Friday Follies - Snowjob Edition...
Whenever it starts to snow, I start to cringe. And that's not based on a fear of driving in it...far from it. I've driven in everything from icestorms to major snowfalls (the winter of 78 excluded - NOBODY drove in that) to deluge type thunderstorms, and never encountered any REAL problems.
There was the ocassional "slip n slide", and even a "360" down an off ramp to the interstate, but never was there any damage to either the vehicle or the passengers inside.
I didn't cringe back then, but I do now.
I always worry becasue out there, in all that bad weather, is some moron wo got their license NOT from the BMV, but rather from Pep Boys! At least from the manner in which they drive (if you can call it that), it looks that way.
And they're real easy to spot.
They're the ones always spinning their wheels, because they don't know what that LETTER "L" or that NUMBER "1" means on the shifter. They haven't a damn clue as to WHY they're not motoring along as if it were nice and dry out.
After all, the world (seemingly) revolves around them.
They are the ones ALWAYS in some hurry...and it shows. You can see them fishtail thier way down the highway, breaking traction every few meters, and then attempting to correct. And it makes you watch your rearview mirror more than the road in front of you.
Not a good thing.
Whenever you see some multi-car pileup somewhere, you have to ask yourself: "Who was the numbnut that started all this?" Sure, we can always blame the weather...It can't defend itself. Blame that snow, and NOT the ability of the worst driver in that group who couldn't figure out that leaving a GREATER distance between vehicles is a lifesaver.
Granted, when the weather gets SO bad, hardly anything you do won't matter all that much. Then again, maybe you shouldn't be ON the road under conditions such as those.
No matter how you shake it out, it will ALWAYS come down NOT to the weather, or the vehicle, but ON THE PEOPLE. If Joey Jerkwad hadn't tried to pass during that blizzard, he might have seen the car in front trying to do the same, and 50 people COULD have ALL made it to work safely.
And along those lines of thought, another "Tale of the Ridiculous".
Yesterday at around 1300 hours, a call comes over the radio for a missing child. Described as a ONE YEAR OLD bi-racial boy (named LaMont), wearing a red & blue snowsuit and strapped into a carseat in a Dodge minivan along the 4600 block of Warsaw.
(**Note to J/G police reporter Abby Slutsky - it wasn't the 4100 block)
The mother went back in the house for something, taking her other two kids with her, and when she came back out, little LaMont was GONE. Well, that illicited a search throughout the Pettit-Rudisill area with 2 K-9 units, the fire department, and assorted FWPD cars.
My take on it was that the child didn't get out by himself...ain't NO 1 year old that can elude police that damn well in this weather.
Long story short:
The great grandmom of the child "happened" to be driving by at the right time, saw the unattended child and took him from the van to HER house in the 3900 block of Avondale. Oh, and she didn't call the boy's mother to let her know right away either ("to teach her a lesson").
Hell, I'd place a huge SIGN on her lawn that says:
CAUTION - IRRESPONSIBLE PARENT LIVES HERE!
(what a novel idea, Bob)
The boy was found later when G'mom called the house on Warsaw, safe and sound. Wonder how much of the city's resources were basically wasted because of ONE person's neglegence and stupidity. And there was plenty of STUPID to go around.
Mom ( this week's winner of the "Poster child for planned parenting" award) was stupid for leaving the child unattended (when she had two other kids that could have stayed in the damn van with this toddler).
Grandmom was stupid for taking the child, instead of stopping (blocking the street with her vehicle as a lot of folks around here love to do anyway) and staying with the child, or even going up and knocking on mom's door.
The other two kids were stupid for NOT watching the van either from the front door OR a window. Suppose a predator took the kid instead of grandma, hmm?
Stupid (truly) IS...as Stupid (honestly) DOES.
Have a SAFE weekend
Do drive carefully out there, because that person either alongside, in front of, or behind you...probably ISN'T.
That's not cynicism, that's common sense!