Topic: What would you have done?

[The Mighty Duck]

Its not just seniors. On a drive yesterday to warm up the lubes for an oil change, two drivers coasted at 20 clicks through stops signs...both were well under 40...both were from the same ethnic background (just an observation).

Next time keep it to yourself. 

[safristi]

What would you have done?

Exactly what you did.

Me too.

Yep....and to the people who's responses were a little more, um, harsh. Ever hear of karma?.....

      They DOBODYWORK.....................

[Angry Chicken]

Its not just seniors. On a drive yesterday to warm up the lubes for an oil change, two drivers coasted at 20 clicks through stops signs...both were well under 40...both were from the same ethnic background (just an observation).

What's that supposed to mean?   

[Angry Chicken]

I was parked at a strip mall the other day when an elderly lady driving a late-model Honda Accord pulled out of the stall next to me. She turned out too sharply and I heard and felt a thump. I got out of the car and stopped her, telling the bewildered-looking old girl she had just hit my car and that she needed to stay there while I had a look at the damage, which amounted to a few small scrapes on the lower rear bumper just aft of the wheelwell. I didn't think the damage was worth going through the hassle of dealing with insurance and all so I told the lady to forget it. I fixed the damage with some touch-up paint and it's pretty much invisible now. What would you have done?

PS - I noticed that the old dear's Accord had paint scrapes on both ends of the front bumper, so she'd obviously had a few close encounters before. 

I think you did exactly the right thing.  She might've learned something from the incident, but I doubt it given that her late model car already showed a couple of blemishes.  I guess you could have called the police, but as it stands people over a certain age in Ontario have to have annual driving tests anyway IIRC.  She must have passed hers.

[Schmengie]

I was parked at a strip mall the other day when an elderly lady driving a late-model Honda Accord pulled out of the stall next to me. She turned out too sharply and I heard and felt a thump. I got out of the car and stopped her, telling the bewildered-looking old girl she had just hit my car and that she needed to stay there while I had a look at the damage, which amounted to a few small scrapes on the lower rear bumper just aft of the wheelwell. I didn't think the damage was worth going through the hassle of dealing with insurance and all so I told the lady to forget it. I fixed the damage with some touch-up paint and it's pretty much invisible now. What would you have done?

PS - I noticed that the old dear's Accord had paint scrapes on both ends of the front bumper, so she'd obviously had a few close encounters before. 

I think you did exactly the right thing.  She might've learned something from the incident, but I doubt it given that her late model car already showed a couple of blemishes.  I guess you could have called the police, but as it stands people over a certain age in Ontario have to have annual driving tests anyway IIRC.  She must have passed hers.

The police here (RCMP) only respond to serious crashes or crashes involving injuries. AFAIK here in BC people over 80 are supposed to have annual tests as well, but for reasons I don't understand it doesn't seem to be enforced. I was totally shocked when my father-in-law got a 5-year renewal last summer at age 87 without any testing at all! All he had to do was answer a few simple questions, pay his fee and that was it. 

[jamie1]

You did the right thing. Getting a license taken away can be a hard process. My own father would not give up driving. My brother talked to his doctor about his driving and he had my dads license taken away. Dad fought good and hard to get it back and he did. There is no way he should be driving and thank god he rarely drives now. Don't even get me started on my mom.

[Schmengie]

You did the right thing. Getting a license taken away can be a hard process. My own father would not give up driving. My brother talked to his doctor about his driving and he had my dads license taken away. Dad fought good and hard to get it back and he did. There is no way he should be driving and thank god he rarely drives now. Don't even get me started on my mom.

Well, I wish you luck. If our experience is any indication, you'll need it.

In BC the situation's even worse if you live in a smaller town like we do. The provincial government has a testing program for elderly or disabled drivers called DriveAble, but it only has two testing centers, one in Kelowna and the other in the Lower Mainland somewhere IIRC. I think the government clerks feel sorry for these poor folks, especially if they complain how difficult it is for them to travel, and find a way to give them a break. I can understand that, but that doesn't make it right.

Trying to get a referral to DriveAble in the first place is a story in itself.

[rrocket]

I would have got her to pay for everything.  Repairs, loaner car, you name it. Why should an oldie get a "pass"?  Would you have been so kind if it was a snot nosed teenager or a younger driver?

[Schmengie]

I would have got her to pay for everything.  Repairs, loaner car, you name it. Why should an oldie get a "pass"?  Would you have been so kind if it was a snot nosed teenager or a younger driver?

That's a good question. I gave the old girl a pass not because of her age but because the damage which was so slight, definitely NOT worth putting up with the hassle of an insurance claim. After I fixed it with a touch-up pen it isn't visible even up close.

I think I would've done the same for a younger driver, but I might've been a bit angrier.

What we really need is a fair, reliable way to get unsafe older drivers off the road while preserving their dignity and independance. The DriveAble program is great on paper, in practice it's a farce. Just taking licenses away isn't the answer.

[tenpenny]

In New Brunswick, it was almost impossible for the police to take a senior's license. The only way it could realistically be done was with a doctor's note saying the person was no longer fit to drive. Many doctor's simply didn't want to do that, or were unaware of the situation.

My grandmother had a few minor accidents (hitting her garage, rear ending another car) before she finally decided to give it up voluntarily.

It's really tough on the doctors; many doctors have known these patients for years, decades even, and the patients can get mean, nasty, and abusive when the doctors try to bring up the concept of no longer driving...some people get really, really nasty toward their doctor for 'taking away my license', and it can be really hard on everyone involved.  I've known doctors who have been threatened for doing so.

[Schmengie]

In New Brunswick, it was almost impossible for the police to take a senior's license. The only way it could realistically be done was with a doctor's note saying the person was no longer fit to drive. Many doctor's simply didn't want to do that, or were unaware of the situation.

My grandmother had a few minor accidents (hitting her garage, rear ending another car) before she finally decided to give it up voluntarily.

It's really tough on the doctors; many doctors have known these patients for years, decades even, and the patients can get mean, nasty, and abusive when the doctors try to bring up the concept of no longer driving...some people get really, really nasty toward their doctor for 'taking away my license', and it can be really hard on everyone involved.  I've known doctors who have been threatened for doing so.

+2. That's EXACTLY how my father-in-law reacted. Now he refuses to even see his doctor anymore.

[Bullet Blue]

This exact same thing happened to a friend and I at the grocery store. Some old woman in an Accent hit my friend's Cooper S (how do you even hit a Mini anyway? It's so small!  ) while trying to park. We were still parked at the time. The crazy thing was she didn't even realize that she had hit us. She got out and starting to walk inside the store like nothing had happened.

My friend is so passive that he was willing to just let it go, but I ran up to the woman and pointed out what she had done. When she realized, I thought she was going to have a heart attack on the spot. Since the damage was minimal we just told her not to worry about it, but I had to make her aware of what she had done and the seriousness of it if it was a kid or something.

[blizzard35]

I'd make the authorities aware of this person's poor driving.  If the result was her losing her license, mission accomplished.

Agree totally....however I would also have made her pay for the damages, regardless of how small they were...you "don't" and shouldn't make excuses because of someones age.  The o/p's property was damaged, the guilty party needs to acknowledge that they were at fault....make restitution, end of discussion, IMO.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

It's really tough on the doctors; many doctors have known these patients for years, decades even, and the patients can get mean, nasty, and abusive when the doctors try to bring up the concept of no longer driving...some people get really, really nasty toward their doctor for 'taking away my license', and it can be really hard on everyone involved.  I've known doctors who have been threatened for doing so.

I really don't think the onus should have been placed on the doctors. Legislation should have been passed requiring a periodic re-test past a given age. The police and courts should be used to pull the license of anyone they can demonstrate is no longer fit to drive.

[triuman]

Get her info...go to a body shop, get an estimate. Call her, demand the payment...then fix it myself, and pocket the money.

Agreed 

[tenpenny]

It's really tough on the doctors; many doctors have known these patients for years, decades even, and the patients can get mean, nasty, and abusive when the doctors try to bring up the concept of no longer driving...some people get really, really nasty toward their doctor for 'taking away my license', and it can be really hard on everyone involved.  I've known doctors who have been threatened for doing so.

I really don't think the onus should have been placed on the doctors. Legislation should have been passed requiring a periodic re-test past a given age. The police and courts should be used to pull the license of anyone they can demonstrate is no longer fit to drive.

There was an interesting show on CBC radio (I think it was one episode of White Coat Black Art), which talked about this - we as a society need to find a way to help seniors scale back - things like not driving any longer, no longer living independently, all of the things that seniors have to stop doing.  So much of the time,  there isn't a good system to make it all work.

[rrocket]

Senior represent as significant a risk to drive as new drivers.  This is an easy fix.

[tenpenny]

Senior represent as significant a risk to drive as new drivers.  This is an easy fix.

Pray tell us.

[Schmengie]

Senior represent as significant a risk to drive as new drivers.  This is an easy fix.

 So what would you do, arbitrarily set an age when people can't drive anymore? What age?

 I know of people in their forties who can't drive because of unexpected medical conditions. I also knew a fellow a few years ago who was sharp as a tack and still driving safely in his ninties.

 If it's testing you're talking about, they're supposedly doing that here already but it doesn't work for reasons I've already outlined.

 What we need is a system not only responsive to public safety needs but the needs of these people as well. We should remember that we're all going to be there some day.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I've got your solution right here!

RENEW! RENEW!