Another Example of the Dangers of Driving Past Your Expiration Date
 

Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
after his ability to do so had deteriorated.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php

A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
in Oro Valley on Friday morning.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. at East Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and
North Oracle Road, said Becky Mendez, an Oro Valley Police Department
spokeswoman.

Byron Rudolph Berglund, 78, was taken by helicopter from the scene to
University Medical Center, where he later died.

Berglund was driving a Buick sedan east on Rancho Vistoso when Abraham
Romo Jr, driving a Nissan Maxima south on Oracle, hit the
driver's-side door of Berglund's car, Mendez said.

Romo, 20, of San Manuel, was taken to Northwest Medical Center for
non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are investigating the crash and no charges have been filed,
Mendez said.

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>
> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>
> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>

Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
the usual euphemism "died in an accident".

As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
do. Not a matter of age.

On 25 Jun 2005 10:18:12 -0700, "Laura Bush murdered her boy friend"
> wrote:

>> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
>> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
>> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
>> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
>> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
>> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>>
>> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>>
>> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
>> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>
>Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
>the usual euphemism "died in an accident".
>
>As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
>do. Not a matter of age.

No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?

Smart money says "age."

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> On 25 Jun 2005 10:18:12 -0700, "Laura Bush murdered her boy friend"
> > wrote:
>
> >> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> >> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> >> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> >> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> >> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> >> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
> >>
> >> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
> >>
> >> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> >> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
> >
> >Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
> >the usual euphemism "died in an accident".
> >
> >As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
> >do. Not a matter of age.
>
> No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
> However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
> a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?
>
> Smart money says "age."

Other causes: cell phone, distraction looking at pretty girl, thinking
about something and not really noticing the other traffic, etc. Smart
money says that senility (your guess) is a very minor portion of
causes. =20

Harry K

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>
> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>
> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.

huh. my parents live in oro valley, i like that area. really nice! lots
of old people... it's golf course after gold course out there.

and no, my parents aren't anywhere near elderly!

brink

On 25 Jun 2005 21:01:28 -0700, "Harry K" >
wrote:

>> >As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
>> >do. Not a matter of age.
>>
>> No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
>> However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
>> a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?
>>
>> Smart money says "age."
>
>Other causes: cell phone, distraction looking at pretty girl, thinking
>about something and not really noticing the other traffic, etc. Smart
>money says that senility (your guess) is a very minor portion of
>causes.

You are the one who tried to put the word "senility" into my mouth.
There are lots of other age-correlated factors that reduce one's
driving ability: coordination, reaction time, and visual acuity to
name just a few.

Add them all up, and "age" is still the overwhelming favorite.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:42:55 -0500, "brink" >
wrote:

>> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
>> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>
>huh. my parents live in oro valley, i like that area. really nice! lots
>of old people... it's golf course after gold course out there.

That's right - in fact, it sounds like the elderly gentleman who died
was coming out of one of them.

>and no, my parents aren't anywhere near elderly!

This guy lived in Saddlebrooke - an age-restricted retirement
community. I guess he just drove up to play a few holes.

As for Oro Valley, it's a popular place to live, but the traffic is
horrible! Oracle Road is basically the only way in or out (thus
everybody uses it),the road is too narrow, and the underposted speed
limit is roundly ignored (which is why you see so many OVPD cruisers
parked by the side of the road).

Of course, this is true of Tucson in general: too little road capacity
for the mushrooming population, underposted speed limits, and lots of
revenue collectors taking advantage of the situation to help correct
municipal budget shortfalls. Which is why I *hate* driving in Tucson.

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
>
> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP
> HIS ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing
> to drive after his ability to do so had deteriorated.

The way of the hunter is to isolate the weak and attack. This Scott is
a hunter of Rights, and would attempt to isolate the weak, making his
attack easire. People of all ages pull out in front of oncoming
vehicles, providing Scott with his selection. Scott chooses to
identify and isolate the elderly, then begins the stalking of their
Rights, converting spicific hindsight in this person's case to a
general accusation against all elderly, as though their already guilty
of reckless driving, and should "[HANG UP THEIR] ****ING CAR KEYS".

People of all ages, sexes, ethnic groups, nationalities and backgrounds
may Drive Safely or Recklessly. These characteristics have no bearing
at all on the quality of one's driving. The quality of one's driving
can only be based on their method of driving. Not their circumstance
of driving.

The point at which one should HANG UP THEIR KEYS, or for that matter
NOT PICK UP THE KEYS, is when they are unable to Drive Safely. If one
is Driving Safely, then they are able to Drive Safely, because they are
Driving Safely. If one is not Driving Safely, as in Endangering
others, their circumstances are irrelivant, and should be Prosecuted
for Reckless Endangerment, regardless if their young or old.

On 26 Jun 2005 09:26:53 -0700, "proffsl" > wrote:

>> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
>> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
>> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
>> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP
>> HIS ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing
>> to drive after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>
>The way of the hunter is to isolate the weak and attack. This Scott is
>a hunter of Rights, and would attempt to isolate the weak, making his
>attack easire.

Actually, the hunters are the elderly, with their AARP and their votes
and their Washington lobbyists. The hunters get ridiculous concessions
to their failing abilities like the "Large Print Edition Roads" in
Florida where road signs have larger type fonts and road markings are
made larger and wider so that the elderly have an easier time driving.
The weak are you and I, who are outnumbered by this segment of the
population, and who are being endangered on the roads because these
people continue to drive well past their expiration dates.

As the proportion of the elderly in our population grows, expect your
right to safe locomotion to be eroded even further.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 11:54:42 -0700, Scott en Aztlán
> was understood to have stated the
following:

>On 26 Jun 2005 09:26:53 -0700, "proffsl" > wrote:
>
>>> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
>>> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
>>> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
>>> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP
>>> HIS ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing
>>> to drive after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>>
>>The way of the hunter is to isolate the weak and attack. This Scott is
>>a hunter of Rights, and would attempt to isolate the weak, making his
>>attack easire.
>
>Actually, the hunters are the elderly, with their AARP and their votes
>and their Washington lobbyists. The hunters get ridiculous concessions
>to their failing abilities like the "Large Print Edition Roads" in
>Florida where road signs have larger type fonts and road markings are
>made larger and wider so that the elderly have an easier time driving.
>The weak are you and I, who are outnumbered by this segment of the
>population, and who are being endangered on the roads because these
>people continue to drive well past their expiration dates.
>
>As the proportion of the elderly in our population grows, expect your
>right to safe locomotion to be eroded even further.

I would add that you can expect that right to safety to erode even
further, if the actions I witness by today's younger drivers are any
indication of things to come.


--

The last song I started on my PC was: Better Than Ezra - Summer House - Deluxe
K:\Audio\Better Than Ezra\Deluxe\09 - Summer House.mp3
This is track 9 of 13 in the current playlist.