A quick rant

I try to refrain from ranting on here too often, but this is one of those times I just can't help myself. 

I've posted twice about something that really, really bothers me - improper use of ATVs.  You can click here and here to see those rants.  This week I experienced yet another irritating (and dangerous) ATV scenario.  As I was driving down our county road I met a 4-wheeler going top speed with two young girls aboard.  In addition to the usual offenses (underage, riding double, driving on a public road) the driver had one hand off the controls, obviously looking at something on her cellphone!!  Arrrrghhhh!!!!

I have a feeling it's going to be a long summer.  *sigh* 

Ramblings

There wasn't a FreeVerse at Cara's today, so I'll save the entry I had prepared and use it next week. Instead, I'll just ramble a bit.

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When I drove into town for a haircut today I encountered one of my pet peeves on the road. It's a peeve that irritates me so much that I devoted an entire entry to it here. This time it was a pre-teen boy riding a four-wheeler down the middle of the road drinking a soda. He must have been near the bottom of the can since he was tilting his head way back and weaving all over the road in the process! He finally realized I was behind him and eased a little to the left while motioning me with his right hand to pass. I wanted to glare as I went by, but he left me so little room to pass that I had to focus on the road instead. Grrr!!

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Suzy was exploring the living room her first day in the house and made an interesting discovery in the tiny space between the 55 gallon fishtank and the wall. I had wondered what happened to those two giant danios that disappeared!

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Today was one of those fun occasions when an "imaginary friend" became real. (that's how Marion's husband use to refer to her internet pals) Anyway.... Debby and I have e-mailed some and not long ago she suggested we talk on the phone sometime. I tried calling her on her birthday, but nobody was home so I just had to leave my birthday greeting on the answering machine. She let me know when her days off work were and I was able to catch her at home this afternoon. It was a fun visit! I have a feeling we could talk for hours given the time and opportunity. She seemed quite entertained by my southern accent. What she doesn't know is that I was making a conscious effort to not sound too southern so she'd be able to understand me!!

ATVs

My local newspaper recently ran an advertisement sponsored by the Arkansas Children’s Hospital warning about the dangers of ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles).

I hate ATVs, better known in these parts as “4-wheelers”. Don’t get me wrong… used correctly they are wonderful tools. We have owned several over the past twenty or more years and they are ideal for hunting purposes and various chores around the pasture. In fact, I guess to say I hate them is really not correct. What I hate is seeing them used improperly. Unfortunately, living in a rural area this happens far too often.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been caught behind a kid zooming down the road on an ATV. Here’s the scenario: I’m driving down a narrow county road when I come up behind a 4-wheeler with two preteens riding down the middle. The ATV is too large for them, so they look awkward riding it. Add to that neither is wearing a helmet, appropriate clothing on their legs or feet and they’re clipping along at least 45 mph or better (speed limit is 35). One or both repeatedly whip their head around to see how close I am before finally finding a spot they can veer (and I mean veer!) off the road to let me pass. Now, what’s wrong with that? Well, there are legal age restrictions on operating ATVs, they aren’t designed for passengers, and they aren’t supposed to be ridden on public roads. That’s just naming a few things. If you want to know more about ATV safety, ACH has a good set of guidelines here.