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Show fEATTLE Creek Influenced by the ever-mounting traffic death rate on Utah's highways, high-ways, this writer would like to pass along an article which appeared ap-peared in Roy E. Gibson's "REG-ularly "REG-ularly Speaking" column in the Nephi, Utah, "Times-News". In-cidently In-cidently it is a reprint from the Chicago Daily News, in the form of a letter to an automobile driver the likes of whom we have many on our State highways. Dear Friend: You may think you are a good driver, and perhaps you are. But I'd like you to keep in mind that most of your "skillful" "skill-ful" driving is due to other more cautious motorists. Anybody can whip along the road as fast and as carelessly as you were going. There's no trick to that the new cars are loaded with power and pickup too much so, I'm afraid. Just remember that it was my alertness that prevented an accident acci-dent on the hill, not yours. And the driver who was approaching us also had to brake suddenly and swerve in order to save your life and his. It is not your courage and dexterity dex-terity that has kept you alive as long as this, but the prudence and politness of other motorists. You have been treading on their good will and sense of self-preservation. I wish it were possible to point out to you that your kind of driving driv-ing is nothing but bad manners- it is not heroic, or adverturous or manly. Suppose you ran down the crowded street, pushing people out of the way, knocking packages out of ladies hands and kicking ing children into the gutter. What would be so herioic or manly about that? Nothing of course. Then why do you suppose that having 2,000 pounds of steel under you makes it any better? There's nothing to be proud of in driving fast any fool can do that. It's a fonn of cowardice to threathen other drives, not courage. Suppsoe you beat me on the getaway or up the hill? What does that prove? Nothing, except that the car you bought is faster. You didn't make it; it's a commercial product. Anybody can buy one like it and anybody can drive with maniacal disregard for safety. saf-ety. So don't take any pride in your deadly accomplishments. A real man is considerate and polite and takes chances only when it counts, when his honor and his conscience calls for it. On the highway, most o fall, it's easy to tell the men from the morons, for the men have to save the morons from the consequences of their foolish and needless bravado. Thanks "REG" for this assist in our weekly chores. The letter was just too good not to pass it along to our readers. So long 'til Friday. |