Reply
Tue 19 Jun, 2007 05:04 pm
Here are the "Drivers' Ten Commandments" as listed by the Vatican's Office for Mirgrants and Itinerant People:
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
I would offer these amendments to the Vatican's pronouncement.
Kara's Ten Commandments for Drivers:
1. Don't tailgate, especially if your monster SUV has an angry-mouth grille
2. Don't cut in
4. Don't drive a huge SUV that blocks my view
5. Don't tailgate
5. Don't run almost-red lights
6. Don't talk on your mobile while driving
7. Don't tailgate
8. Don't apply mascara while driving
9. Don't pray while driving if you bow your head
10. Don't tailgate
I saw this on a bumper sticker:
Outta my way! I'm late for latte!
Especially relevant in the Pacific Northwest.
I can live within most reasonable laws of the land, except that speed limit one.
I was interested today to find that the Vatican has intervened on the side of compassion and selflessness as opposed to unenlightend self-interest as applies to driving automobiles.
I am in accord with one of the Vatican's commandments, the one stipulating that a driver should protect those most vulnerable. I've always seen a hierarchy of road rights. The biggest and most powerful must give way to the slower or slowest. An angry snarling SUV must pause when a putt-putt hybrid going 70 in the far right lane needs accommodating. A cyclist should not be on an interstate but must be slowed for, as should a pedestrian, if they wander there unawares.
Motorcycles are wild cards and must be watched carefully; they have power, swiftness, and agility, as do sports cars. But some have tendencies toward heedlessness, or perhaps they are just carefree. One ought to anticipate this in bikers and be ready to use accident avoidance techniques that should be instinctive to a good driver.
Kara; I'm sorry for my original flippant post. I first thought this was a joke of some sort.
Though I wonder why the original ten could not apply. . ..
Neologist, I got a laugh out of your original post. I hadn't seen that bumper sticker, if it exists outside of your imagination. And, if it rides around on a car anywhere, it would surely be coffee-lovin Seattle.
I printed the Vatican's Ten C's almost as a joke...you were right about that. I am in a funk about the Church at the moment and rolled my eyes at the suggestion of praying when someone cuts you off. But the Church is what it is, and this list is at least a nod toward modernity. They did not offer suggestions about controlling your horse and buggy....
I think this are a good thing, and will do the most good in Italy where, apparently, it's desperately needed. Lives will be saved, I'm thinkin'.
This is a wonderful idea, especially when contrasted with the decree to withdraw all Catholic support from Amnesty International!
I had not heard that, Eorl. What is the justification?
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace