Guest Column: Driving has changed since the good old days

Driving sure has changed since the good old days.

I’ve read the opinion of younger drivers who say older drivers need to give up their car keys. Usually the age they quote as too old to drive is around 50.

Since I’ve declared that the 70s are the new 50s, that means I finally need to quit driving.

That would be fine if we lived in town, but we live in the country and it’s not convenient for anyone to drive us anywhere. It would be nice to have someone to drive me around, to doctor’s visits, for hospital tests, to church, to the grocery store - which is about the only driving I do.

I long ago gave up driving during busy peak season. Once in awhile, I’ll find myself out in my car during the noon hour (Walmart employees going out to eat) or around the middle of the afternoon (when same drivers are getting off work,or parents are picking up children at school), and I realize I’ve made a mistake being out at that busy time of day.

I know I’ve slowed down mentally, so I make up for it by driving slower, especially on the interstate.

This infuriates the young, aggressive drivers, who then weave in and out of traffic (without the use of their turn signal, of course). I am more careful backing up now, since the driver of a truck and I decided to back up at the same time in Walmart’s parking lot.

Thank goodness for insurance! And I try to only drive down streets that are familiar. Since the safe driving AARP course I took informed me that most accidents happen at intersections, I try to be overly cautious there, but still I have nearly been run over a few times.

Older drivers are just under suspicion. I remember my mother, when in her 70s, backing out on the highway when a fast driver drove down the hill and hit her. No one would believe her side of the story - that she was in her lane and the other driver crossed the centerline - because she was the older driver.

I do most of the driving now. I really miss the days when Jerry drove. He drove our motor home to Alaska about five times, and I happily viewed the scenery.

Once we had to stop while a large herd of buffalo slowly crossed the road. How’s that for old times? Jerry was such a good driver, I never worried about having an accident. Of course, Jerry has given me many hints that make me a better navigator.

I still remember the days when my brother drove us the five miles to school at Southwest City in his model A. He probably only drove about 30 miles an hour, or less. And my father took us to town on Saturdays in his old pickup truck. In those days we didn’t have turning signals, but he was real careful to use his hand signals if another vehicle was around.

A hand raised up meant a right turn and an arm stretched out meant a left turn. Those were the good old days of little traffic and everyone driving slow.

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Editor’s note: Marie Wiggin Putman, and her husband, Jerry, live in Little Flock. A native of Benton County, she writes a monthly column for the Westside Eagle Observer. She and her husband are members of the Pea Ridge Historical Society.