LettersOpinion

‘Our pavements are riddled with crosses like a cemetery’

Douglasdale resident, Leon Rehrl writes to us ...

Douglasdale resident, Leon Rehrl writes:

I came to Fourways in 1975 when there were about four houses and a whole lot of wilderness. It’s changed a lot (obviously) and I intend to stay for as long as I can.

There have always been bad drivers, dangerous drivers and drunk drivers. When I came here, there were probably 50 people in Fourways but I don’t even want to think about how many there are now.

As far as I can see the actual driving test has not changed all that much. We are still supposed to stop at stop streets, drive on the left-hand side, use indicators when turning, etc.

I often come across new drivers training for their final test using all the prescribed signals and obeying the rules. Then, once the test has been passed and licences issued, the same rules seem to suddenly become irrelevant.

We all go through the over-confident stage in the beginning and after having a fender bender (hopefully) we start behaving ourselves.

There are so many of us who do it right and even go out of their way to be courteous and some of those are taxi drivers.

I was hit by a drunk driver while waiting to walk across Witkoppen Road at the Douglas Drive intersection, opposite the Douglasdale Police Station, and the driver sped off without slowing even.

I bounced off his windscreen so there is no doubt in my mind that the driver knew he had hit ‘something’. I was helped by a couple who saw it happen and stopped to assist me.

I was quite badly injured and it took a long time for me to recover and some of those injuries caused permanent damage. The driver probably had a hangover. This happened in 2004.

Every weekend there are accidents involving drunk drivers, speeding, using cell phones or driving wherever these drivers feel like.

William Nicol Dive in the morning is horrific as people drive on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic and even swear at and give the finger to those who are driving where they should. I see people in 4X4s swerving over the line to avoid a puddle! That’s right, a puddle, then they flash lights and hoot and swear at the motorists who are driving where they should be. You have a 4X4 … it ‘probably’ won’t be destroyed by some water. What do they do when it rains? Kingfisher Drive is another nightmare. …

I hear and read that there should be more policing but how about the motorists obeying the law? Our pavements are riddled with crosses like a cemetery. The Metro police are assaulted and ignored. How would you like to have a job where the people you are protecting are attacking you?

It’s not everyone that is afflicted with stupidity on a biblical level so if you drive safely, I thank you, but the rest of the motorists who are safe most of the time and sometimes take a chance… Stop it now!

For the bad, dangerous and inconsiderate people I don’t have any polite or civilised words to say how I feel or want to do to them.

Driving requires a licence and so does owning a gun. Why? Because they can kill

If being shot is not something you want to happen then dangerous driving should also be avoided… It’s not that hard to be safe.

 

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