Driving For Dummies -3

Police find hit-and-run car

“The child was accompanied by a crossing guard at the intersection, near Kew Beach Public School, when the car drove through a red light and struck her.”

Here’s a few clues.

At 8:40 in the morning in Toronto, traffic is generally at a standstill or a slow crawl. Other people have plenty of time to observe. We are always looking for that gap to squeeze past the car in front. We are vigilant, eyes darting here and there looking for the unusual event that we can turn to our advantage.

At 8:40 in the morning in Toronto, we are sitting in our cars listening to the radio. As soon as this hits the airwaves we are all eager to be the first to comment on this new article. Sorry. We are all eager to be the first to call in the sighting.

Police nowadays often carry cell phones as do, I guess, crossing guards and just about everybody. Whether you like it or not, there is an impenetrable web of gossip flashing overhead and surrounding us all.

Many police have families and children. I bet several police have children of their own, on their own way to school at that hour, in some part of this city. When you hit a child on its way to school, you hit the gut, below the belt, of possibly 25% of the police force, instantly.

The remaining 75% of the police force are on friendly terms with the 25% who have school-age children.

Some of the police are grandparents.

Many of us sitting in traffic, observing, have children.

I’m not sure which of these thoughts might strike a chord with you, so I listed them all as they popped into my mind.

I didn’t put “lynching” in there because I keep thinking of this business of strapping people, offenders mainly, to front fenders of cars.

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