HEADLIGHTS ON PLEASE
People, who don’t turn on their headlights at dawn, or dusk, or during rain storms, anger me. That’s really not the word that I wanted to use, but I’m trying to be nice here by keeping it clean.
Seriously though, some people just don’t seem to grasp the concept that turning on their headlights makes them easier to be seen. It’s not a matter of them being able to see. This is for their safety as well as the safety of everyone else. Maybe they can see me, but what if I can’t see them?
I live in the sunny south and especially down here in Florida, there are lots of people in my age bracket (and well beyond) still driving. BREAKING NEWS! WE DON’T SEE AS WELL AS WE ONCE DID! Not only that, but OUR REFLEXES AREN’T QUITE AS QUICK AS THEY ONCE WERE. I and most of them (maybe we should amend that to many of them) are still very capable drivers, but given the obvious, why would you not want to give yourself every possible opportunity to avoid getting smacked by someone like me.
Mostly, I’d just like someone to explain to me what the benefit is for not turning on your headlights. Do they think they’re saving on their battery? Do they think they’ll be getting better gas mileage? Just what possible benefit do they derive from not turning them on and is it anywhere near as valuable as the lives they put in danger? When I see some idiot driving without their lights on when we all know it’s time that they should be, rather than flash my lights off and on, which is what I’ve done for years, I now hit them with my bright lights. You’d be surprised how often their bright lights hit me right back. Mission accomplished.
And what about the idiots who turn on only their parking lights? Please! Someone tell me just why would they do that? Obviously they realized it was time for lights, but why only their parking lights? (And by the way, they are called “PARKING LIGHTS” for a reason.) They aren’t parking, they aren’t saving on their battery, or getting better gas mileage and if they are, it’s certainly not enough to take the chance of some old fart like me hitting them, is it? I’m begging for somebody to please explain that one to me….. Seriously, if there is a legitimate explanation, I’d really like to hear it. I’m old, but I’m still open minded and I’m very willing to learn something new.
People!!!! Listen to me!!! When it rains, or when it starts to get dark, or early in the morning when all us old farts think we absolutely have to be out there on the road during your rush to get to, or from work, please turn on your damn headlights, so we don’t run your ass down.
Oh, and while we’re on the subject,,,,, .....our hearing has gotten bad too,,,,, you might just as well lay off the damn horn. Besides, all that horn blowing is wasting your battery life too. Save the energy from all that horn blowing and turn your damn lights on.
This article is by Richard Lee King..... All rights are hereby waved, please pass it on.