A Non Political, look left – look right

I remember as a small child my parents would grasp my hand tightly whenever there was a road to be crossed or busy traffic around us. We would stop one step away from the road and together would recite:-

Look left, look right, look left, look right,

Before you cross the street.

For you never know, for you never know,

What traffic you might meet.

Why fifty years down the dusty road do I still silently say these words whenever there is a street to cross? I do not think my parents brain-washed me they just made sure that I understood the importance of being alert at all times to the rules of the road whether there is traffic around or not.

When I started to learn to drive I found the same, ‘look left, look right’ rule applied when nearing an intersection. Whether it was a Stop or Yield sign that had to be obeyed, the reflex automatically swung into action and not once did I have the driving instructor screaming to get out of the car.

Over the years and never being one who was bitten by the ‘love to drive bug’ I have found that it is far harder to keep ones foot off the accelerator than on it, and so query where is the talent in doing what is easier?

I get a certain pleasure at stopping at every stop street I come to, and please do not bother to hoot at me it only increases my view that you are an ignorant and bad mannered person who with your blatant disregard for the basic rules is putting me and any passengers in my vehicle lives in danger, how dare you.

Go to any parking lot at any busy shopping centre and see the mothers who grab their children by the hand and tell them to run because there is a car coming, or they just walk and turn their heads the other way knowing full well that although one might be tempted to run them, the adult, over most drivers prefer not to turn children into road kill.

What about the perambulator (don’t you just love the word?) pushers who, with arms at full stretch, trot off the pavement with precious child very safely tucked up against every element except their parents lack of brain power and the innocent child is then one yard into to road before the brain dead guardian of their life has stepped onto the road. Is this in some way a form of child neglect or child abuse or a bit of both, heaven only knows.

I thank my parents for teaching me this rhyme and I thank my husband and myself for teaching it to our children, and I thank my children for passing it on to theirs.

Why in so many areas of our lives do we tend to take the hard road, yet it when it comes to driving we take what we think is the easiest and thereby endanger the lives of every road user.

This is a right that not one of us has!!!