Safety belts, the postal ‘service’ and using technology | News

Every now and then I like to remind people of the need to wear seat belts in automobiles.

Lately I have noticed an increasing number of reports of people being ejected from vehicles with fatal consequences.

Which is almost always due to the fact that you are not wearing a seat belt.

I installed one of the first seat belts in the area as a correspondent for the California newspaper Bakersfield and as a teenager.

The California Highway Patrol began installing lap belts on their patrol cars in the mid-1950s when the Air Force discovered they were losing more troops to car accidents in the US than in Korea.

Ford jumped on the train by building safer cars and installing the seat belts. Other manufacturers soon followed.

Adoption was slow, with the usual fear and reluctance to change.

When shoulder straps were introduced, some drivers complained of claustrophobia.

There are always people who simply reject everything new and different.

Two things happen when you don't wear seat belts - you can get a traffic quote, or you can die.

Which continues to occur.

When reading accident reports, very young and older drivers appear demographically to be the most reluctant to wear seat belts.

There seems to be a similar situation with COVID recordings.

Kern County is at the bottom of the list of people in California who oppose the COVID vaccine. I made my recordings for the first week or two when they became available. At the age of 85, it seemed like a good idea.

Apart from a sore arm for a few days after the second shot, I had no problems.

What is interesting (and comforting) is that for several weeks after the last shot, I received a short and voluntary questionnaire from the Centers for Disease Control every week to see if I had any problems.

I find it comforting that they are doing this tracking.

Since I'm not one of those people who think the government is going to pick me up, I answered the questions, which lasted about 30 seconds.

My experience in government at various levels convinced me that it would be really difficult for them to find me, even if they wanted to.

I have more problems with AT&T than ever with the guv'mint.

Speaking of AT&T, it has one of the worst sites I've tried, especially for a "communications" company.

I wouldn't have a problem with a COVID passport either, which seems like a good idea for everyone except the Republicans who seem to be against almost anything these days.

This is in line with what I've advocated for eons, a health system with a universal map that wastes much of the time that is wasted looking for medical care.

Every time I need to see a specialist or do tests, etc., I spend more time on paperwork than on the procedure.

My doctors send me for biannual blood tests, etc. I always go to the same laboratory but have to wait for my records to be checked and then wait for the lady with the needle.

It takes about two seconds, a little longer when she hands me a small bottle and sends me to the bathroom.

I firmly believe in the adage that every cloud has a silver lining.

The latest example is the door to the Mojave Post Office.

Some mentally retarded criminals recently caused costly vandalism to the post office resulting in it being closed on Sundays which was the day I usually went to visit. (I also get mail at home.)

One of my silent complaints about the local PO has long been the doors.

I won't go into details but new doors have been installed and they are a big improvement over the existing ones.

My next complaint about the Mojave Post Office is the lack of adequate parking for the disabled, a category I have joined because some Jokers call the "Golden Years", that big cripple of young adult.

Despite the large number of elders, the Post has only one handicap place.

Not only that, but the sidewalk at PO is a big step for us old girls and boys.

That means, wherever I park, I have to go to the ramp in the post office, which is on the first floor.

Since the rules for parking disabled people come from the Fed, you'd think a federal agency would obey them.

Yes, I know the USPS is a "federal company" only in name.

I spent time running the office of a member of Congress who was on the Postal and Officials Committee and at OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, when we were in DC.

One of my jobs at OSHA was working with federal agencies to get them, like the rest of us, to abide by OSHA regulations, which many of them (including the postal service) ignored.

On the plus side, the snail mail is slowly disappearing to carry information and things.

Speaking of change, when does the Mojave Public Utility District plan to join the rest of the world and give its customers the ability to pay their bills online? About a year ago I was told that they were "waiting for a server".

I just have one more bill that I need to write a monthly check on. No wonder it is the Federal Credit Union of Congress in the capital of our country.

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