: 5-2001 |
 I would like to quickly add that when I asked the lady why she didn't stop she said, "The woman in front of me stopped at the stop sign so I didn't think I had to" | ||
| Virtual It Girl Citizen Username: Shh Post Number: 3792 Registered: 5-2001 |
You had a purple Crown Vic? Oh, you are my husband's IDOL!  | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 1635 Registered: 8-2003  |
mayor & buzz ever drive in South Florida? Home of the headless drivers - they can't even see over the steering wheel! Since my mom moved down there 5 years ago, she's been involved in at least 3 (maybe 4) accidents. It's frightening. and they don't retest either! I am 100% for retesting over the age of 65 and then every 2 years thereafter | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 4666 Registered: 9-2001  |
...retesting over the age of 65? Holy Wheelchairs please say you're kidding Pippi!!! After 50 years of driving experience, avoiding teenagers, drunk drivers, truck drivers, and lets not leave out a substantial portion of women drivers, suggesting all drivers over the age of 65 should be retested is just plain crazy... I say test everyone over the age of 16 every year until they reach age 65...  | ||
| Fight the power Citizen Username: Tookiew Post Number: 33 Registered: 12-2005 |
Ice floes. They should open up a eothenasia express in Florida, and just advertise it with a huge banner: All you can eat buffet for AARP members $5.99 before 5:00 pm and they'll get the oldies and moldies lining up around the block. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11916 Registered: 1-2003  |
Mayor McCheese, you might have an alternative to swerving into the opposite side of the street. In situations like that, rather than swerving, I stop my car. Of course, I wasn't there, so I don't know how close he was in front of you, and you may have had to swerve, but that sounds like a last resort. Given a choice of slamming into him and swerving into oncoming traffic, (and given a head clear enough to make a conscious decision in less than a quarter second, which I might not have), I would choose to slam into him. It's actually safer. | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 1638 Registered: 8-2003 |
sorry ajc, I really do believe eye exams, hearing tests and reflex exams should be mandatory over the age of, ok, let's say 70. I have no doubt you have an impeccable record, built on many years of safe driving. But please acknowledge that failing eyesight, hearing and reflexes are dangerous on the road and this is more likely to occur in people over a certain age. I'll argue further that many people over the age of 70 have the very same attitude but they lack the ability say "I can't do this anymore"and refuse to give up the keys in an effort to remain independent. FWIW, I agree many teens are awful drivers too and that good driving is based on experience. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11924 Registered: 1-2003 |
I like the idea of retesting everyone, but it's not going to happen soon. Heck, the test we have isn't even adequate. The first improvement I would support is frequent retesting for the highest risk demographic groups, which are the youngest and oldest drivers. It's just good risk management. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10260 Registered: 5-2001 |
Actually I think drivers who have an accident or get a ticket should be retested. Go after the people who are causing the problem. Personally, I think the driving test should be tougher and require emergency lane changes and skid control, but I know I am in a minority on that. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11926 Registered: 1-2003 |
I agree, bobk. Some NJ road tests are not on roads! My ex-wife took her test in Rahway, where they tested her on a track that had no traffic. | ||
| upondaroof Citizen Username: Upondaroof Post Number: 495 Registered: 4-2003 |
Maybe if we all just followed the rules of the road and used some common sense while driving, instead of speeding, weaving, eating, cell phone using and the myriad of other distractions that cause accidents, there might be a helluva lot less accidents and near misses on the roads. I don't think re-testing anyone is going to solve the problem if they don't consistenly drive well. | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 1640 Registered: 8-2003 |
upondaroof - how do you explain an elderly driver who may not be aware he no longer possesses the same skills or wherewithall he used to? This person is probably not eating or using a cell phone | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 2890 Registered: 9-2003 |
I'm going to agree with Pippi. Retesting should be mandatory for anyone over 70. My mom is 90 and still drives - I'm pretty sure she would pass a test - however, my father-in-law insisted on driving well past the time he should have handed over his keys at around age 80. Retesting would have solved the problem we had with him and we would have known about a medical condition he had much earlier. | ||
| upondaroof Citizen Username: Upondaroof Post Number: 498 Registered: 4-2003 |
"upondaroof - how do you explain an elderly driver who may not be aware he no longer possesses the same skills or wherewithall he used to? " Pippi, my last sentence said it all. If your reaction time, motor skills, and mental state are sluggish, you're not consistently driving well. I personally try to avoid older drivers(however, I seem to be closing in on them year by year)I give them a wide berth, same as I do for the 30 something tailgaters and twenty something LeMans wanna bes. You can drive down any road and predict with a fairly high percentage of accuarcy, how different drivers are going to perform in their "golden years". If they drive like mooks now, they sure ain't gonna be much better in 30 years! | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 1642 Registered: 8-2003 |
"I don't think re-testing anyone is going to solve the problem if they don't consistenly drive well." but won't retesting get these inconsistent drivers off the road?? | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11932 Registered: 1-2003 |
It's silly to argue about which is THE problem. There are many problems of bad driving. Let's tackle the easy ones first. Group people into high risk groups and retest them, including testing the vision of old people. That's easier than true road tests. In the UK, most people don't pass their road tests the first time. That's because it's difficult. I'd like to see that, but I'm not holding my breath for it. | ||
| mrmaplewood Citizen Username: Mrmaplewood Post Number: 283 Registered: 5-2001 |
Just a question. Do they not serve alcoholic drinks at the Maplewood Country Club? Everyone seems to believe that this driver was impaired by old age. | ||
| Lizziecat Citizen Username: Lizziecat Post Number: 1021 Registered: 5-2003 |
So not only is Tookie an antisemite and a hater of men, but now we find out the she hates old people and wants to euthanize them. Nice going, Tookie. No wonder you're all alone. | ||
| upondaroof Citizen Username: Upondaroof Post Number: 499 Registered: 4-2003 |
"but won't retesting get these inconsistent drivers off the road??" Absolutely! Sure! Ah maybe! Might. If the poor physical and / or mental state of the driver is obvious, they will (should) be yanked, but if like Tom said, they re-test on a closed circuit track and the person is able to keep control for the test, they may just BS their way through the test. And don't say they can't fake it. My wife works in an alzheimer unit and some of these people who are completely over the wall have periods of rationality. And Tom, just who are the high risk groups? Chronic speeders, tailgaters weavers etal. are also just as dangerous as Mr & Mrs Magoo. People, I am not anti re-test!!(Just skeptical)  | ||
| Fight the power Citizen Username: Tookiew Post Number: 34 Registered: 12-2005 |
Lizziecat, you don't know me. As I said, I have had many jewish friends, some of them men, some of whom have been my lovers (when I was, albeit, thinner). And no one who has seen the way our country is going, with the lion's share of all mony going to support medical care for barely conscious seniors, with the AARP have a strangelhold on Congress, can look at the plethora of oldies and moldies and not see a large problem. | ||
| Virtual It Girl Citizen Username: Shh Post Number: 3803 Registered: 5-2001 |
 | ||
| upondaroof Citizen Username: Upondaroof Post Number: 500 Registered: 4-2003 |
Two words: "Soylent Green" | ||
| upondaroof Citizen Username: Upondaroof Post Number: 501 Registered: 4-2003 |
or...... "Logan's Run" | ||
| Rastro Citizen Username: Rastro Post Number: 2183 Registered: 5-2004  |
"Some of my best friends are old Jewish men." | ||
| Mayor McCheese Supporter Username: Mayor_mccheese Post Number: 777 Registered: 7-2004 |
Tom, if I had stopped the car he would have slammed into me. He didn't pull out in front of me, he pulled out into me. I don't drive a car with a lot of pickup, so I know I wouldn't have outrun the accident. The other lane was open, so that is where I went. If there had been a car coming the opposite direction everyone would have been screwed. The old guy would have slammed into the side of my car, and I would have been pushed into oncoming traffic. It would have been a terrible mess. Also, the way many of these road test are now, they are done on tracks where the speed limit is 15 MPH. They should do any retesting on the actual roads. I personally think that driving way to slow can cause as many problems as driving too fast.} | ||
| SO Ref Citizen Username: So_refugee Post Number: 1430 Registered: 2-2005  |
There's an easy way to avoid the perils of poor drivers. Simply stay off the roads... just like avoiding smokers by staying out of restaurants. | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 778 Registered: 9-2001 |
If it makes anyone feel any better, I have been in two accidents in the past 3 years where young female drivers were totally to blame. No. 1: I was 9 months pregnant when a 24-year-old woman ran the stop sign on West Parker while making a right onto Maplewood Ave. and slammed into my car. No. 2: In November I was making a right onto Wyoming from South Orange Ave. and a 27-year old woman tried cut me off making a left from South Orange onto Wyoming and rammed into my car. Bad drivers come in all age ranges. (But I also agree that those over a certain age should be retested every year.) | ||
| The Libertarian Citizen Username: Local_1_crew Post Number: 1306 Registered: 3-2004  |
I would support is frequent retesting for the highest risk demographic groups, which are the youngest and oldest drivers wow! so you support singling out people based on statistical potential? the police get accused of doing the exact same thing. they call it racial profiling. | ||
| ess Citizen Username: Ess Post Number: 878 Registered: 11-2001 |
The Lib, I must respectfully disagree. This is not much different than using actuarial tables to set insurance rates. Statistically, elderly people are more likely to suffer from certain age-related conditions; hence, they are more expensive to insure. Statistically, younger (male) drivers tend to get into more accidents, so their insurance premiums are higher. This is not at all like racial profiling. | ||
| Marvin Gardens Citizen Username: Marvin_gardens Post Number: 210 Registered: 11-2003  |
Thank God that there were no cars coming the other way or I would have died If you were driving that fast past the middle school, the library and then the country club that by swerving you could have died then maybe it's not the old man who should not be allowed to drive a car | ||
| Lizziecat Citizen Username: Lizziecat Post Number: 1022 Registered: 5-2003 |
I don't know you, Tookie, and don't want to either. Those "oldies and moldies" whom you disparage are what you are going to be someday. I hope that the younger generation puts you out on an ice floe when you're old. | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 4193 Registered: 5-2001 |
marvin, two cars each going the limit of 25 hitting head-on is the equivalent of a crash into a wall at 50 mph. If McCheese was being a good citizen going 25 and the oncoming car was going 40, that's a 65 mph crash. Pretty ugly either way, and the good mayor didn't have to be at fault at all. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10264 Registered: 5-2001 |
Marian, I don't know if this was a typo or not, but traffic on West Parker has the right of way at Maplewood Avenue. | ||
| cody Citizen Username: Cody Post Number: 899 Registered: 5-2001 |
Are you sure about that? To my recollection, there's a stop sign on West Parker, not on Maplewood Ave. It's Jefferson Ave. where traffic crossing Maplewood Ave. has the right of way. | ||
| spw784 Supporter Username: Spw784 Post Number: 826 Registered: 5-2001 |
Doesn't West Parker come to a T intersection at Maplewood Avenue? | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10265 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yep, my bad. I was thinking of Jefferson where there are so many accidents | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 2892 Registered: 9-2003 |
Lizzie - Tookie can not be for real. No one can be such a well-rounded bigot. My guess is that Cato/Ravenclaw has taken another name and is having fun seeing how many feathers s/he can ruffle. | ||
| Lizziecat Citizen Username: Lizziecat Post Number: 1023 Registered: 5-2003 |
Still, it would be nice to see Tookie on an ice floe. |
