Emergency Planning

Fathers

Here is a video of Matt Bonner singing one of the songs his daughter EV, aged two must have taught him. He is singing this in Montreal at the Pop vs Jock challenge. It has been suggested he not give up his day job. I am sure his daughter does not agree as she is one of his biggest fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCvwIiSyys&feature=player_embedded

EV is always singing. She is a very happy two year old used to having her father singing to her through Skype on the computer when he is playing out of town games. For now EV has her Daddy around a little more due to the Lock Out with the NBA.

Enjoy Matt's version of I'm a Little Tea Pot.

Until next time.

Travel for Seniors/Disabled

Just got back from another trip. This was one was on a charter plane to Jamaica. Did you know that the seats on these charter planes are only 17 inches across? Well I need 19 inches and my travel companion needs 23 inches. You know where we are getting the extra needed space from don't you? We are having to borrow it from the seats beside us since we spill over into their space. One airline I have heard is now charging extra if this happens and have you pay for an additional seat each. If two larger than Airline designated averaged sized people require a few extra inches why not provide larger seats where you pay an extra charge for the extra inches needed? This is safer since the seat belt and life jacket  could also then be sized appropriately. A few airlines have decided to provide larger seats for the extra charge.

Another issue I have is when people who travel with a child under the age of two are not charged for the extra seat. During take off and landing these children are to be held by their parents if not in a safety seat (car or one made specially for planes) or are in the parent's lap for this period. As a courtesy most airlines will allow for an extra seat for this child at no extra charge unless the seat is used for take off and landing as  well. This courtesy should be extended to all needing the additional space not just those with small children. When my daughter travels with me and my granddaughter an extra seat is purchased for EV even though it was not required. Now that she is two years old the extra seat charge is necessary.

Gary and I usually travel in the first row of seats allowing for extra leg room, easier access for entering and exiting the plane and the proximity to the washroom. These seats have solid sides keeping the arm rests in a permanent position so your bottoms are not spilling out into the sides adjacent to them but your backs certainly are. Most of us are getting wider. People who build theatres are realizing this and are making the seats wider in order to keep our patronage. Mind you building space for people to sit on the ground is probably cheaper than building a plane to accommodate us in the air.

Airplane travel costs have gone up and the airlines are trying to keep costs down. They can not control the cost of fuel and labour but they can certainly try to fit as many of us as they can into the tin cans we fly in the air with as possible. They have calculated our leg room and width probably to what the health charts say should be the average sized person but are we really that size any more? According to some articles I have read over predictions of 75% of people living in North America will be considered overweight by 2020 but yet the airlines are still trying to fit us into these tiny seats built to fit our ancestors who lived through the depression and rarely had enough to eat. How many pictures do you see of your grandparents depicting them as overweight? Are the airlines compensating for our increased weight by reducing the amount of weight we are allowed to take in our luggage? In recent years the number of pieces of luggage and the weight of the luggage has been reduced. Is this to accommodate for our increase in weight? Do the airlines not understand if we have increased in size than so will the size of our clothes adding even more weight to our luggage and not less?

We are also living much longer and are retiring earlier allowing us to travel more. This accounts for the many senior travelers I encounter in my travels. By most standards I am now a senior. I have been retired for a few years now and travel about one quarter of my year. My mobility has decreased but my desire to see new places and experience new things has not diminished and I am not alone. The airlines, bus services and train services must all learn to accommodate us better. More assistance for us is needed. We need more golf carts in the air plane terminals as the distance to travel between terminals is just too great for anyone with mobility needs. Some of the airports in the USA have caught on and have regular stops for you to sit at to wait for one of these vehicles to take you from A to B in the airport. One airport I was in had several terminals which were linked by a train. Others have buses.Charge for whatever service you provide but provide it. We are an aging customer group with issues that need addressing. Address them and allow us to travel in comfort in a safe environment. We can afford to pay. Right now for the most part Toronto Airport has a wheelchair service you can ask for and the employees are paid by the GTTA and a golf cart service in another part of the airport. This is insufficient. Most of these employees are just sitting around because the requests have been lost or they have only access to one part of the terminal or they must wait for a group of individuals needing the same service before they will assist you. This service is not user friendly as it ignores the customer's schedule. I am not sure what they are paid and am sure it is probably not much more than minimum wage so I tip them. I have noticed this is not a normal practice. I tip everywhere and everyone for good service. I am just greatful the service is still available. We are working towards a service free society. Many stores and gas stations use only the self service model not allowing for those with any impairments help. We will have to remain housebound in the future. We can afford to pay for these services so let us have them please.

Have you noticed washrooms if not provided separately for the disabled are the last stalls in the long line of toilets lined up against the wall in public washrooms. This means if you are using a walker, cane or wheelchair you must first go past everyone else in line and travel the furthest to have access to a washroom which will allow you to look after your needs.

On-line booking for travel allows most of the time for you to tick off you are a senior for a discount but rarely will you see a box asking for wheelchair assistance at the airport or in the hotels or for disabled rooms. You must actually call each provider and request this assistance. This is a pain and why put someone to all this trouble when the solution can be as easy as putting in a few extra boxes to tick off. The disabled and aged have money they want to spend too and more time to spend it so let them.

I will speak about other modes of travel again in the future as I have in past posts.

Until next time.

 

 

Children Who Take Their Own Life

Suicide is a terrible act. What happens to people to make them feel this is the only option in life? I am trying to make sense of what happened to young Mitchell Wilson, aged 11 when he took his own life in Pickering, Ontario on September 6th, 2011. I did not know this young man personally but did know some of his family. The family are loving and caring people who look out and after one another.

Recently I attended a funeral for a friend of mine who was this young man's Great Aunt. She died in her early sixties of cancer after suffering and battling this terrible disease for the past 8 years.  This family lost another member to cancer, young Mitchell's mother only 3 years ago.  How much pain does one family have to go through?

Mitchell suffered from Muscular Dystrophy making him different from other children. Being different can attract other children's attention, especially those with self esteem issues causing them to target these children and to be cruel. This is what happened to poor Mitchell. He was attacked by a healthy 12 year old boy. The attacker was charged with being a bully since it is against the law in Canada especially where it concerns children. The child was punished by being transferred to another school but this did not stop the bullying this poor child had to deal with. The young man who was charged had his friends take over where he left off making Michael still a target but now by a larger group because he told on his attacker.

Bullying must stop. Children and I mean all children need to learn more about Self Esteem. Has anyone watched the Dove Commercial on TV where young girls are interviewed from all over the world? The girls profiled are from all races, shapes, colours and sizes and focus on the fact that all  of them are beautiful. We need to teach children to focus on their uniqueness in the world not what makes them different. What a boring world we would have if everyone was the same.  Another commercial I love is the one about the mother buying her daughter the perfect dress to return to school in and the daughter loves it as well but the vision of how it should look on her differs from the mothers.

My nephew and his wife have one child who has Down Syndrome along with 3 other children who do not have this challenge. This child has enriched their life and and made their family stronger. All children need is love and respect of self and others to grown up how to understand how to love and respect others.

Did  Mitchell and other children who take their own lives because they have been bullied feel there is no other way to live, but to end their lives? How scary and painful is their life to cause them to end it? His parents noticed a change in his emotional state when the notice regarding having to appear in court came to their home.  He was going to have to face his attacker once again. Not only was his life not perfect having to fight his own battles with his illness but he had to battle the other children who bullied him at school and in his neighbourhood. His health probably was further affected since now he was hiding in his home rather then going on his frequent walks he used to take to help keep his muscles working.

Mitchell had signed an affidavit for the courts to explain what happened to him on the day of the incident. In this report he outlined the details of the incident and identified his attacker. I imagine in addition to this since Mitchell was hurt a medical report was included for the courts. Because Mitchell took his own life before the court date, the court appeared to be considering not proceeding since their witness was no longer available. This family is not looking for vengeance with this court proceeding. They are looking for justice. The court system should consider changing their methods on how they proceed with young children who are there because they are victims. To expose them to this severe structure is exposing them again to something they fear. Our courts are cold unfeeling places. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about them. A Victim Statement should suffice under these circumstances or if something more is needed a closed room video interview should be considered. Why re-victimize someone? Adding additional trauma to a child's life should not happen. We need to find another way.

The School Boards are trying to address the bullying problem in Canada but more is needed for this to end. Parents are responsible for promoting self esteem in their children. Do not tolerate any kind of violence. Involve your children in Good Deeds. Have them befriend someone with challenges so they get to know the person as an individual. Teach them everyone is different and an asset to the world just the way they are. Show them love and tolerance and this should help them learn with how to deal with others.

School Boards need to deal with inclusion of all not exclusion. Every team in a school should be made up with individuals with all types of strengths. Picking only the popular or most able bodied shows exclusion not inclusion. Let a child decide he does not want to do something but do not exclude him because you have decided he can't do what is expected.

We have to change our society and make it a more tolerant one so that our children who are our future are not fearful of the world.

Until next time.

 

Whitby Shores Walkway

Above you will see photographs my concerned neighbour took of the Whitby Shores Pathway. He amongst others along Whitby Shores Greenway have been concerned over health issues and the safety of this Lake Front Pathway. The Town of Whitby state they are grooming the path according to their standards set. Well 8 years ago when I moved into this neighbourhood there must have been different standards than we have now because the mowing of the vegetation around the path walkway appeared to allow for a much wider grooming. It is even difficult to get close to some of the signs which outline the history of the area due to the overgrowth.

If you would like to see the difference of maintenance of the Lake Front Path go to Ajax. Theirs is much better groomed than ours. Why????????????

West Nile has been found in the Region this year. There have been deaths attributed to it in North America this year. It is spread through mosquito bites. The paths are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They lay alert in the vegetation ready to pounce on us as we walk by. This is a favourite spot for local residents to walk their dogs and children allowing the small people to be hit first by the lurking creatures ready to bite any living creature coming its way.

The other issue we must be concerned with is the Giant Hogweed which has also been found in the Region. If you fall into this you can burn your skin and the liquid coming from this plant I believe contributes to blindness. Do we really want to deal with all of this? Are these not Health Issues? Why is Public Health not involved? Who is responsible for the grooming of the pathways? Is it the Town of Whitby or the Conservation Authority?

Did you see the size of the thorns on the bushes growing along side the path? My neighbours have patched up a few people hurt by these. They have become the local Good Samaritans. The height and girth of these plants now growing along the path are blocking the view of the lake from the benches put in to allow for respite from your walking and also a view of the lake. In addition to the benches, garbage containers which are emptied daily are at the ready to receive Dog Poo from the walkers. They are right next to the benches which are already surrounded by the overgrowth making it a breeding ground for the West Nile laden mosquitoes waiting to pounce on unsuspecting residents on the benches.

Please figure out whose responsibility it is for the maintenance for the Path before someone is seriously affected by the negligence.

Until next time.

Unsafe Drivers

Are you annoyed as I am by the drivers who feel laws do not apply to them? Some of my Pet Peeves are about people who continue to talk on their cell phones while driving. I have a problem with this. My own children think I should be able to do this since in both Texas and New Hampshire where my daughter and her family live for part of the year still allow this practice. Mind you they still allow for motorcycle drivers to still drive without helmets.

In June, we are in New Hampshire celebrating my Granddaughter EV's birthday which also always happens to fall on the same weekend there is a Motorcycle Convention on in New Hampshire. Many of the riders happen to be from Quebec where I believe drivers are required to wear helmets while driving or are a passenger on a bike. When these bikes get across the boarder the helmets are abandoned and the occupants of the bike ride with the wind blowing in their hair. Now as romantic a notion this seems it is not a safe one. Their head would look like an exploded pumpkin should they hit the pavement while driving. Our skulls just do not protect us from that type of impact. Since I travel frequently to both places I have grown accustomed to seeing this.

Now add cell phone use while driving to this scenario and it becomes even scarier. Well they are allowed to drive and use their cell phones. At times there are warning signs about Texting and Driving but I am not sure if this is an offence in these two States yet or not.

Well because my daughter is allowed to do use her cell phone while driving  in most places she is in she forgets I am not allowed to do so here and at times thinks I am ignoring her if I do not answer my phone while I am in the car. I survived without a cell phone in the car before and will survive now. Mind you in saying this I will keep it on and will pull over when able and safely park and call her back if I think it is urgent. She is starting to get used to this plan of action.

When I have passengers in the car with me I often will get them to answer the phone for me while I am driving and they become my spokesperson. This works too.

What really bothers me now is when I see people speaking on their cell phones while they are driving beside me I now will honk when I feel I am being affected by their erratic driving. Some drivers feel what they do in their cars in none of my business but I feel it is if their driving starts to affect my and others safety. Most drivers will simply acknowledge you and get off the phone but the ones who take on your alert as a challenge are scary people.

The drivers who text and drive are the worst offenders. How can you possibly look at the small screen for the letters to send your message and then also go into your contact list to find the number you plan on sending the message to and continue to drive safely? Well the answer is clear you can't.

Again due diligence keeps us all a bit safer so please do monitor your driving habits and keep us all safe and sound. The POLICE can not be everywhere.

Until next time.

 

Rude Drivers

A few weeks ago I was attending a free Writing Course at the Main Branch of the Whitby Library when I was hit from behind by a car while trying to park in my legal spot. I have a Disability Sign for my car due to my arthritis and was first trying to just park in one of the two designated spots in the back parking lot. Well both were occupied but not by people who should have been there. The spots had people in the cars who were waiting for others inside the library. One moved when it saw I had a valid Sign allowing me access to the spot. Well this did not work out well for me. The end spot and the first one as you enter the one way driveway is not a valid parking spot as it is in the shape of a triangle. It is clearly marked with a NO PARKING SIGN. A very rude woman decided she was going to illegally park here and zoomed in behind me , right up to the painted line, not allowing me enough room to reverse into my spot. You see I had to go forward in the first place to get the attention of the first illegally parked people so they would move which they did graciously but this woman took this an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and move in behind me making it difficult for me to move into my spot. I tried making it work only to have someone else zoom in from the street hitting me from behind. Since there was little contact we both decided we would wave responsibility for the other in this infraction and just try and get settled into our respective spots.

Well you would think this woman noting what was going on and how she had contributed to the situation would move. She did not move. She stood her ground. Even after dropping off her books she would not move her car out of her illegal spot. When I honked at her she finally moved yelling at me telling me I should not be driving because of what just happened. Did she not realize she caused this accident?????????????? Was she not aware she put both of us into positions making it awkward to park?

Some people believe they are above the law.

I reported this incident to the Security in the Library and gave them this woman's license plate number I had jotted down.  I was told this happens all the time in the parking lot. The Security usually check on the parking lot every 15 minutes or so but unfortunately for me this incident occurred between checks. I was told people are always parking in the illegal spot or parking inappropriately in the spots designated for Disabled People.

Due Diligence keeps everyone safe. Rude and Arrogant Drivers who feel the laws do not apply to them contribute to accidents.

Until next time.

Hurricane and Earthquake Preparedness

Earthquake Preparedness test can be found here

http://www.members.shaw.ca:80/gf6/earthquake.html

Hurricane Preparedness: Emergency Supplies

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stock your home with emergency supplies that you and your family may need during the emergency period.
• Make sure that you have at least a 3-5 day supply of non-perishable food and water.
• Include prescription medications, baby supplies and any additional items for special medical needs.
• Place an emergency kit in your car.

Download Key Facts About Hurricane Readiness

You should stock your home with supplies that may be needed during the emergency period. At a minimum, these supplies should include:

• Several clean containers for water, large enough for a 3-5 day supply of water (about five gallons for each person).
• A 3-5 day supply of non-perishable food.
• A first aid kit and manual.
• A battery-powered radio, flashlights, and extra batteries.
• Sleeping bags or extra blankets.
• Water-purifying supplies, such as chlorine or iodine tablets or unscented, ordinary household chlorine bleach.
• Prescription medicines and special medical needs.

• Baby food and/or prepared formula, diapers, and other baby supplies.
• Disposable cleaning cloths, such as "baby wipes" for the whole family to use in case bathing facilities are not available.
• Personal hygiene supplies, such as soap, toothpaste, sanitary napkins, etc.
• An emergency kit for your car with food, flares, booster cables, maps, tools, a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, sleeping bags, etc.

You can find more information on emergency plans and supply kits at www.ready.gov.

Should you want up to date information about what is going on in the way of Emergency and Disaster Situations here in Ontario put yourself on one of these alert systems offered through Emergency Management Ontario.

http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/home.html

Stay Safe.

Until Next Time.

 

The Help

If I could recommend one good book and movie to read and see this year, it would be The Help.

For one thing, I grew up in this era. My cousin Delphine from the USA was visiting a week ago and we discussed this book and movie at great length. My Mother and her Father were brother and sister. My Grandfather married twice having lost his first wife when she was delivering his youngest son. My Grandfather was French, from an English French speaking Island and worked on ships in the Great Lakes. He lived on Pelee Island where there was little in the way of medical care so his wife would travel when it was near her due date to Detroit to stay with her sister to have all of her children. All five boys were born in the USA. When she died my Grandfather was forced to hire a nurse to look after all the children and this is when my Grandmother came on the scene. She had a sister married to a farmer just outside of Windsor to look after her when her time came to deliver children. You see my Grandparents got used to playing house with each other, fell in love, married and ended up with three more children born on Pelee Island which were all girls.

 

My Grandmother and Aunt both came over from England to pursue their future through advertisements in the local paper at home. My Aunt Ethel successfully married a widower and managed his farm with him until his death. My Grandmother wanting to join her sister, initially came over to Canada to marry someone else but it turns out by the time she got here he had already married locally forcing my Grandmother to pursue other options. She answered an ad for a Nursemaid for all of these young boys my Grandfather had to raise and there you have it my history was formed. As you can see from the picture above my Grandfather was the little French Man and my Grandmother the prim and proper British Lady with her hat. I am surprised she was not wearing gloves. In the past people were not encouraged to smile in photos.

We spent a lot of time with my Grandmother over the years and by this time she moved to Windsor. My Mother married the boy around the corner. My Dad who when he was not overseas serving our Country worked at the Ford Factory in Detroit. My Mother went to an Art College in Detroit and I was sent to a Nursery School there. I remember the Black and White washrooms and the colour coded bus system determining where you sit. I also remember in some buildings there were even separate doors for people of colour to enter. I also remember the separate water fountains.

While my cousin and I were reminiscing about this period we remembered her younger sister being sent to live with her in Chicago because of the problems with the busing of children into the schools. The rest of her siblings were boys so my Aunt and Uncle did not worry about their welfare as much expecting they could defend themselves if needed. You see they lived in Romulus, Michigan which is a suburb of Detroit and were bussed to the local high schools. We could not relate to the help as profiled in the book but remember the people of colour did not live in our neighbourhoods growing up.You would see them in all of the public places but never in your neighbourhood unless they came in to help clean or look after the children.

When my family moved to London, Ontario, it was like culture shock. What a WASP neighbourhood this was except for the Native Indian population. At that time the Native children were bussed in to attend school with us. They for the most part kept to themselves and even had separate classrooms. Very few were integrated in with us. We never really got to know these children since they also kept to themselves in the school yard as well. Being bussed to and from school and never being allowed to engage in before or after school activities made it difficult to form friendships. Thank goodness most of this has disappeared and most Indian Reserves either opted for having their children attend schools close to home or on the reserve (an option in the past not afforded to them) or the family moved into town and their children would attend the school in the neighbourhood.

As pointed out in the book and in the movie the best way to remove biases is to get to know people. We realize how much we are alike and are reminded the differences are what make us unique as people and make us special.

For all the budding authors out there, I found an interview with Kathryn Stockett where she stated it took her 61 attempts to find someone to publish her. See there is hope for us after all. What a loss for us should her book have never been published.

There are many of us out there, the Baby Boomers and especially those who where born or lived in border cities who experienced this and can relate greatly to the contents of the book and movie. After all it is our history as well. It is nice now and then to be reminded of how far we have come and how far we have to go.

Until next time.

 

Students Prepared for Emergencies in Your Home Away From Home

Kristen Calis has been writing a series called "Cutting Ties" showing you what a family goes through when their children leave for school. It can be a terrifying but wonderful adventure. I still remember when I went through this many years ago. Take a look at Kristen's Sample Packing list here.

http://www.durhamregion.com/article/183711

The list is great. What is omitted and this is my area of expertise are the things to prepare your child for an emergency. As pointed out in the article the rooms are small so note the number of electronic devices one person often uses and remember the need to keep all things powered up. In the list Kristen provided she mentioned a power bar. Please add an extension cord for this power bar as the electrical outlets provided for the students may not keep up with the demands of the appliances they are used for. The power bar should have surge protection built in. With all the storms we have been having lately I would expect the odd power outage. I have written in the past in this blog about the things I feel should be included to ready your young ones for school away from home and I will repeat this list now. Please feel free to add your own items to it.

1.    Smoke Alarm for their own room. You can purchase small inexpensive battery operated ones which will stick on the wall and can be put above their door.

2.    A CO detector and again you can buy these anywhere these days. With the new buildings sealed tight against drafts and windows not allowed to open since air quality control is done by the people who operate the residence, I would have my own quality control measure in place.

3.    A couple of surge protection bars for the electrical needs for today's students.

4.    A couple of extension cords with peel and stick cord guides so you can keep the cords going around the walls safely secured so they are not tripped on. Please do not run these under carpets causing a fire hazard.

5.    A laminated photo copy of the floor plans for your child's building identifying all exits in case of fire and post this on their door keeping it visible at all times enabling them to exit the building quickly and safely should there be an evacuation of the building. Going over the exits before you leave with them would be an excellent idea as well. This way they will have traveled the route at least once. Having to learn where exists are in an emergency is not the best time to learn them.

6.     Several different sizes and types of flashlights would be beneficial. I would have a small battery operated one on a key chain, another slightly bigger kept in a back pack. Two more should remain in their rooms with them having a plug in and battery option in them. Some plug in the wall all the time and operate as a night light until needed. They even have battery operated candles which will add to the ambiance of the room but at least offer some light should there be a power outage. Some flashlights come attached as part of an emergency all in one kit which includes a wind up, battery and plug in option radio, TV, flashlight system which would be great for any student to have.

7.    Emergency lists of phone numbers and copies of identification kept with them in case originals are lost. Long distance phone cards are also handy to call home with in case their cell phone is lost. There are such great plans out there now offered by so many companies your children will not lack for options for services. Some phones offer music players, internet options, camera and video and voice recording options in addition to a light use type of flashlight in an emergency situation.

8.    Remember all of these electronic devices often require batteries so please bring plenty to keep your child stocked up and have all of their devices and tools checked regularly to make sure they are still functioning.

9.     Small tool kits to fix your stuff and a small sewing kit to repair your clothes. Safety pins should be included in this kit.

10.    An evacuation plan for your child's school residence will tell them where to meet so attendance can be taken to ensure all residents have been accounted for but this plan does not usually include any long term needs should your child not be able to return to their residence for any length of time. For this reason I would make arrangements for your child and plan with them what should be done under these circumstances . If there is a friend or relative in the city they are attending school in plans should be made for them to go there until the status of their own residence is known. Trying to keep them close to the school so they do not lose any time from school should be considered a priority.

Last year I wrote about students living in private rented quarters for students for safety is often not considered a priority. At least in a residence the school either runs or recommends usually has met certain standards regarding safety. Just the same we are all responsible for our own safety and should not leave this solely in the hands of others.

Students enjoy this adventure. It is something you will never forget.

Until next time.

Driving Under the Influence

Have you ever watched something so disturbing you lose sleep over it? I watched a documentary on TV recently titled  "There is Something Wrong with Aunt Diane". The title was based on her niece's final words made to her father on a cell phone in a car before the car crash that took not only her life but that of her two sisters, her cousin and her Aunt. Not only did the Aunt cause the deaths of many of her precious nieces, her own daughter, herself but she crashed into another vehicle killing another 3 people. In addition she almost caused the loss of life of her only remaining child. Her autopsy found substantial amounts of alcohol in her system with some of it yet still to be digested and marijuana in her. This had to have been smoked within the hour before the fatal crash. What was this women thinking??????????? Reports have shown she usually was in control with little or no evidence of any substance abuse. How did this seemingly perfect wife, mother, friend, neighbour, family member and employee end up like this? It is unlikely this will ever be known. The person at the vacation site who saw and spoke with her upon leaving noticed nothing. Where she stopped at McDonalds staff noticed nothing amiss but stated she only bought a couple of things but there was a car full of children which she did not appear to have bought anything for. Why were the children left in the car while she shopped? Her husband when interviewed said she would be shopping on her way home so was not worried about her delay. What woman on her own would shop with 5 children all under the age of 8? I would not volunteer to do this! She apparently stopped a few times to get things with witnesses only seeing her so these children were left in the car alone each time. She stopped a few times on the side of the road and was witnessed by other drivers who passed her while she appeared to be slumped over vomiting and again no one stopped to check this out. What kind of "Good Samaritans" are we? Other drivers noticed she was driving erratically and from some reports it appeared even called this into to 911 but no one appeared on scene until it was too late! Why????? She was also noticed driving the wrong way for almost 2 miles on a one way road and again no one appeared to have tried to stop her. Apparently many honked and flashed their lights at her but if by that time she was drunk and stoned this would have added to her confusion. After the accident there also seemed to be some contradiction about whether or not the children in the car were restrained by seat-belts. Since this happened only a few years ago, laws were in place about where kids could sit in the car depending on their size and age and also they would have had to have their own appropriately sized car and booster seats in place. There is just so much that appears unanswered in this accident it just makes any parent want to scream out to this woman "What were you thinking"? Well, we know now she was thinking primarily about herself and her reputation not being caught having a problem with drinking and marijuana and hoping for the best. What a risk she took and what a cost!

What I will not accept is that this woman acted irresponsibly and "out of character" for no known reason. Even if she was upset what comes out in the documentary is that she was aware there was a problem at one point and she did not stay put when it was suggested by her brother on the phone. Did she do this to save face and not be found out to the alcoholic she truly was? Most alcoholics remain in denial until faced with it. She thought even though she was no longer feeling well she could remain in control. This need to retain her so called "Perfect Person" look cost the lives of 8 people, including herself. Well at least in death she did not have to deal with the humiliation of being "found out" that she really was an alcoholic.

If she had lived, could Diane live with herself and the cost her mistake in judgement caused? I doubt it. If she was going to be found out and realized she was losing control, she decided the cost of all these lives may be just worth it or was she hoping for the best and thinking they would all survive? Well the dead can not speak and her only remaining witness to this scene was her poor son who was only 5 years old and became a victim himself. He was found because those first to the crash sight heard him crying. Apparently a couple of his cousins, according to reports were alive for a few minutes after the crash. Can you just imagine their final moments? It makes my heart hurt just to think about it. I have been losing sleep over it.

Many years ago while working for the Region of Durham a few incidents have struck me that have also made me lose sleep over. One was a client which was not the easiest client to deal with but loved her children fiercely and for this I admire her, lost one of her children to a drunk driver. This driver ran her child over while he was out walking. I believe she helped in the formation of MADD out here in the Region of Durham not wanting her loss to be anther's loss. She wanted to make sure she could contribute what she could to others about what devastating results can be had by making poor choices in judgement about Drinking and Driving.

Another incident was and I could not find any evidence of this to back me up but my own recall on the subject was a women who ran over two children in Oshawa on the sidewalk walking home from school in the middle of the day and she was drunk. I can not remember if these children survived or not but what memories will they have if they did. Imagine it is not even safe to walk on the sidewalk!

I have other horror stories I remember while a caseworker for the Region of Durham which caused me nightmares I will tell another time but were not related to driving and fatalities.

Recently I have almost been hit by other cars because of people texting or talking on their cell phones while they are driving. One day I witnessed a woman smoking a joint while driving. Because of the slowness of the traffic and with her window down you could actually smell the marijuana. I did call the police as I do not have hands free service myself and would have had to break the law to do so. This lack of equipment in my car drives my family crazy as they have to wait until I can safely pull over and park, turn my car off before I return their calls.

With all the construction and driving in rush hour I have noticed many drivers impatience and taking the law into their own hands which I find disturbing. Coming along Bayly going east towards Shoal Point Road, many of the regular commuters have decided a queue is not for them so use the right turn lane which is intended for south bound travellers and extends for a few feet beyond the intersection for those turning right an opportunity to merge into the eastbound traffic. I have had to wait sometimes for three lights before I can actually get across this intersection because of these abusers of the system. At one time a few years ago a police officer was posted to prevent this from happening. A simple right turn symbol painted on the road in this lane would help immensely. Essentially most people are law abiding citizens and do not want to break the rules but need to have them posted to be reminded they are there. I know accidents have occurred at this intersection and I am not sure if this problem contributes to this factor or not. Some drivers are now reduced to protecting their space in the line up and straddle both lanes once they pass the intersection to prevent further delays in getting home from here by people using this merge lane as an opportunity to get ahead. I have witnessed some drivers driving on the shoulder here, creating their own lane to bypass the traffic build-up. Something should be done about this to prevent an accident.

Life is a gift and should be treated as such>

Until next time.