Pet peeves and other irritants
After being on this earth now for more than a half century, I am still amazed and dumbfounded by the way people drive.
My better half and I were returning to Marion from Newton Thursday evening, via U.S.-50, when the driver of a pickup truck passed us on a hill — in a no passing zone — with a line of semis coming from the opposite direction. The first tractor-trailer that the crazy man met went to the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision.
I didn't even have time to see the tag number of the lawbreaker, write it down, or make peace with God before he was on down the road and passing his next victim.
I guess my age is showing because I'm ready to pull these crazy people over myself and give them a good talking to.
I've been lobbying, to no avail, for a red light and siren on the Record van. I always thought it would come in handy when I'm on my way to an accident scene or sportsman Mike is on his way to a ball game.
That same red light and siren would have been great Thursday evening.
The only problem is no one else would probably see the purpose I could serve and have me put away, if I wasn't shot before that happened.
On top of everything else, Friday morning as I was leaving a convenience store parking lot in Marion, another crazy driver, and I know who she is and where she lives, whipped around me as I was backing up.
I slammed on my brakes and watched as she pulled up to the curb, hopped out, and acted like nothing happened. Could she not see that I was backing out? She came off a side street and just whipped around me.
Geez!!!! Maybe she should have left home three minutes earlier.
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A future aggravation that has me in a knot is all-digital television broadcasting for those who use antennas.
Now who was the ding-dong who came up with that?
According to information on the Federal Communication Commission web site, "all-digital broadcasting will free up frequencies for public safety communications (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue)."
Oh, please.
Somebody's nephew is needing to make a buck at Best Buy so this crazy idea was concocted.
By Feb. 17, 2009, federal law will require all full-power television broadcast stations to stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital formal for over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna.
So this means people who live in rural areas or those who refuse to sign up for services will have to purchase new television sets or wrestle with a converter box.
I know, I know. There's some amazing scientific or electronic reason for all of this but to me it just looks like television and converter manufacturers and retailers are going to make a killing.
If it is really that important, there's got to be an easier and better way to do this that wouldn't require rural America to purchase a new television or juggle another remote control for a converter box.
So, there you have it. My latest list of gripes and complaints.
Whew, I feel better getting all that off my chest.
— SUSAN BERG
