Thursday, November 29, 2012

Crossing the Line

Dear Diary,
This is the last post I'll mention this.  OK, the last one for a few weeks, anyway.

As a parent of a toddler there are many firsts to record:  first tooth, smile, word, etc.  The trend of firsts does continue, it just doesn't get recorded in the baby book.  Since our firstborn is now learning to drive, it is a momentous first for this parent and household.  It is a novelty that won't soon wear off.  So, I must write, again, on the topic of driving.

I will admit that with a budding driver now by my side in our well- worn loved minivan, I am a bit more careful with my driving. 

I use my blinker light 100 feet prior to my turn. [Don't ask me how far that is.  Oh, too late, Sarah already did.] 

I make sure I come to a full stop at lights/signs.  ["Now see what that black car did?  That is what we call a 'rolling stop'.  Daddy got chased down by a cop for that once." Oh. Is she old enough to know that now?]

I don't text and drive, nor do I apply makeup, shave body parts, or play instruments.

The long-forgotten three second rule has also come to my attention.  It now becomes an obssession with me to count down the seconds between myself and the car ahead of me.  [Okay, he passed that road-kill; one....two...three...yup, I have established a safe distance.]

I am not a tail-gater, or (much of) a speeder.  [I will provide sunglasses to any who need protection against the glare of my halo.] But I do have one "glaringly" obvious flaw which has come to my attention only because I have a budding young driver watching my every move. 

It's the white line. 
Not the dividing line between lanes.  I mean the big, fat line at all stoplights and stopsigns. 
Yeah.  I roll right on past those -- but I do stop, thank you very much.

I will be working on that.  It's amazing how many of those I ignore on my daily routes.  Now that I am not ignoring them, it sure gives a different perspective to those intersections.

So while I have a renewed spirit of good driving habits, I would be remiss if I didn't include this link
Animal crossing signs won't ever be the same for me.

I think I will market a new bumper sticker:

Save a Deer, Move a Sign

Drive Safe!
LJ

1 comment:

  1. You make me smile. :)

    And that white line? Well...um, I almost got hit when running one morning because the driver decided to stop about ten feet in front of it. But I'm pretty sure that driver wasn't you, so we're good. :)

    ReplyDelete