Traffic School: Did You Know?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Our lovely County Attorney offered me a fine of $150, ($63 cheaper than paying the ticket), preform 4 hours of community service and attend 1 hour of traffic school. I signed up and honestly am glad I did. My thanksgiving post came from the community service obligation and truly was a gift. Last week I completed the one hour traffic school.
Arriving early I sat in the car, no one wants to be the first to arrive, right? Soon I realized why some of the people truly were there. A gentlemen arrived, pulled in, car not in the space allotted and I swear I could see him ponding his chest. “Ah, I’m parked.” My thought, “Yeah, at a 45 degree angle taking up three spaces and if someone did hit that rust bucket it would vanish into thin air.”
Next came a lady who arrived in the most expensive, large SUV made. Watching her almost take out half the parked cars sent a shiver down my spine. Apparently the first space did not match her vehicle and a space two over was more chic. When she got out, I swear, there were four books on the seat, a booster chair. No wonder the brake pedal eluded her.
Through the metal detector and up to the sixth floor we all went. The room was similar to a high school classroom, including those hard chairs that deform you should you sit more than an hour in them.
Here is the synopsis of what evolved during class.
Distracted driving: People at times have no idea where they are going and even less of an idea of how they get there. One lady proudly proclaim in public she was going to work and without realizing it, ended up at the mall. Her defense; she did not have one.
Hand placement: 2 and 10 are out, 3 and 9 are in. Air bags will rip your hands right off and short people like me are just dead. In order to reach the pedals we are way too close to the air bag. Maybe a helmet?
Merging: Do not try this in Kentucky! They do not understand right-of-way. They think you have to move over and if you do not the demolition derby will begin.
Round-abouts: We only have two and the consensus; police installed them as speeding traps. Yes, we Kentuckians love to speed on turns. This is why we gave up mules.
Drinking and driving: .8 is drunk. Anything below that, including .79, means you can drive. I think the county attorney heard me gasp at that one.
Road rage: Hand gestures are a no-no, don’t even look at them, just get their license plate number. In Kentucky citizens can file a complaint against this behavior, go to court and testify just as a policeman would, YEEHAW! The icing on the cake…
This applies to law enforcement. Turning their lights on to get across traffic to go into Wal-Mart is not legal, I asked.
Needless to say when I left the class I just sat there. After hearing the responses I felt it safer to let my classmates have a head start. Hopefully, my driving record is clean again and expunged as if I had never done anything wrong.
Final reminder, driving is a privilege not a right. Extend the same courtesy behind the wheel as you would walking.
Peace…
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22 comments:
that was GREAT Jules! I'm so glad you did the service and shared what you learned from "ding dong" school. Its a lesson for us all.
I shouldn't be shocked and yet I am. People never cease to astound me.
I've often thought the same thing about air bags - I'm short - those things will kill me, not save me. That said.... Greg's life was saved by an air bag in his car accident.
I think my jaw would have dropped a couple of times during that meeting!
Don't you feel better about your driving now? And the next cop who flashes his lights so he can get into the donut shop is dead.
I bet you feel much better now that it's done, well aside form the other drivers part.
I sit with my seat leaned WAY back so the airbag can't zap me. (Which means the seat itself is way forward so my short little legs can reach.)
Traffic school sounds like an adventure!
That was quite an inside! I remember an American living here in Munich who got a DUI: He lost his drivers licence for 2 years.....
Ugh! I didn't know that about air bags. I have seen some awful drivers too. Maybe we should make a national law. All horrible drivers must ride a donkey to work. LOL
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
There are a surprising number of roundabouts in the area--apparently the state is rather enthusiastic about them. :P
You'd think someone would have thought about that issue with the airbags before--and done something about it!
I once thought that I would have to go to traffic school, but I argued the ticket and it got dismissed. Boy, was I glad! If I did have to go, here in CA they have Comedy Traffic School and that's what I'd probably choose, although I'm not sure I understand the concept of Comedy Traffic School.
Lee
Tossing It Out
A great post Jules, loved the read.
Thanks for your visits and comments I do appreciate them very much. Hope it don't snow in Feb at Nashivlle we have seen so much here already and there's more to come.
Take care
Yvonne.
What an adventure; glad it turned out well for you. Always something to learn, isn't there?
I had to laugh about the KY driving parts. You're right, the merging thing especially, was one difference I noticed between KY and southern NJ (where I lived before here). Demolition Derby is a good way to describe it! :)
Thanks for sharing; enjoyed reading about what you learned and all.
Blessings for your week,
Karen
I don't guess the county attorney takes into account the numerous farm implements we have to drive behind when we've been up since the crack of dawn, made breakfast, got kids on the bus, and are then forced to drive 6.5 miles per hour into town . . .
:-)
I still shoot the bird when it's called for!
Really enjoyed your post! I attended traffic school too this year, but my course was offered on-line so I didn't have quite the entertaining experience you did.
Drive safe!
Amy
http://925hell.blogspot.com
WoW!! sounds really interesting... thanks for sharing those driving class lessons...
Guess I owe you an apology. It seems the Kentucky drivers are migrants from Ohio who brought their driving habits with them.
I t was very intelligent of you to be the first there and last to leave.
Aren't you glad it's all over? :o)
You only had to go to traffic school for 1 hour? It's an all-day affair here. As a fellow short person, I believe that I will be investing in platform shoes to wear while driving.
For everything we experience there will be a story we can use and personal growth...or so I say. :)
Well it sounds like you have a few great role models for characters in a sit com type of story. “Traffic School.” Would be interesting to write it from the Instructor's point of view, don't you think?
i'm short too, so i'm extra fearful of the airbag/accidents. there are these weird blocks that you can have attached to the pedals so you can adjust your seat further back, but i feel like if i move my seat back i won't be able to reach the wheel!
in massachsetts we call them rotaries, not round a-bouts. i think one in ever 10 drivers has figured out how to use them (aka yielding)
So informative; I also am a fellow short person! You defined everything very well, love your humorous spin~
Make you think every time you drive in another state, what are you up against!
" I felt it safer to let my classmates have a head start"...You did learn something, after all~ lol
Great post. I laughed at some parts and nodded at others. My sister went to traffic school and got a certificate "suitable for framing." Hope you got one to hang over your fireplace.
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