Dear Blake,
My co-workers and I go out to lunch once a week. We used to take turns driving, but one co-worker is so genuinely thrilled to drive that over the last year we let her do all of it. She’s NOT a good driver. She hits the curbs making turns, and one time she hit another car in the parking lot because she wasn’t able to turn into the adjacent parking space correctly.
Until recently, these incidents have been more embarrassing than worrisome, but yesterday she pulled out into traffic without checking for oncoming cars and we were nearly T-boned by a van that had the right-of-way. Her response? “Well! He didn’t brake for me at all!”
She’s a nice lady; none of us wants to hurt her feelings, but we no longer feel safe with her behind the wheel. Her biggest problem seems to be that she wants to chat with everyone while she’s driving. She gets distracted by the conversation and doesn’t focus on the task at hand.
How can we nicely tell her that she needs to focus on driving or let someone else drive the team to lunch?
Signed, Cindy
From Houston, Texas
* * * * * * * *
Dear Cindy,
The driver is apparently unaware that she is putting all the passenger’s lives at risk. So, I am strongly urging the everyone riding with her to immediately take drastic action, or prepare for the possibility that their organs will be donated without notice, prompted by an imminent accident. Here are some other suggestions. Everyone who is in the vehicle, should scream at the top of their lungs when she gets within one foot of a curb. And if the three people scream loud enough, it may rupture the driver’s eardrums, and I don’t think deaf people are allowed to drive. Or, force her to drive very slowly, by one of you alleging that your stomach is churning. And warn the driver that if she goes too fast, they might vomit in that direction. Or this idea. All passengers should wear headsets, and blast the music so loud that they won’t be able to have a conversation with the driver, or hear the sound of car parts falling off as she continually bounces off the curb. And lastly, this suggestion. Call the police and tell them to follow a suspicious vehicle… the one you’re in. Then point out to the driver that the cops are behind her, so she should be really focused on the road. If she still drives recklessly, tell the cops that everyone in the vehicle was kidnapped by the driver after he pulls her over. Hopefully if that happens, you won’t have to be concerned about her driving for years… or for how long a federal judge sentences her if she gets convicted. I hope this helps.
Blake