BURNING POEM (Tears are great medicine.)

(The following spilled out of my sleep-deprived consciousness.)

What on earth are you doing in there?

I see your car, now.
Well, I can almost see it,
through the flames that have it fully surrounded.
The smell of the burning plastic
fouls my nose.
The heat keeps would-be rescuers at bay.
What on earth are you doing in there?

I remember, now, that day...
we were at a red light, next to each other.
When I held up my seat belt as a friendly reminder,
I was startled to hear you say that you don't use it.
You explained that you feared being trapped by the belt
if you were to crash and the car caught fire.
What on earth are you doing in there?

The light turned green, and you were gone
before I could ask how you planned to survive a crash
without your seat belt.
I went on my way, wondering,
how could I, a stranger, impress you
with the danger you are putting yourself in.
What on earth are you doing in there?

-gridlocksmith

(This poem is based on a true incident. After I wrote it, I cried.
I feel better, now. Tears are great medicine.)

THE SUDDENLY BLINDED DRIVER

TRUE STORY
as reported by Bo Guss

If there was ever a time to be buckled up...

A beautiful Spring day, with hardly a hint of a cloud in the sky and I was loving it. Heading for downtown D.C. on Massachussetts Avenue (to make a pick-up for the courier company for which I was an independent contractor), I had crossed Wisconsin Avenue and was about to enter an unmarked danger zone.

Perhaps traffic on the other side of the street had at least a clue that workers were down in the sewer, pumping up some sort of grunge. It was flowing down their side, filling and hiding potholes still waiting to be patched up since the previous winter.

After passing the home of the Vice President on Observatory Circle, I could see the British Embassy ahead. Suddenly, I saw nothing. Well, nothing on the other side of the windshield, that is. A car on the other side had hit a pothole full of muck, and I was the recipient who could not duck.

Having just started to change lanes to my right, my first thought was that I was about to be in the midst of a multi-car pile-up. I am happy to report that this did not happen. However, my journey did come to a very abrupt adjournment. As the Brits would say, "smashing!"

It was a lamp post that stood, unharmed by my pathetic wreck of a Mazda GLC. I, too, was unharmed, as I was glad to report to the people who had appeared to check my condition. I had, as always, been wearing the seat belt. Should I call it, "Life Belt?"

I now tell this story with one last caveat, "When you need it, you won't have time to put it on!"

School Bus Seat Belts?

Recently, I read about an accident involving a school bus that plummeted off an overpass, killing a number of students.

The issue of seat belts was raised, with cost being cited as the main objection. I am sure many parents are concerned that the rowdies will use the belts as weapons against others. Such misbehavior is in the realm of certainty, while life-threatening accidents are relatively rare.

The issue is not likely to be resolved any time soon. Meanwhile, a reminder to drivers (and others) could be posted on the buses:

"Please act kindly. We have no seat belts!"

Here is an article about new seat belt designs at Ford. I wonder if they are working on something for bus riders.

PITHY PLATITUDE of the POST

All things at first appear difficult. - Chinese Proverb