I've Finally Figured It Out!

I think I got a pretty good view of what's wrong with us yesterday. First, driving along I 696 in some pretty lousy conditions yesterday AM, cars were passing those of us who are sane. We had slowed to 50-55, fairly reasonable with the glaze on the roads. More than half of the ding-a-lings passing were in "monster trucks" or SUVs, doing well over 70, probably over 80, I'd guess. Almost invariably, these drivers had cell phones in their hands. Who knows, they might have had cigarettes, cups of coffee, etc. in the others? All these guys are/were concerned with was themselves. They had to get somewhere. The safety--consider their speed, the driving conditions--of others be damned; they had to get somewhere. MPG at 80 is about 30% less than at 55-60 (reasonable surely under the conditions). The future--our kids and grandkids--be damned; they had to get somewhere. Cell phones aplenty. That numerous studies show cell phone usage while driving to be as dangerous, if not more so, than drunk driving be damned--they had to get somewhere. And it dawned on me: It's all about us! Greed must be contagious, reaching down to most people. Now I think people should be free to do things. But just because they can do something, doesn't mean they should do it. (And, of course, I was reminded of the soccer mom in her SUV last fall, speeding along at 80+ mph on I 696, with her trendy "No blood for oil" bumper sticker.

Second, the interchange at Wixom and I 696 has been open for a month or more now. I had occasion (the misfortune?) to use it twice yesterday. Yep, had to wait each time. Karen said, "There weren't backups like this before." No, no! This is the product of "technology." We can't argue against "technology." I think I've waited to get onto I 696 more in the past month than I have in the previous 30+ years out here. And, that's it--it matters not if there is improvement. It's "technology." Apparently nobody learned that technology isn't a synonym for better. I am reminded of the dimwads at the hs, with their new "technology" for taking attendance. First, sometimes students were marked absent on the screen before they even showed up for class--and when they did, they couldn't be marked present. Second, sometimes an absent student couldn't be marked absent; the system wouldn't accept the mark. And to underscore how efficient and wonderful this "technology," we had to take attendance not once, not twice, but three times. Once, it was on the computer. Twice, it had to be taken in the little brown books, you know, like it used to be taken. Thrice, at the end of each week, printouts had to be made and rechecked, filed in a looseleaf binder. Technology!!!! What a waste of time, of money, of resources! But try explaining that to the dimwits--they'll merely look at you like you are a Neanderthal.

Not everyone must be like Mother Teresa, not at all. I'm not Mother Teresa, will never be like her, don't want to be like her. But we must consider a greater good, within the context of individual freedoms. At the very least, everyone should have to read the first part of The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk (although the reading is a bit tough).

Out to write....