Lanny Chambers wrote:

> Hmph. I hit a deer once with my '68 Mustang. Definitely the deer's
> fault--it had almost crossed the road, and I had plenty of room to pass
> behind it. But then it turned around and doubled back. I'd slowed to
> about 20 when it flung itself under my wheels. Didn't damage my car. I'm
> always proud to be chosen as an agent of natural selection. :-)

I would certainly rather hit a deer at 20 mph in a 1968 Mustang than at
60 mph in a 1996 Miata.

> I used to. But now I'm not so sure I want to share the road with
> teenagers in bass-thumping Hondas practicing their weight transfers
> while talking on cellphones. Not everyone is cut out to be a race
> driver. After all, *someone* has to fry all those burgers.

I never suggested teaching people to be race car drivers, just the
opposite in fact. Anyone wanting to be a race car driver will learn from
a far better place than driver's education.

What I am talking about is at least having the teacher mention that you
should not slam on the brakes in a corner, how to counter-steer
properly, etc.

I agree that cell phones are a problem and as much as I hate adding new
laws, I think that using them while driving should be banned everywhere
for both teenagers and adults.

> The world is a different place now. In my high school, the only kids
> with their own cars were taking 12th grade for the third time. Even they
> weren't allowed to park on the school grounds.

It certainly is different. I didn't park on school grounds because they
could search your vehicle there at random, and my vehicle at that time
was a 1982 Ford Econoline with custom interior.
Parking down the street seemed wiser to me, and no, I did not go to
Ridgemont High. ;-)

Pat