Well im amazed that I actually did get an answer from the gazzette staff. Great job on reponding to my request, I really didn't expect it.

seabee- i agree . i am tied of them deleting WHOLE blogs- puppy one is gone, shakies one is gone. WHY peopple have opionions let them be

hey gazzette staff, I find it difficult to understand why you removed my previous 2 posts stating my opinion using unoffensive language yet if you read joejack's post he is claiming that he commited a violent act against an elderly couple's vehicle and demeaned them by telling them to go to the old folks home where they belong. While I recognize he was most likely cracking a joke, how was my post deserving of removal while his was not? What standards are you using? Feel free to email me and give me an honest answer to this question and not a bunch of diplo-psychobabble.

DMV raised their rates from registration to renewing plates for autos. If you own a car be prepaired to pay $ 75 to renew your plates. Truck and SUV are higher. Registration of auto is over $ 100.

fisherhouse, the only tesateing every 8 years is if you can see, no testing for driving and there should be. imagine what our registration would be if they did enforce that though.!!

Joe, I'm glad you found the music helpfull however perhaps I was a bit hasty and you should rant here more often. It retrospect that would probably be preferable to random acts of senseless vandalism to the vehicles of seniors.

It had to be done. Someday they will thank you.

joejack-you didn't offer them a ride?

Thanks JCK the music helped. The standard of perfection on the blog makes me feel inadequate then I vent. I'm feeling much better now! I just saw two old people driving down the road. I turned around and followed them to the first stop light, I got out and I slashed their tires as a precaution. Told them to go back to the old folks home where they belong. My mom and dad just looked at me in disbelief. Oh well the streets are safe.

A little appreciation for a classic rant. Well done! (applause)

joe,

Step away from your computer. Take a deep breath. Put on some relaxing music. It's just a discussion.

All I can say is WOW!! Please tell me how much do you people pay for auto insurance 2, 3 dollars a year? So all I have to do is pass a test? But if I go out and get in an accident you want me to take another test? So why did the first test not prevent the accident? I must not drive in the same town as the rest of you. With all these perfect drivers I am amazed that we need police in cars. The police should all be on foot down by the candy store. Well it appears to me that no matter what issue we seem to be facing at the moment perfect people abound on the blog. No mercy for those who screw up!! Hitler called old people and mentally challenged people “useless eaters” look it up. After all they are no longer contributing to industry, they are leaching off of social security, insurance companies, and they are endangering all of our lives driving ON OUR STREETS!! Those old drivers. EVERYONE OF THEM!! Hey why restrict it to age? Anyone who has ever been in an accident, slid of the road in the recent snow storms, or driven drunk should loose the privilege of driving FOREVER!! No mercy!! Well that might be a little unreasonable. Maybe we should all get together and club that old lady that forgot which side the brake pedal was on. We could glue her foot to the brake so she could never hit the gas pedal anymore. I’ll beat she’d remember from then on, if she ever got in a car again. Before you scream sarcasm, did anyone at any time ever forgive you for making a mistake? If no one ever has I am really sorry for the heartless people you have been around. Old people are not the only ones that are dangerous behind the wheel of a car. Think about it. People of all ages, of every nationality have been in a little fender bender of some type. I grieve for the loss of your loved ones that were killed by another driver. But it could have been anyone. It just happened that an elderly person was driving that day. So while the rest of you draw up plans on how to keep the elderly people locked away from society from age 50 on up, I’ll just live in fear of growing old and needing to get groceries, or medicine. OLD PEOPLE YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!! Don’t make us take away your walker, you villains.

Maybe she was just trying to get around in that stupidly designed gas station they have at Woodmans. Nothing like making the space between the pumps enough for 1 1/2 cars to get through. Whoever designed that was an idiot.

Testing drivers will not make them better drivers. Teenagers have all been tested and passed and as a group they are the worst drivers in the country. If I am wrong about this, why are we paying such high insurance rates for our teenage drivers? And please don't accuse me of hating teenagers. I have a couple of them that I am quite fond of.

...and it wouldn't hurt either to have all those who think (sometimes rightly) that some people shouldn't be driving after a certain age or when their abilities become limited, to volunteer their services through some organization or church to meals on wheels, rides for seniors or impaired people, anything that would help replace the independence of driving. I'm sure it must have occured to some of us that sometimes it is a case of some of these "impaired" drivers not having other means to get to the grocery store, doctor, drug store, etc. Do you know someone (who you think shouldn't be driving) that you could offer a ride to, sometimes even just to get them out of the house?

I am 57 years old and I will put my driving record and ability to drive against anyone in this country outside of NASCAR drivers. I am sick and tired of all these teenagers driving with a cell phone plugged to their ear and a cigarette in the other hand that is on the wheel. Only to be given a hand gesture because I honk and remind them that they are the ones in the wrong for pulling out in front, going through red lights, etc. etc. etc. I think we should ALL take the test every 3-5 years and without a cell phone or cigarette in the car. I am not sure most could handle that. My father in law drove till he was 96. He could no longer hear and that is why he quit driving. Not because he was such a bad driver. Give me a break, brake, or braike or what ever you want to call it.

I understand a person wanting to keep their independence but the saftey of all needs to be top priority. The elderly should be tested more often to ensure that they are still physically capable of controling a vehicle.(eyesight, hearing, reflex) I personally believe that additional testing should be done as well such as testing for signs of common age related illnesses such as alzheimers and macular degeneration. This is not being harsh I know a lady who has such bad eye sight she can not read her computer screen anymore guess what she still has a license and yes she drives during the day but has someone else drive her at night. Another case I took care of a gentleman who needed help with many of his daily activities and he still had a license.

It's 'brake' not 'break' people!

As in "gimme a break and step on the brake"!

It's a more complicated issue than it would initially seem. Interval testing might not be a bad idea because I too see drivers of ALL ages pulling stupid moves, and I have pulled a couple myself, such as stepping on the gas to back out of the garage only to realize from the forward motion that I was in drive! Yes, due to some quick refexes I avoided going out the back of my garage. But accidents, misjudgments, and slow reflexes can happen. When I am super ill with the flu and am out driving to get medicine, no doubt my judgment and reflexes are slower. Anyways, the most we can hope for is that as we get older, family and friends will stay intimately involved in our lives and help us make informed decisions regarding whether or not we should continue to drive. Actually, about a month ago, the Today Show did a segment on this topic!

Just to clarify, I was not specifically stating that age was the factor, I was commenting on the fact that people were expressing concern for elderly drivers. My point was anyone who knows in their heart that they should not be driving because of some reason healthwise, whatever it may be...a broken knee, an ailing eye, or a broken wrist..should not be driving. A person does not need a person at DMV to tell them they are uncapable of driving, a person's own gut tells them that when they feel uncomfortable in any way, weather it be nervousness or fear, then getting behind the wheel of a car is something they shouldn't do. Unfortuneately, age tends to be the primary reason for a person to cease driving, and if it becomes an issue, then that person needs to be responsible enough to know that their reflexes are not up to the conditions of the roads, and not let their pride get in the way, because that pride is not going to be by your side consoleing you when you need to deal with an accident.....but guilt will, and why live the rest of your senior years with guilt rather than a little bruised pride. Some people NEVER need to stop driving....and I hope I am one of them, but a lot of people should, and they know themselves they should.

Although he didn't mix up the gas and brake pedals, my parents had a guy forget to put his car in park while he was getting out of his car to throw some garbage in their trash bins, and his car went flying right into the wall of the garage...it made me laugh, but my mother was not so thrilled at the time. Mistakes happen, everyone is careless sometimes.

I agree , age may not even be a factor here . People make mistakes every day . Ease up ! ..

Just remember some day you will be the same age ....I've seen some elderly people who drive a lot better than younger drivers and vice versa....

As far as the age of drivers, I don't see why anyone with degenerativeness in anyway, would even WANT to drive. It is plain selfishness to put yourself out there with an armed weapon when you yourself know just how uncomfortable you are with your ability to drive. This is just another example of people needing to take responsibility for their own behavoirs and stop assuming that just because you can you should.

Why on earth do all of you nay sayers even read the gazette. I agree that it was misleading information regarding the wrong location, but for goodness sakes, I think there are way too many people out there reading this paper to only find something wrong. A fact or non-fact can be perceived in many different ways, because everyone's truths are individual. Therefore, what may be offensive to you, may just be words to others. So, why don't we make the effort to just please perceive your truths on the basis of universal facts, or just an opinion of your own. And unless something is a fact...all other information is strictly opinion. If you want to rip apart papers in print and consistantly find fault, try reading a few rag magazine such as the enquirerer and such, and then your opinions would be just.

I agree that there should be restrictions for the elder. But we can also blame the DMV for changing the testing to every 8 years.

Back when I first started driving, I got the break and the gas confused once. My reactions were quick enough that I realized my mistake and fixed it before I hit anything. (it was then that I also found out why you aren't supposed to drive with one foot for the gas and the other for the break!) After that, that mistake never happened again.

I think everyone should have to retake the road test, or even a simulated road test every so often. I think if the DMV tested everyone, no one could complain that it was age discrimination. Another thing that might help is if a person has 2 accidents in a 6 or 12 month period, that person has to take a refresher drivers ed course. Instead of just slapping people with a ticket, try to teach them what they did wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. Educating people never hurts.

Why isn't anyone questioning the Gazzette reporter ? Did she report the article with the wrong information ? Did they infact have the wrong location ?

I agree with miyata. Many years ago my grandfather was in his late 70's and he was still driving a vehicle knowing that he had numbness in his legs from the knee down. It wasn't until he went to the doctor that the rest of us found this out. My mother and her sisters had to take his driving priviledges away. It's scary to think what might of happened if we wouldn't have found that out!!
On a lighter note...if I ever get pulled over for running a stop sign I'm going to tell the cop "I thought the gas was the break!"

I can't count the number of times drivers of all ages have pulled out in front of me, cut me off or made unsignaled and unsafe lane changes. These are hardly driving errors that were limited to the elderly and given that middle age drivers make up a far greater number of those on the road I'd bet they occur more frequently in that age group.

That being said however I do favor more frequent testing of drivers but I'd suggest doing it with those who are receiving tickets and/or involved in accidents regardless of age.

I agree that elderly drivers should be tested more often. I can't count how many times elderly drivers have pulled out in front of me, not looked when changing lanes, etc. This occurred more often than even teenagers.
I have never 'forgot' where the brake and gas were.

I think older people should be tested more often; and yes, I am over 60. However I've seen the damage, not only property damage but physical as well; caused by elderly drivers. Yes, it is very hard to give up that last piece of independence but the safety of the general public must be considered first and foremost.
Some say we then would be descriminating against the elderly. Stop and think about it, we descriminate against the young drivers; putting limitations on their driving priviledges for the first 2 years. Remember DRIVING IS A PRIVILEDGE NOT A RIGHT.
After my mother had her catarac surgery she got another elderly friend to take her to the DMV, she walked in on her walker, and renewed her drivers license. At that point my brother and I had to take away her car.
She would NEVER have passed a road test.

Their last bit of freedom shouldn't be the deciding factor in the last bit of someone's life. I understand how to write a paragraph, but that doesn't mean I have any business publishing a newspaper either.

I know some folks in their 60's and 70's that drive just fine. My father is 72 and is just as capable as he always was. It's the ones that can barely see over the steering wheel, can barely walk, or can barely even see that we should be worried about. Test them on an individual basis, depending on their abilities.

I've never mistaken the gas for the brake. I am sure most folks don't. Hence why this person shouldn't be driving to begin with. If her reaction time was up to par, she should have been able to stop the car before it hit the building

I agree with the driving test program that was suggested here. I dont think the goverment run out and pull every older persons driving privilege that is older. Just test them.

For some older folks, driving is the last bit of freedom they have. So think about that.

Well I for one am happy no one was hurt, no matter what the car hit.

miyata312: I AGREE!!!!!

"bofore we all jump on the age band wagon, lets remember the conditions of the parking lots and roads of late. this mistake can happen to us all."

You can't be serious, the location of the gas and brake pedel don't change because of road conditions, you knucklehead. LOL

bofore we all jump on the age band wagon, lets remember the conditions of the parking lots and roads of late. this mistake can happen to us all.

I 100% agree on road testing drivers after age 50.MY grandma was killed this same way at the moose 9 years ago,the man repeatedly "accidentally" hit the gas instead of the brakes.i agree accidents happen,but come on,forgetting which side the breaks are on?4 times in that case.no charges filled btw,as they were on private property.So her best friend watched her die in her husbands arms,and the murderer is still driving today. FEEL SAFE? Although I will hate it I'm sure when I reach that age, it would sure beat killing someone cuz I can't control my vehicle.COME ON LAWMAKERS MAKE US SAFE

Not an age limit Hawk. MAking road test required at intervals for ALL drivers.

18-55 every 5 yrs
56-65 every 2 yrs
66-75 every year
76+ every 6 months.

Maybe being at the wrong building is why woodman's spokesperson was not available.

Wonderful reporting!! The car did not hit the grocery store at 2819 Lexington Drive. It hit a store in the strip mall at 2919 Lexington Dr. The building next to the grocery store. Good thing you weren't going to post a picture. You'd be driving around the store for quite a while looking for the damage. May need better 'informant' next time!!

Again great reporting. I was there and the car hit the strip mall next to the grocery store. It did not hit the grocery store.

I think there should be a age limit on driveing