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For a number of non-band related reasons, I have been absent for a few months. Now I’m back, and have stored a lot of rants inside; ‘tis time to vent…stand back.
Red lights. At what point did the rules of driving change, and a red traffic light is no longer synonymous with ‘stop’? Apparently now a red stop light is discretionary – stop if you wish. Perhaps in my temporary absence, car manufacturers have developed shielding which permits cars to zip through red lights without harm. If so, where do I get this magical shielding? Maybe red lights have been deemed a street decoration. Or is it only certain drivers who are required to stop? If this is the case, please tell me where the exemption list is, so that I can brush up on the new rules before I become a death statistic (and BTW, I’m a pedestrian who takes my life in my hands walking to/from work daily. I have dodged more than one car that has sped through a red light and either come close to hitting me, or causing traffic in the cross direction to swerve onto the sidewalk close to me).
Indicators. Here is a little known fact. On the steering column of most cars is a little lever or stick. This is used to indicate a change in direction of your vehicle and is manipulated up/down for right/left. This can be used to tell other drivers that you are going to change the lane in which you are driving (handy on a multiple lane highway), AND it can be used to advise other drivers that you are going to be turning right or left onto another road, or driveway or even pulling off on to the side of the road. To be truly effective, it is to be used BEFORE you attempt your maneuver. You will not wear out the indicator; there is no pay-for-use penalty for using it, and is simple to learn and with practice will become second nature. Next lesson – rear-view mirrors are not for makeup application!
Grow up! I work in a profession that mandates certification before an individual who has successfully completed their university course of study can ‘practice’. Each year after the exam, there is a flurry of calls to my office from those candidates who were unsuccessful and I never cease to be amazed/annoyed by the parents calling on behalf of their children. I hold my temper (oh but the temptation…)! Here is my open letter to those :
Dear irate/demanding/obnoxious Parent: Your ‘child’ has completed a minimum of 4 years of university study plus post graduate training yet apparently they are unable to master a telephone or deal with failure. This raises some significant concerns for your child’s ability to live independently as an adult. Their exam failure pales by comparison to this significant limitation of being a world citizen and begs the question: what was your role as a parent? Instead of pondering this question, you phone and yell at me because apparently of the many hundreds of candidates that write the exam (marked by computer), I personally have selected your child to fail because I am prejudiced against whites/blacks/females/males/ city/rural/ young/old/religious/humanist or any other variable that you imagine. Yes indeed, that’s what this nation needs, professionals dealing with the public after their mommy (more often) has berated, badgered, harassed, and insulted the licensing body to force them to grant a license to a ‘professional’ who can’t pass the exam! Ain’t gonna happen on my watch!!
Rant over. You may now resume normal operations.