This week, I come to you with a series of unconnected, short thoughts.

BE A BETTER DRIVER

My son and I commute to our campus three days a week, 78 miles each way, which gives us joint study time of two hours each way on the classes we share.  It has also given me an opportunity to observe some traffic situations that I share here.

Most of our travel is on Interstate 45 is with cruise control set at the speed limit of 65 mph. Leaving the left or passing lane open means we are passed frequently which is fine.

But there is always the driver (I’m tempted to use a superlative rather than the word “driver” in this spot) who speeds up behind us and, with lanes open to our right and left, leaving virtually no space between our vehicles, proceeds to tailgate, endangering his life and ours.  My reaction is to slowly reduce speed causing the miscreant to discover his steering wheel and zip around us catching up to and tailgating some other driver.

Noticed of these reprobates, even though it is the low light of dawn, is that their headlights are off (“Heck, I can see, what do I care who can’t see me.”)  This is the same guy who, when you switch on your turn signal to change lanes, will quickly speed-up to block you.

FEED THE BIRDS

But enough on these degenerates, lets talk about our campus.

Have you ever noticed, when you are walking to and from classes in the mornings, the number of birds serenading you from the trees and building roofs? And have you ever noticed that, unlike other places with large numbers of birds, very few are seen on the ground?

I like birds, so I am suggesting that rather than depositing your leftover morning toast in the garbage, break it up, and as you stroll from building to building, leave those crumbs for our feathered friends to consume at their leisure between songs.

LIFT THE SEAT

And now, lady students, next is a problem that you do not have to read about. Although, having grown up in a female dominated household, I know the problem does exist off campus.

With that short out, a proviso to my fellow male students.

I address you guys, most especially those of you who head into the campus men’s restrooms to relieve your bursting bladders and for some reason or another do not use one of the plethora of urinals located there-in but instead, step into the privacy of one of the less numerous stalls: Please, double please, lift up the seat so that your fellow student who follow you in there does not have to clean up after you before he can use the facility.

If it is your fear of germs that causes your reluctance in raising the seat before you discharge, ample soap is available to properly clean your hands.

Should you be unfortunate enough to follow one of these thoughtless boys into a stall area and the miscreant is still around, do what I do and loudly and with fervor admonish the perpetrator causing them public embarrassment and get them to clean up after their misdeed.

LOOK BEFORE YOU CROSS

Also noticed is that walking on campus means crossing often busy streets. Also noticed is that very few students bother to look before crossing.

Trust me, despite the fact that I admit that the following is a fib.

“In recent scientific tests, it has been proven that the very worn and fading white lines indicating pedestrian crosswalks and safety have been shown to be deleted in strength enough to now be ineffective in stopping a moving thirty-eight hundred pound vehicle or even one of the multitude of golf carts on campus.”

So this is a plea my fellow students, please when crossing the streets, look and hesitate for at least three seconds and do this so as not to upset the day of the poor driver who runs over your body.

And, finally for this week I leave you by changing the subject again with a tip for the sake of your on campus safety.  Remember, while considering the feeding of our on campus wildlife, please be careful of any your fellow scholars you may tend to feed or share edibles with; Students are often know to bite!