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Fence Bites SHO By Don Mallinson Anyone paying attention on the SHOtimes mailing list lately knows that there has been an increase in "incidents" with S-H-O's lately. Case in point, the car shown here: (click on the thumbnails for a bigger image)
This V8 belongs to June H. Han, and his off-road excursion looks bad enough from this angle, but check it out from here:
That lumber sticking out the back window came by just inches from June's head. All of us that know June are very glad he was OK after this accident, and chances are the SHO can be repaired to go down the highway again. According to June he might have hit a patch of "black ice" that threw the car into a slide on a turn. Before I get into the point of my story, I want to emphasize that what I am about to say in NO way implies that the accident pictured here involved any improper behavior or speeds. Seeing this car just reminded me that there have been several SHO's lost to accidents lately, a fair amount of speeding tickets and some injuries. Nothing serious, to my knowledge, but as June will agree, it could have been a lot worse. The point here is to ask that everyone out there take a moment to reflect on your highway manners and behavior. Apart from the latest P.C. cause of "road rage" there is the bigger problem of just poor decision making and skills. I will be the first to say that I am NOT immune to a "brain fart" as my old college band director used to say. I have made some dumb moves, as recently as a couple of months ago. I thought I had checked over my left shoulder and then pulled out to pass on the interstate, almost running into another car with a family aboard. They had done nothing wrong and I almost ran them off the road. I slowed down, let the guy give me an I.Q. test with his finger, yell a few well-chosen words and finally accept my mouthed "sorry" and shrug of my shoulders. At least I looked him in the eye and took my medicine. I am trying to say, I am not without fault. But I do work hard to be a better driver every time I get behind the wheel. I have never been quite as much of a daredevil on the highway as many of my peers and certainly not as daring as some of you out there but I still enjoy "spirited" driving in my SHO. I have decided that I don't have anything to prove to other drivers. Let them have their little victories if they want, I have time slips and track days to prove that I am a good driver and that the car is fast. Street racing is just too dangerous and I hate giving money to the state for tickets. I don't care to endanger other people and I sure don't want them taking me or my family out just to prove that they are more willing to drive fast on public highways. Most "street" races are just a contest to see who can play chicken the longest. I will gladly lose that contest, since it proves nothing. Same thing goes for that rusty Civic with the trash can exhaust tip that passes me on the interstate going 90 mph. I KNOW my S-H-O will go faster than most cars, I don't have to prove it. That Civic is probably flat out and about to wreck at 90, and I don't want to be near it when it blows! I also work hard to control my temper. Yes, I get cut off, and I get mad, but I take a deep breath because is it not worth it to give my own I.Q. test, and maybe find someone that carries a loaded gun, and is just short enough bricks in the brain to use it on me. In the past few years (and maybe it is finally some old age working on me), I have decided to try being more courteous. Someone needs to cut in front of me? Let them in. It may hold me up .4 of a second to my destination but I am not in that big of a hurry. Say I am making good time in the left lane on the interstate in heavy traffic and some Joe blows up to my rear bumper flashing lights and riding my tail to get by. It won't hurt me a bit to let that car, or even a string of cars get by. They can shake the trees and bring out all the radar cars before I get there, and if I don't hold them up maybe they won't get ill-tempered and take it out on the next car...or me. So, I have tried not to get on anybody's case here, just give an argument for taking it a little easier on the road. Let's face it....enthusiasts that join clubs like ours, and read magazines like AutoWeek and Road & Track usually take better care of their cars. We have worked to improve our driving skills more than the average driver. Frankly most drivers shouldn't have a license. We should all lobby our elected officials for better drivers license exams. Weed out the true killers and leave the roads safer for those that appreciate the privilege that driving a fine automobile really is. SHOClub.com |
