You Hog The Road On Mountain Passes

My wife and I, today, drove from Durango to Grand Junction, CO.  Although most drivers we encountered were cautious and seemed like good mountain drivers, others were not.  While driving on the cliff side, no shoulder, no guard rails, drivers approaching who were on the mountain side hugged and sometimes crossed the double yellow lines around curves.  This gave us cliff side drivers no room for error.  Some of the cliff side road was somewhat undermined or came into the road.  So sometimes we had even less than "no shoulder".  If you had a brain you'd know that it's far less dangerous scrapping the side of the hill than making the oncoming car drop 300-500 feet down into the canyon below.  So if the hill is on your side favor the white line on your right so those coming in the opposite direction, cliff side, can favor the center line.  Three other dangerous situations we encountered was the car passing us in a no passing zone, another tailgating us and several cars , at one point, swerving into my lane to avoid hitting several small rocks on the roadway in their lane.  Where did they expect us to go, over the cliff so they don't hit small rocks?  Stay in your lane and adjust your speed so you can stop for any obstructions.  Just stay out of the cliff-side lane until it's clear of cars.
Coming back, going South, was a bit less disconcerting as more of the time we were on the hill side instead of the cliff side.

You Don't Love Freedom

As a freedom lover watching the decline of freedom in my country, the United States of America, it is difficult for me to understand it when many brave people throughout the world are fighting so hard to preserve or gain theirs.  The Ukraine today and Egypt last year comes to mind.  Other former stalwart countries like Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom that fought so hard during WWII to preserve democracy for the world have also let many of their freedoms disappear.  These countries have, like America is now trying, disarmed their citizens.  Does anyone even remember that during the last century 170,000,000 citizens have been killed by their own governments after they were disarmed.  Many foreign nationals dislike the United States for whatever reason I will never comprehend, but think, where will you go to escape tyranny if America ever becomes a dictatorship.  How many millions have already fled to America.  We are not against aliens, everyone in America is either an alien or a descendant of aliens.  For most of those years when America was developing they came for freedom.  Not to inject their form of tyranny into America.  If you want the same here as in your country, why don't you just stay there?  We don't want any form of tyranny, dictatorship or control over us by our or any government entity.  I salute all, throughout the world, who are brave and fighting for freedom.

You're visiting in Durango, Colorado and Don't Visit Ponga's Pool Hall

If you like to shoot pool it's sometimes difficult to find a place to play when you're visiting or vacationing in another city that you may not be familiar with.  You may be concerned about the reputation of the pool hall but at Ponga's Pool Hall and Nightclub you can rest easy.  My wife and I play there almost every Friday afternoon and into the evening ever since we moved to Durango four months ago.  The clientele and the employees are very friendly and consists of a variety of people.  Young, middle age, old(er), singles and many couples play there.  Although some females may be somewhat apprehensive in going into a "pool hall" you will quickly lose any concerns and thoroughly enjoy playing there.  Of course the full service bar adds another positive feature to the place as well as a DJ and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights, and games.
Ponga's Pool Hall and Nightclub is located in the Historic downtown district just off Main Ave. at 121 W. 8th St., Durango, CO 81301.  For more information you can call 970-382-8554 or visit their web site Ponga's Pool Hall and Nightclub. 
(I'm writing about Ponga's without remuneration.  As my other Posts indicate, I'm solely concerned about Safety and this place is.)

You Tailgate.

Although I've mentioned this in several other Posts there's (almost) always someone behind me that is tailgating.  If you insist on being that close to me why don't we just car pool.  Another great idea is why don't I just tow your car.  It would save you a lot of gas.  Many times you're that close anyway.  I'm an advocate of the two-second rule even though the high school driving classes are teaching a four-second rule, which is a joke.  No one follows the four-second rule.  Most young drivers follow the one-half-second rule.  The leading cause of death of young drivers is tailgating.
When I tap my brakes several times it's not because I don't know the difference between the gas and brake pedals.  And, when I frantically wave at you and slow way down it's not because I know you or want to pick you up.  No.  It's because you're stupid and following too close putting me in danger.  And what about you cowardly passengers; afraid to say something.  The driver is placing your life in danger also.  Statistics show that it's the passenger(s) that gets killed or crippled.  What would you think about the jerk, because of his immature driving, who crippled you for life.  It's your life - say something.  If you're a girl and you believe that the jerk will continue dating you, marry you and give you beautiful children after turning you into a quadraplegic you're more stupid than him.
What is the four-second rule?  At night, low visibility, unfamiliar roads, etc., three-second rule.  Rain, sleet, snow, slippery streets, mountain driving with many curves, four-second rule, and slow down. 

You Wait Longer Than You Have To

Some things are worth waiting for, but many are not. You should arrive at your appointment on time, and you usually do, but the person who you are to see and gave you the appointment should also see you when he told you. Medical offices are notorious for making you wait, for what? Was there an emergency or merely overbooking. My limit is one hour. The few times that I went up to the desk and told the clerk/receptionist that I was leaving they were flabbergasted. Of course you shouldn't leave if blood is gushing out of your body but if it's something that can wait just make another appointment and leave. (If you gush blood all over the receptionist she'll get you in very quickly). If everyone who didn't have a true emergency would leave after an hour then the appointment makers would change their schedules/appointments so we would not have to wait - sometimes for hours.

You Don't Maintain Speed Uphill

Most people love a roller-coaster ride.  Although going very slow uphill the anticipation builds as you know that the downhill side will be very fast and exhilarating.  This, of course, should be saved when riding on a roller-coaster, not while driving your car.  By not maintaining your speed uphill on the highway the cars behind you have to slow down causing the cars behind them to also slow down.  By the time you get to the top of the hill cars have bunched up and you've caused a traffic hazard as the other drivers are angry and will try to pass, sometimes not safely.  Also the drivers behind you think you're an idiot and the reason they think so is that you are an idiot.
I have seen signs at the bottom of hills that say, "Maintain Speed Uphill."  Do you really have to be told this?  Now that you're over the crest of the hill you still maintain the same pressure on the accelerator (gas pedal) and therefore start to speed up making it harder for the cars behind you to pass and making the other drivers more aggravated.  So here are some tips:

You Don't Press The CLEAR Button

After finishing gassing up your car you should push the CLEAR button on the gas pump.  The clear button is located on the left hand bottom of the key pad, to the left of the # 0.  Without clearing others can use your credit information to get gas from your card.  Only when another purchaser inserts their credit or debit card does your information clear if you didn't clear your purchase.  Although a lot of information about this has not been disseminated it stands to reason of why the CLEAR button was added to the keypad.  Obviously this warning doesn't pertain to cash customers.

You Don't Secure Your Garbage Can

I, like many, live near a wooded area where bears live.  The right side of my property borders on a 770 acre game preserve, therefore I keep my garbage can inside my garage.  I spoke with a lady yesterday who also lives in my town who told me that although she secures her garbage can her neighbor doesn't.  For the last two days a bear walked across her driveway going to a "picnic" at her neighbors unsecured garbage can.  Last week a black bear was in the street in front of my house.  After examining my neighbor's car, he probably didn't like the make and model, he ambled down the street, up the driveway of one of my neighbors, two houses away, trashed his outside garbage can and left through his backyard.  To his credit he, my neighbor not the bear, now puts his garbage can in his garage.  It should go without saying (then why am I saying it) that encounters between humans and bears never seem to go well.

You Pick Up A Plastic Bottle Bomb.

(Note:  You may want to forward this to your friends and family.)

Everyone needs to know this and be careful!!!

Vandals are putting Drano, tin foil, and a little water in plastic drink bottles and capping it up - leaving it on lawns, in mail boxes, in gardens, on driveways etc. just waiting for you to pick it up intending to put it in the rubbish, but you'll never make it!!!
If the bottle is picked up, and the bottle is shaken even just a little - in about 30 seconds or less it builds up enough gas which then explodes with enough force to remove some of your extremities. The liquid that comes out is boiling hot as well.
Don't pick up any plastic bottles that may be lying in your yards or in the gutter, etc.
 
Pay attention to this. A plastic bottle with a CAP.  A little Drano. A little water. A small piece of foil.  Disturb it by moving it; and BOOM!!
No fingers left and other serious effects to your face, eyes, etc.

snopes.com: Drano Bottle Bombs; http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb