Although many Gerontologi sts would disagree, we all know that the elderly are not capable of the control and manipulation it takes to safely operate a motorized vehicle. This includes, lawnmowers (both riding & manual types) bicycles with those ridiculous motors attached, powered wheelchairs, scooters, electric tricycles that they go shopping in and even, dare I say it, even elevators.
Many is the time when I h ave been driving behind an elderly person going at least 15 miles an hour UNDER the posted speed limit...in the PASSING LANE!!! Do they have no conception that there are people who actually have to be at work on time, just because they no longer do the daily grind? Turn signals seem to be hit or miss with these wrinkly folks. Either they do not use them at all or they leave them on while continuing with no intention of changing lanes.
It seems the older the driver, the LARGER the car they must drive. Often you will see an old shriveled man driving a huge Cadillac or Lincoln. They drive these cars so that when they hit people, THEY don't get hurt. They just end up killing poor innocent people who happen to be driving NEAR them at an inopportune moment. Despite what the media tells us, OLDER DRIVERS HAVE MORE ACCIDENTS percentage-wise than younger drivers. The number of accidents involving young drivers is higher because there are more younger people on the road. But if you look at percentages for the respective populations, OLDER PEOPLE have more accidents. My friend Scott and I are tired of reading headlines like "Mildred Oldfuck of Smithville, had heart-attack at wheel, plowed into car, killing three toddlers who had a fucking life. " I would HAPPILY pay more taxes to run little taxi services for them so we could get their slow
Their incapacity regardin g machinery seems to relate to simple electronic devices as well. Computers are a total mystery to seniors (and some younger folks as well) but is there anything more idiot proof than an automatic teller machine. Firstly they ask you in what language you would like directions, simple enough: English, for most. Enter four lousy, pathetic easy to remember numbers called your passcode and then PRESS ENTER: here's where it starts to get tricky.....how many times have you stood behind a blue-haired old woman who does not understand why machine will not give her money and insists it's broken, because she will not press enter to move to next screen??? The reason we have ATM's are for ease and speed of use. If I wanted to stand in line for 15 minutes while someone completed their banking, I would wait inside, where it's air conditioned and I don't have to choke on the exhaust fumes of cars all waiting patiently to use the darn machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!