Another observation I have found during my early morning walks is that the STOP sign at the end of a street might as well spell POTS for all the good it does. Because of my age, I am required to undergo a ninety minute lecture, an eye exam and two Multiple Choice Exams every two years. One exam is on the Rules of the Road and the other on Signage. Now I am not complaining, indeed I believe it would be a good idea to expand the program, perhaps to younger drivers. However, I heard that the government is going to cut back on the tests because the number of seniors is increasing very quickly, and so is the cost! Costs always beat out safety!
One of the topics we discussed with the instructor was the deplorable state to which driving has fallen in Toronto. As a walker I have found it necessary to be extremely careful when crossing the street. This holds for streets with STOP signs, but also those with a light system.The driver of the car coming from my left, as I venture out to cross to the other side, does not think it is necessary to watch for pedestrians. Obviously, wherever he or she is going is more important that the mere pedestrian trying to get to the other side.
On the other hand, when I am in the driver seat, I sometimes fall into the same habit. I really hate it when a pedestrian saunters, at the slowest of speed possible to keep moving, from one side to the other. Or even worse, the lady with the baby carriage, and the two kids hanging on, can't make up her mind to risk the family or not!
But the lesson is clear. How we look at things depends on the situation at the time and on many other factors in our life. Often we are quick to blame others, when indeed we have not thought the situation through from the beginning. Could it be I am to blame? Of course not, never!
Was it not James Thurber, who suggests that we not look backwards in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness. Sounds like good advice for any occasion.
Needless to say the other aggravation drivers must endure is the cost of parking. Now if we had better public transportation system we could leave the car at home. But in this great city of Toronto, the powers that be keep fighting over the type of system that would be best. It seems each new City Council gets a chance to enter the debate year after year, and so we, the public, get to enter the grid lock and pay the obscene parking costs.
Unfortunately, I am too old to see any significant changes in my life time. So I guess I will just have to stick to the car, endure the irritations and perhaps some day soon, dump the car and use taxis. Oh well.
And that's Dick's View of the World this Week
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