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Dear Angry Mom,
I've been watching you for awhile now and I've made some, hopefully, thought provoking observations. First, your Minivan is not a Ferrari. There really isn't a need to floor it everywhere you go, weave in and out of traffic, and cut people off. I suspect you'll still get to where you need to be without erratic and dangerous driving behavior. Which brings me to my second thought. Clearly you're oblivious to everyone else on the road, probably because of the animated conversation you're having with whoever is on the other end of your cell phone. Constantly turning around to referree your many small children while making huge frantic arm movements while you get the point across to your acquaintance on the phone is likely the cause of your rude and dangerous driving.
In my day, we used to keep two hands on the wheel. At first, I thought I was missing something. Maybe somehow you are able to talk on the phone, drink your gigantic Starbucks, wave your arms wildly, and look every direction except straight ahead while operating a vechicle safely. Turns out I wasn't missing anything, you can't do those things all at once without endangering everyone around you. Thank you for this valuable lesson.
As a parent, I thought I could close with a couple of helpful tidbits I've learned over the years... Try leaving earlier, you may have to start to get the kids ready to go, let's say, more than 30 seconds before you have to walk out the door, but it'll pay off in the end. Kids are kids, if you're late, rather than running everyone off the road to try and "make up time", call the person you're meeting before you leave and let them know you're running a little behind. My guess is they'll understand and appreciate the heads-up. You probably love your children, I know I love mine, so how about waiting to make that really important phone call or answering that "LOL!!" text until you arrive at your destination. Your chances of getting there safely will rise significantly, good stuff!
Good luck out there Angry Mom! We all hope that, with a little work, you wont kill yourself, your kids, or the rest of us innocent folk who actually follow the rules of the road.
Too many generalizations thrown in at the same time. Perhaps because it's an "open letter" but it's unrealistic. Also, why can't it be dads? Why is anything having to do with kids stuff always for mom?
Try managing four kids under 13, driving them to cheer, soccer, swimming, school, doctor's appointments, and play dates while they're screaming in your ear 'Can we have this?, "Can we have that", fighting, throwing stuff, spilling stuff, not following instructions, and messing their diapers.
Try managing four kids under 13, driving them to cheer, soccer, swimming, school, doctor's appointments, and play dates while they're screaming in your ear 'Can we have this?, "Can we have that", fighting, throwing stuff, spilling stuff, not following instructions, and messing their diapers.
None of that is reason to drive like a clueless fool.
Try managing four kids under 13, driving them to cheer, soccer, swimming, school, doctor's appointments, and play dates while they're screaming in your ear 'Can we have this?, "Can we have that", fighting, throwing stuff, spilling stuff, not following instructions, and messing their diapers.
You CHOOSE to have kids. If you cant handle it and drive without endangering the public than DONT DO IT. YOUR kids are not my problem/concern. If you prepare properly you should have no problem driving with your children. But then again if you were better at planning maybe than you wouldnt have had kids that you cant control in the first place.
OP you must've seen the lady I saw yesterday. She was driving a van, had a large dog sitting next to her and her electronic device stitting in her hand on the top of the steering wheel staring away at it, kids in the back seat, weaving all over the road and slowing down then speeding up then slowing down then weaving onto the shoulder, totally oblivious to the outside world...
You CHOOSE to have kids. If you cant handle it and drive without endangering the public than DONT DO IT. YOUR kids are not my problem/concern. If you prepare properly you should have no problem driving with your children. But then again if you were better at planning maybe than you wouldnt have had kids that you cant control in the first place.
Please don't tell me you have kids, because you describe it like it's an on/off switch. None of that is realistic (oops I used that word again). When you're deciding to have children, you don't ask yourself if you're able to control them at every turn. You can only "control" them up to a certain point (maybe you give them games which is also not good for them). Other parents understand it's not easy and many do the best they can. So is your rant for all parents or just the ones who let their kids run wild? If kids are sitting next to you at a family restaurant and they're making some noise but the parents are doing their best to quiet them down, do you get irate or do you "understand"?
This whole thread describes the minority but people jump on it like it's not. People run across a distracted driver at some point last month and proclaim "god people with/from _______ can't drive" like it's a rampant problem. Ridiculous.
I dont judge cuz I don't know. Who know's if she is dealing with an emergency of some sort? May not be the best way to handle one, but we are human, right?
It's easy to observe and pass judgement. Sometimes its fun, but often, we are the ones wrong.
Spending hours upon hours a day on the road, I find the vast majority of people that are distracted on the phone are NOT weaving between traffic.
But, as described by the OP, sounds like dumb rude driving
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