You still have your drivers license, the doctor says that it’s OK! for you to be out there driving on our busy roads.
Anyway it would be hard to give up driving after 40 years or so, being so independent. Maybe you’ve had a few close calls or maybe you only drive in daylight hours and maybe only short distances from home. It’s safer that way.
Maybe you have a disability sticker that the doctor has signed off on, which allows you to virtually use any parking place for free, anywhere in Australia, even if it’s ‘signed’. You are able to stay there as long as necessary. How good is that!
Sometimes people take umbridge, when one alights from a car (showing a disability sticker), and they don’t appear to have a disability. However, this is a far cry from reality. There are many people afflicted by serious complaints that make it impossible to fit the stereo type disability.
It could be heart problems or many of the other things that can go wrong with our bodies that don’t allow us to move as quickly as other people.
Hence the need for spaces at the entrance to a shopping centre or building. Sure! There are some drivers who abuse the system and consider it their right to be able to park anywhere they want. But it could be embarrassing to either party, if this was a genuine need and was called out.
It’s a wise person who knows when to call their driving days over and give up their license.
Maybe you like caravaning , even this may be too hard, bending down cranking up the van legs and seeing to the fitting of the pipes and plugs for the water and electricity. Putting up the awning may be a struggle and making sure the caravan is level and the brake is on.
This is a stressful time, the time when arguments ensue and you have sneaky thoughts of giving it all away. And don’t forget that safety is a priority when towing a caravan.
In a shopping center, are you a front or reverse parker? Do you just drive in when you see a space or are you a proficient ‘backer’. There is a theory that backing-in is slightly safer and somewhat more efficient than a forward parking driver.
However there is a mix of thought on both sides of the argument.
Front-in parking is easier and quicker, it allows easy access to the boot for groceries and a quick dash to the shops.
To the contrary, backing into the traffic when leaving is fraught with danger and can lead to angry words or an accident.
Front parking also minimises damage to a parked car, or for that matter your own.
Either way, one has to be careful around those large concrete columns. So, is it all smooth sailing for the backer? Not really! He has to contend with limited space to get to the boot, damaging his own or another vehicle.
Driving when you are older or with a disability, is a challenge and does make for some serious decisions.
When the time comes, make decisions to not endanger yourself or other road users.
