I just got another email about a kid dying, going to heaven and coming back which gives me an excellent opening to talk about garage doors. Modern automatic doors all have seeing-eye electronic safety device so the door won't close if there is an obstruction beneath the door, such as a young child underneath which is what occurred in this heavenly tale. This situation had to occur with an older garage door without the electronic eye - safety device. If you have an older door without it you should have the device installed. "What do you think I'm stupid? Of course I have one on my garage door." Yes, I think you're stupid if you've had it for years and never tested it, at least annually, to see if it still works.
Now that you're proud of yourself for going out and testing your system and now feel that your family is safe - think again. Did you test the crush-proof feature of your garage door?
You Put Your Life In The Hands Of The Driver In Front Of You.
I've mentioned tailgating in another Post but obviously few drivers take it to heart even though it's illegal to follow too closely. When you do you're putting your life in the drivers hands in the car ahead of you. Who is that driver you're following too close? Did he just have a fight with his/her wife/husband? Is he a new driver that will panic when he sees you on top of him? Many drivers panic and quickly change lanes without regard whether a car is next/near him and he doesn't have the room. If his maneuver causes an accident with the other car it will be directly in front of you and you won't have time to stop and will be involved in the accident also. Did he just steal the car and doesn't care what happens to it or to himself - or especially to you?
You Park On Street Directly Across A Driveway
Most people/drivers who have to back out of their driveway, unless on a busy street, don't pay much attention to parked cars as in most cases there is no car parked directly across their driveway. If you park there he may very well back into your car, especially if he is going in the direction of the opposing travel lane. Even if he notices your car and doesn't hit it, or shoot out your tires, it's harder for him to negotiate around your car - which is not fair. So be a good neighbor and if you have to park on the street do so where it won't interfere with his turning radius. As good fences make good neighbors, courtesy goes a long way towards that end.
You Keep Fireplace Ashes Inside Your Home
Christmas day fire kills 7-year-old twins, a 9-year-old and the grandparents. (Associated Press story). The mother said she was concerned about the bag of ashes that her boyfriend placed on a plastic bin in the mud room. She dismissed her worry because she saw her boyfriend run his hand through the ashes. Ashes in a paper bag, on a plastic bin, both highly flammable.
When I bought my house in January of this year I went to a hardware store to buy a metal bucket with a lid to put my fireplace ashes in. The clerk stated that even though the bucket is made of metal, ashes can burn right through the bucket, so always immediately put it outside in a safe place.
Running your hands through ashes does not guarantee that you'll come in contact with the few remaining hot ashes. Even with a metal bucket I never cleaned out the fireplace until the next day and sometimes several days if I had a fire that burned most of the night.
When I bought my house in January of this year I went to a hardware store to buy a metal bucket with a lid to put my fireplace ashes in. The clerk stated that even though the bucket is made of metal, ashes can burn right through the bucket, so always immediately put it outside in a safe place.
Running your hands through ashes does not guarantee that you'll come in contact with the few remaining hot ashes. Even with a metal bucket I never cleaned out the fireplace until the next day and sometimes several days if I had a fire that burned most of the night.
You Surrender To A Criminal's Demands
I've started a survival series on my Facebook page. I'm up to Post #8 and will probably go to 15 Posts. If interested go to: www.facebook.com/norbert.tanguay. The basic premise of survival is to never surrender. If you surrender to an enemy or a criminal you leave your life in the hands of a deranged mind. I would not feel comfortable doing that. Would you? Items like never getting in a strangers car even at gunpoint, allowing yourself to be tied up, or submitting and going along with his demands/requests. Doing so, as you will see by the examples, the victim has always come out much worse and most times killed anyway. Some of these/my ideas have and will continue to be posted at this web site also. Stay safe. Never surrender.
You Shift Into Reverse Before Everyone Is In The Car
Your kid, friend, or wife opens the door to get in. If the car starts to go backward the person is pinned behind the door. That person, generally, is not thinking about whether the car will move backward and that the door will knock them down and maybe be run over. Their mind is on getting in the car.
Of course you think it's safe as you have your foot on the brake, but if it slips or for some reason you reduce the pressure on the pedal the car will start backwards. After being knocked down the bottom of the door will most probably, unless very skinny, grab them and drag them until you stop the car. So why take the chance. Wait until everyone is safely in the vehicle and all doors are closed before shifting into reverse.
Even if you don't care about your family members or friends, think about the door being ripped off of the car backing out of the garage.
Of course you think it's safe as you have your foot on the brake, but if it slips or for some reason you reduce the pressure on the pedal the car will start backwards. After being knocked down the bottom of the door will most probably, unless very skinny, grab them and drag them until you stop the car. So why take the chance. Wait until everyone is safely in the vehicle and all doors are closed before shifting into reverse.
Even if you don't care about your family members or friends, think about the door being ripped off of the car backing out of the garage.
You Get In The Car
I'm not talking about going for a ride with your family and friends but about strangers who ask you to get in their car or threaten you, even with a gun, to get in his car. Never get in the car. Never.
How
many times out of how many times is never. Is it 4 out of 5 times that you shouldn't get in the car or is it 9 out of 10 times. Never is none
of any number of times. If he points a gun at you and threatens to
shoot - don't get in the car. Run in
the opposite direction that the car is facing. Most probably he won't
shoot, if he shoots he'll probably miss, if you are shot you have an 85%
chance of survival. With all of this your survival rate is near 99%.
If you get in the car, taken to a deserted place where he can torture
you for hours, rape you multiple times and most probably kill you, your
survival rate is about 1% vs. 99%. So run, run, run, to a safer place.
Think about it now. Don't wait until the situation arises as it is not
the time to spend time to think what you should do. Don't even
hesitate for a 1/2 second, run immediately. Now repeat after me: Don't
get in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car,
run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get
in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car,
run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get
in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run.
Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in the car, run. Don't get in
the car, run. Did I mention to never get in the car? If you do,
you've given him full control over you. It is now his decision whether to let you live or kill you. You are now totally at his mercy - which he has none.
You Don't Look At The Backup Lights
The backup lights on cars are white in color even though they are in the back of the car. White light(s) mean the car is coming towards you, whether they are in the front, head lights, or in back, backup lights.. Red lights mean the car is standing still or going away from you.
A few days ago two elderly ladies were walking in an aisle in the parking lot of a grocery store. They did not observe the cars (white lights) backup lights were lit and continued to cross in back of the car. The car hit both of them, one died, the other in serious condition. (Remember, white lights means the car is coming toward you). Most drivers park front-in the space so they have to back up to leave after shopping. Cars are leaving very frequently so whenever walking in back of cars you should always observe whether someone is in the driver's seat or if the (white lights) back up lights are on before crossing in back of the car. Stay Alert, Stay Safe.
A few days ago two elderly ladies were walking in an aisle in the parking lot of a grocery store. They did not observe the cars (white lights) backup lights were lit and continued to cross in back of the car. The car hit both of them, one died, the other in serious condition. (Remember, white lights means the car is coming toward you). Most drivers park front-in the space so they have to back up to leave after shopping. Cars are leaving very frequently so whenever walking in back of cars you should always observe whether someone is in the driver's seat or if the (white lights) back up lights are on before crossing in back of the car. Stay Alert, Stay Safe.
You Don't Kill The Squirrel
PETA and the ASPCA will probable be all over me for this title but it's not about going out to kill squirrels, it's about safe driving. The point is that it's better to kill the squirrel on the road in front of your car than veering off the road into a tree or down a steep embankment. If you do either one of these you and/or a passenger will be injured or killed.
A friend of a friend of mine told me a few weeks ago that her friend's son veered off the road to avoid a squirrel, tried to climb a tree (the car, not the squirrel) and rolled the car over. Fortunately, in this case, he was alone and only suffered a minor injury to a thumb. The driver is a new licensee, only a few weeks, without much experience so he can be excused but we can all learn, new or experienced, and get it in our minds now, thinking over and over what we'd do in like circumstances.
A friend of a friend of mine told me a few weeks ago that her friend's son veered off the road to avoid a squirrel, tried to climb a tree (the car, not the squirrel) and rolled the car over. Fortunately, in this case, he was alone and only suffered a minor injury to a thumb. The driver is a new licensee, only a few weeks, without much experience so he can be excused but we can all learn, new or experienced, and get it in our minds now, thinking over and over what we'd do in like circumstances.
