I need your help. please. I’ve got some complaints–not a lot. Stronger than pet peeves but not enough for a protest or a letter to the editor. It dawned on me this is a great place to share my rants and ask for your input but first I need a good name for this occasional series. I’ve thought of Frantic Friday or Friday Freak-outs. I used Rant Friday today because, well, because that’s what I typed. So first request: Can you help me with a name?
Here’s my rant. I’m a careful driver. Okay, that’s not the rant. That’s what we professional writers call “back story”. It’s never interesting but, in this case, it’s necessary. I’ve never caused an accident although several cars have run into the rear of my car because I have a really fast reaction time and because people usually follow too closely. When I back, I check in the rear view mirror, look out the back windows on both sides, put the car in gear, then turn and look over my left shoulder as I back.
And what do I see behind me? A small child tottering along behind my backing car, the car with the reverse lights on, while the mother strolls along a few feet ahead or behind. She is not holding his hand. Usually the mother seems aware of where the child is but does nothing about the fact that a bad driver could kill her child. Why isn’t she?
I think the reason she does this is she really believes that the driver is law abiding and careful. In addition, the law says the driver must NOT run over either her or the child. They’re safe here in this huge asphalt-paved space with cars weighing tons (I’m sorry. I don’t actually know how much a car weighs but it’s a big, heavy metal thing that could smash any fragile human body) moving all around them.
But suppose I’m one of those drivers who doesn’t turn and look behind me? Imagine that I back looking only in my rear veiw mirror and I can’t see that tiny little one behind me. Or maybe I’m sneezing at the moment I should be looking out or maybe the driver is drunk or steps on the gas instead of the brake. In everyone of those situations, the driver is at fault but does that make any difference if a child is gravely injured or dies because Mom didn’t think it would happen? I can’t imagine being that driver and having such a tragic accident happen because I was careless and the child’s mother thought a walk through a parking lot was as safe as a stroll through the park. I don’t think I’d ever get over it. Please, Mom, for your sake and your child’s sake and for me, too, hold his hand.
Does this bother anyone else?
YES! I’ve pointed it out to my husband many times. Worse, at our favorite breakfast place where we are regulars, there’s a family that’s also regulars. The little girl gets restless and the father TAKES HER TO THE PARKING LOT TO WALK AROUND! The thing is, this restaurant has a nice, blocked in patio. Why do they take her to the parking lot? Idiots.
I am SO glad I’m not the only one. Why don’t these parents THINK!?
Jane–I can’t resist making a real-life Jay Galloway joke on the name…”One o’clock Friday Rant”. Every time he picks me up to take me to work, he says “One o’clock Friday?” Sometims I actually do leave at one o’clock. If you want that name, it’s yours.
About the kids in the parking lot–for a while at the condo, there were kids in the parking lot without their parents late at night. There were some skateboarders in the parking lot, too. I always worried one of them would be hit by a car. So, yeah, it really does bother me, even though things seemed to have calmed down here.
Yes, this drives me nuts, too, Jane! Hold that child’s hand! Another one that raises my blood pressure is seeing parents step onto the escalator without holding the hand of the little one they’ve just pushed on ahead of them. Especially if they’re going down a floor!
Oh, gosh, Cheri, you’ve given me one more thing to worry about! And you are absolutely right.