SEAT BELT REMINDERS

IMPORTANT REMINDER
FAILURE TO BUCKLE UP MAY BE FATAL!

Should this be a bumpersticker?
( Whaddayaknow, I think it is! )
Could a shirt be the next snicker?
(Complete with red car collision biz!)

I am thinking of an old friend who "always" buckled up... but forgot on the worst possible day: the day she totaled her car! She spent months in the hospital, and may have painful reminders for the rest of her life. The price for forgetting can be expensive, indeed!

During the years since, I have developed an interesting technique for gently reminding people to consider activating their life protection devices -- aka, seat belts. I suspect that it may have prolonged a number of lives.

If it appears that the driver in question may be of questionable character, or seems downright thuggish, I would pause to consider if this is one of those rare people who might respond with hostility. Oh, well, we can't save everyone.

Some just shrug or hoist a nose.
(I never lose any sleep over those.)


THE PROCEDURE

While stopped at a lite,
I wave as I'm smiling,
To show that I'm friendly,
Though not too beguiling.

If the prospect smiles, too,
Then, is surely deserving
of the helpful reminder
I soon will be serving.

It's showtime's bliss,
As I hoist up my belt,
Then give it a kiss.
You might think it could melt.

Though puzzling, at first,
This uncommon scene,
Was far from the worst
That ever was seen.

Laughter then came,
Though not to the max,
Still, was enough
To let one relax.

So, brain cells break loose,
And someone is chuckling,
And, what do you know,
A seat belt is buckling.

Then, a window,
Downward cranks.
The smiling face
Offers, "Thanks."

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GRIDLOCKSMITH store now on Zazzle

This is one of the first dozen bumper stickers in the new store at Zazzle.com. Note the subtle humor of our courteous "PLEASE!" being run down. Oh, well.

Coming soon, tee shirts with pathetic poetry posted on the backs. Betcha can't wait for this one...

"Road Rage Remedy"
-gridlocksmith.com

The gridlocksmith is a fellow
Who likes the traffic mellow,
But, when drivers intrude,
With attitudes, rude,
He sometimes used to bellow!

He soon saw that was folly.
So, to make himself quite jolly,
He said, "Yessiree, Bob,
They're doing a fine job;
They keep me alert, by golly!"

If that's not pithily platitudinous, what is?

Still gotta eat. Can anybody spare some bread?

"Will traffic safety advocate for food."

BE A PLAYER

Traffic safety is very serious business. People are killed and injured on the road every day. We have to be alert and cautious.

But, I believe in fun. If something is not fun, it is not being done right. So, there's a game that I want to encourage people to play, while driving. It is called, "Who Can I Help, Next?"

Just by being helpful - leaving room for lane-changers, not blocking intersections and driveways, looking for folks trying to unpark, and any other way we can be thoughtful of others will increase the mellow quotient in traffic. That's how the game is played. If you choose to become a player, you will be rewarded with warm fuzzies, and a relaxed feeling that will do your heart good. It will ease stress on all of us, and make driving more fun.

You can help support gridlocksmith, just by shopping here. There are many shops in the Zazzle Mall, including: Disney, Discovery Channel, and many more.

PILE-UP POSSE

No blood shed, here.

If you just have to crash cars, this is how to do it.
If you truly crave the impact, there are "Bumper Cars" on the midway. Yee-haw!

We all know folks that we care about,
who use the roads with high hopes of arriving safely at their destinations.
We owe it to them to refrain from being too playful while on the road.

BE SAFE DURING THE BIG WEEKEND!

It is a big weekend, and one that is famous for traffic concerns. Folks eager to make use of the dwindling summer are joined on the road by others who are heading off to college, etc. Each driver seems to view the others as obstacles, rather than humans. We need to resist the pull to objectify one another, and respect and treat others the way we wish them to treat us.

By driving gently and thoughtfully, we increase our chance of survival.. uh oh.. I feel my inner peripatetic poet coming on...

Remember: your arrival
Depends on your survival.

(groan! In light of this, no Pithy Platitudes, today. You have suffered enough.)

Please, be kind to each other, and enjoy a safe weekend.

Oh, yes...


RECENTLY, while rummaging about in a box of stuff, I came across these buttons. Yes, the one on the right is faded and scratched, while the other seems in very good condition, indeed. At my age, I know how the faded fellow feels. No one took credit for producing these reminders to "Buckle Up." If any one knows, please, share.

JUDGE NOT...IF YOU'RE AN ERRHEAD

By now, most everyone has heard of the story about the Maryland judge who let the air out of someone's tire. (Talk about a heavy penalty for parking in the wrong spot!) He felt that leaving a note would not be effective.

My question: What if the other driver came back just then, and would have moved out of the space, making it available for hizzonner? A flat tire, then, would hardly be in the judge's best interest.

Reminds one of the story from the French Revolution... bread was in short supply. Mob response: burn down the bakery!

Could this be the same judge who, years ago, found me guilty after the officer explained that the ticket was written in error? If so, an errhead, he must truly be.

PITHY PLATITUDES

When angry, count ten before you speak;
if very angry, a hundred.
- Thomas Jefferson

Do we ever speak louder than our actions?
-gridlocksmith

"Will traffic safety advocate for food."

YAKKING WHILE DRIVING IS OK...

...but, on a cell phone? Nooo-noo-no!

During a recent visit to The Partnership for Safe Driving, this article, "The Partnership for Safe Driving Thanks and Stands with the National Safety Council" caught my eye. The issue in question was... distracted driving and cell phones. Not surprisingly, they see a connection that we should all be aware of in the National Safety Council article, "Hands-Free Phones No Safer Than Handheld Phones."

The reason there is little difference in the amount of distraction is simple. We don't think with our hands.

"But.. how is that any different from talking with passengers?" one might ask.

Most aware passengers will consider traffic conditions before asking the driver to ponder a perplexing query. Their own safety is in the balance of your attention. Besides, no passenger wants to hear, "You're really distracting me from driving safely. Would you like to get out at the next bus stop?"

On the other hand, the person on the other end of the phone call is totally unaware of where you are, traffic-wise, and can provide distracting comments at the very worst moments.

PITHY PLATITUDES:

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box. - Italian Proverb

But, if your playing chess through the mail,
or on the phone, after the pieces are put away,
the fate of one set is separate from the other.
-gridlocksmith

"Will traffic safety advocate for food."