Letter to the Editor via Facebook from Ian Arnold:
I would have posted this as a blog, but the new format (for whatever reason) only occasionally recognizes me.
I often disagree with Ted Hickman, but his column (found in my driveway today) raised some issues for me.
I find that I share pet peeves with Ted and his first wife.
Shopping carts: Why is it so hard for some folks to walk shopping carts to a "cart corral?" I've seen folks unload carts into their cars, then leave the carts in the empty parking spot next to them. Worse, I've seen them push the carts between two other cars. Even worse, I've actually seen people just push a shopping cart into traffic.
What is wrong with these people?
Gum. I'll disagree with Ted about breaking someone's jaw, but spitting your gum onto the sidewalk is pretty darn rude. I hate having to scrape gum off my shoe. I hate it even more when I have to scrape gum off my flip-flop.
Use a trash can. Spit your gum out into a piece of paper or a napkin and find a trash can later.
My own peeve (not mentioned in Ted's column) is with cell phone users. Dixon has a lot of 4-way stops. I see drivers at least a couple of times a week who don't seem to understand the concept. What they all appear to have in common is a cell phone glued to their ear.
Worse than talkers: texters! The other day, my wife and I were driving down Stratford when a teenager on a skateboard started skating erratically. We slowed way down. He crossed in front of us (never looked) and he was texting as he skated on a busy street.
Similar scenario: I was driving (again on Stratford) when a young lady ran a stop sign on a beach cruiser-type bicycle right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes. She was oblivious as she turned (no hands) because she was thumbing away on her cell phone.
Sooner or later the oblivious cell phone-talking driver will come across the oblivious texting teen. Not a good thing.
Gawd! I feel like I'm turning into the cranky old neighbor!
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