I'm a little disappointed in myself this morning. I was heading north on highway 41 on the northside of Appleton last night on my way to the Freedom-Seymour boys basketball game and doing my usual 72-miles an hour when a gray car raced up behind me and wanted to pass. I moved over and the car zoomed by me. That's when I noticed in the back seat a little kid jumping around and running back and forth. He could not have been more than three-years old as he was clearly standing up and his head barely came above the rear deck lid--meaning he should have been buckled into a child safety seat or booster seat.
It says something about the effectiveness of the state's child restraint law when seeing something like this catches your attention. At that point, I had a passing thought that I should call the cops and have that driver pulled over--but I didn't.
A few minutes later, the gray car got caught behind slower traffic and I pulled up alongside of it. That's when I saw the woman behind the wheel was on the cellphone--and had a cigarette in the other hand. So not only has this mother put her child at risk by not buckling him into a safety seat, she is also speeding, tailgaiting and barely paying attention to the road by yakking on the cell phone. And then to top it off, she is threatening his health by puffing away on the cancer stick in that closed environment.
That's when I decided "you know what, I am calling the cops to teach that woman a lesson. "Maybe the couple hundred dollars in fines she would get would teach her a lesson on responsibility and how to value the life of her little one."
That's when I realized my cell phone was in my attache bag...in the rear storage area of the station s-u-v. So now I'm wrestling with myself--should I pull over and get out the phone to call the cops on this "mother" or do I just sit by and do nothing--like so many others do nowadays. Unfortunately, the latter won out--as I just couldn't justify stopping on a packed interstate just to report a driver that officers may not have been able to track down anyway.
I was relieved to find there were no accidents involving unbuckled children in the Fox Vally last night. That means the little guy made it home okay, despite his mom's best--or in this case worst efforts. She probably nuked him some chicken nuggets or something just as nuitritionally empty and let him drink soda and stay up too late watching TV programs that are totally inappropriate for his age--all the while she talked on the phone engaged in engrossing conversations about who should be eliminated on American Idol and what J-Lo should name her new twins.
I'm just disappointed in myself for not taking the steps to make a difference in that little boy's life.
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You were speeding also, thereby endangering your life and that of others on the road. The woman driver you complain about may have committed several more violations than you, but two wrongs don't make a right.
ReplyDelete3:46, as long as you can look yourself in the mirror and acknowledge that you NEVER speed, we'll accept your criticism. Something makes me think you're a hypocrite, however.
ReplyDeleteI commute 50 miles (each way) to work every day. I am much more tolerant of a driver who does 72 or 73 mph, but respects the other rules of the road, such as not tailgating, signaling, and moving right when faster traffic wants to pass (and YES, there is much faster traffic out there!) It's the weavers, tailgaters, phone chatterers, eaters, and other generally dangerous and disrespectful drivers that pose the highest risk on the highways. I have been in the same situation of deciding whether or not to stop and call someone in, but have not done so at this point.
ReplyDeleteDriving 100 miles a day for your commute doesn't give you the right to violate the speed limit laws.
ReplyDeleteSLOW DOWN.
Save some lives and some gas.
I also commute and set my cruise control at about 62. That move has made a drastic difference on my gas mileage, and not a great impact on my total commute time.
cell phone was in my attache bag...in the rear storage area of the station s-u-v.
ReplyDeletePlease put the phone where it will be more advantagous to you.
SLOW DOWN.
Too many motorists on 41 violate the speed limits.
Food for thought. While you may set your cruise to 62, you can be ticketed if all other traffic is moving 72 and you are causing a backup. Moving with the flow of traffic, at said traffic's speed, is also important to highway safety. Causing a traffic jam being sanctimonious is still a violation.
ReplyDeleteQuite the contrary. There is a minimum speed you must go on a highway and it is NOT 62. You will never be ticketed for going 62, especially if you are in the right hand lane. You are not impeding if you are in a lane which allows others to pass in the far left lane or passing lane. Regardless, cops don't ticket people for impeding in the left lane so I think anonymous is quite safe going 62 wherever they are.
ReplyDelete"Food for thought. While you may set your cruise to 62, you can be ticketed if all other traffic is moving 72 and you are causing a backup. Moving with the flow of traffic, at said traffic's speed, is also important to highway safety. Causing a traffic jam being sanctimonious is still a violation."
ReplyDeletePlease provide the State Statute that lists that violation.
I believe you won't be able to provide that, because it's not true!
About putting your cell phone in a more advantageous spot...I can't think one one better than where it was. Stay off your cell phone when you're driving. It is nothing but a distraction and a safety concern.
ReplyDeleteState Statute 346.59
ReplyDelete"Food for thought. While you may set your cruise to 62, you can be ticketed if all other traffic is moving 72 and you are causing a backup. Moving with the flow of traffic, at said traffic's speed, is also important to highway safety. Causing a traffic jam being sanctimonious is still a violation."
ReplyDelete346.59 Minimum speed regulation.
1) No person shall
drive a motor vehicle at a speed so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or is necessary to comply with the
law.
(2) The operator of a vehicle moving at a speed so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic shall, if practicable, yield the roadway to an overtaking vehicle whenever the operator of the overtaking vehicle gives audible warning with a warning device and shall move at a reasonably increased speed or yield the roadway to overtaking vehicles when directed to do so by a traffic officer.
I don't see a thing here that says 62 is "a speed so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic" ESPECIALLY if you yield the passing lane to other vehicles.
Nor do I see that a "ticket" would be written.
Care to list a different statute?
OUTLAW cell phone usage in a moving
ReplyDeletevehicles.
Except for emergency vehicles
Make the decision to drive or talk.
Have to talk?
Get off the road!
What a ridiculous comment. Shall we then ban radios, TVs and DVD players, CD players and conversation of any kind with a passenger in the vehicle too? Face facts: some people can multitask and do it well. Others can't. For those who can't, there are already laws to deal with them, one of which is inattentive driving. And frankly with all the hands free options available these days many people are opting for not holding on to the phone at all. That brings us back to my comment about banning conversation with anyone while driving? Not at all practical or realistic. I'd rather see the speeders pulled over.
ReplyDeleteBritney Spears is in Wisconsin?!!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding.