Sunday 24 August 2008

Rant

If only people could see the effects of a head injury following a car accident and the passenger/driver is not wearing a seatbelt? I don't know how many times I see it a day, it's rediculous. Does these people think they are made out of steel that cannot be broken?

The worst thing is when I see kids not wearing belts or strapped in properly. What sort of mentality do these people have? I can't comprehend it. I saw a parent, fag in hand, with her seat belt on most days driving her child to school with the child stood in the foot well hanging, on the dash board. She arrives at school prks on the zig zag lines and dumps the kid off, he runs off into school (he must only be 5 or 6) and she does a 3 point turn in the school safety zone and drives off not a care in the world. Did she even want this child? Does she not know anyone at all who would do anything to have a child? What would she feel like if this child bounced out of the front windscreen onto the road and possibly hit by another car or hit a tree or whatever. She was stopped once at the crossng and I crossed in front of her with my daughter, she had her windows open as it was a warm morning and I wasn't in a very good mood anyway but it gav me the confidence to stand in front of her car and yell at her to put her childs seat belt on and put her fag out. Did she not care about the child in the car with her at all? I think she was too shocked to respond or didn't even realise what I was saying. She probably thought I was some raving loony cow maybe!

These are all speculations and what really are the chances of it happening? Probably very little statistically but why risk it? Why do we bother with insurances if we think it's never going to happen to us? Because we have to by law? because we have to to get a mortgage maybe?

What if ou had to sit and watch your child wth a head injury writhing around a bed unaware of where he/she is or who you are. Moaning and groaning nd unco-operative and the doctor tells you this is about as good as it's going to get. Or worse still tha ther brain is too injured due to the accident to ever recover an the parents have to sit there and watch them die?

People reckon suicide is really selfish but I reckon not wearing a seatbelt is really selfish. It only takes a second to put on. It can save your life, it can save the life of your passenger, your child, your wife, your husband , whoever is in the car with you. It could prevent your family having to go through watching you die or watching you suffer. It can prevent hurt, grief, pain, a lifetime without you. It can prevent you from killing the person in front of you as a back seat passenger.

Think of all the man hours needed to put a person back together following a car crash without a belt on, doctors, nurses, radiographers, physios, occupational therapists to name but a few. Think of the days, weeks, months you may have to spend getting better if you're lucky enough to get that far. Think of the people you may have to leave behind.

Look at yourself in the mirror next time you get in a car. Are you not worthy of living? Are you invincible? Look at the person next to or behind you. Do they deserve to not have you in their lives or do you not deserve to have them in yours? Protect them and yourselves. Think of others. Be a good sport. Make my day and prove to me that there aren't tons of selfish tossers out there.

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