Lives Saved Today
April 8, 2005

Lives Saved Today: 41

There is a street sign I see every so often in my travels. It looks something like this:

I often wonder what effect this sign really has on people. Do they see the sign and say, "Ya know, I really should slow down because, traveling at this speed, I could kill somebody"?

I wonder if the slow drivers see that sign and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Imagine how many people would be dead if I weren't such a conscientious driver."

What fascinates me about this sign is the fact that there are plenty of other things I do while driving that saves lives but gets little or no attention. For example, I drive with my eyes open. Certainly I am saving lives by doing this. There should be a sign:

I also save lives by not veering headlong into oncoming traffic. Surely, there should be a sign to discourage such recklessness:

Whenever I'm driving in the city, I save dozens of lives by not driving on the sidewalks where people are walking.

I've begun keeping a runny tally of lives saved. It makes me feel good that I'm doing my part in keeping people alive.

©2005 James Hilston