| 296 PEMBERTON, NORTH VAN SOMETIMES you can actually get through to people, sometimes you can’t. 1 endeavour to persevere. A couple more letters recently; the first of which speaks nothing of itself nor anything relevant, the sec- ond requires a response, “Dear Sir,” begins the first epistle. How formal. “Bonchead bonchead bonehead bonchead bone- head.” Yep, that’s an entire paragraph. “Leave the taxi drivers on the North Shore alone! (Don’t remember the fast time I rook a shot at cabbies, but there it is.) “Some of us can out- drive you pasted (that’s good to know). “Some of us were drivin’ around before you were a twinkle.” Then, another insightful paragraph: “Bonehead bone- ead bonehead.” The author speaks my language, it seems. It continues, “Every bus driver is a baby-eater. 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See what I must endure? This particular letter left me confused but amused. It’s a way of life. The author signs off “Thanks so much, W.C. Fields. North Beach Taxi.” Naturally, I didn’t bother to verify the authenticity of the letrer. L infer a wee bit of dis- cord, but without an actual point being made, I have no response. A second letter, however, otters something worthy of digest. SERVICE, REPAIR & PARTS FOR SAAB ONLY The shop that's strictly SAAB at very competitive rates. 18 month unconditional job warranties. 20 year in SAAB Service Business. Swedish Autosport 2059 Clark Dr., (at ae Ave) | www.swedauto.be.ca 253-3119 | JnkK: Mosorwerks mplete Repairs" e Compl vw . ACURA. BMW ry 4%q 1500 Meckay Ad North Vancouver (next to Avalon Hotel) Replacement YM SELDY QALITS REI & AINE SYS EELS north shore news Jera E. Foster of West Vancouver takes slight umbrage to my overzealous use of the term “bonehead.” She argues that every- body makes mistakes and implies the inclusion of niyself, OF course F make mis- takes, Mrs. Foster. More than once I've reached across the kitchen cable and accidentally spilled a glass of milk. I've often cried over it. Also, going over my Grade 1} physics finals, 1 note an overabundance of mistakes. And on a few occasions I've poured orange juice into my morning coffee instead of cream, a brutal error that has forced me to take my coffee black these days. However, mistakes such as these are generally of little consequence to myself or the people around me — except- ing that I was refused entrance ta Racket Science School because of my physics marks, which irks me to no end. We simply should not abide “little mistakes” when they happen on the road, lest we be boncheads. ICBC or private insurance, Sast professional service. Mobile service available 903-4185 110-340 Brooksbank, North Van : wear ‘out for 2 reasons, old age ‘or premature failure q j due to 2 worn boot over the joint. A large percentage go ‘failures are due. to the rubber. boot’ that keeps § a ‘ grease in the joint and grit out-of it, getting . torn’ or’ 9 “wearing out. A worn boot allows dirt in and that" ‘wears’ | the hearing. It-all comes down to the fact that” you oe A should have your car looked over regularly, Catching. ff : om replacing a worn $50 boot i is rauch ah cheaper than. : AUTO Letiers suggest columnist a * Look, “forgetting” to shoulder check, for example, as you make a lane change can dircetly cause death. Death! Sure, afew other criteria must be met: There has to be a car in your blind spot and a Mack truck coming from the other direction, but you can see how a little “mistake” can have huge and devastating consequences. It’s unforgivable. When a drunk driver kills someone we often discover that the inebriated driver is a generally well-liked, respon- sible and otherwise law-abid- ing citizen who made a mis- take. Fair enough, but that driver is still a bonehead and a bonchead of the worst kind. Perhaps that's too harsh an example. Besides which, that’s too easy an example. Considering that 30% of the fatalities in 1997 were “alco- hol related” (according to ICBC), that leaves 70% of the fatalities allotted to sober drivers, which is a sobering thought, — 70% NOT involving booze. Gabbing on a cellphone while driving makes you a DOES YOUR CAR HAVE A STANDARD TRANSMISSION? Ht mhadders when yow hit, f you've really gotta work ta changs gears, or # you heur maine, ite rte fo viait _, Puen) new chutch we install se cvallebls with a fall two-year 40,000 Milometre Clutch - ‘Warrenty. The 4 lot of pvtection,.. bonehead. Not because you look foolish /sel-important or that you are inhibited from signalling or making a proper turn (don’t get me started), but because vou are knowingly uncquipped to handle potential emergency manocuvres and setting yourself up for a potentially deadly car crash, one which may leave you merely dazed and confused and an other- wise sharp and attentive dri- ver dead. As in dead. Ve should expect nothing less of our fellow drivers than perfection and while no-one can truly be expected to attain the Zen state of motoring, striving for pertec- tion is, at least, the way to go. To stop referring to bad drivers as boneheads just for the fact that “we” could each be considered thick- skulled from time to time is exactly what allows so many senseless crashes out there on the mean streets in the first place. (Why hasn't anybody ever complained about my overzealous use of run-on sentences?) (Ed. We often so.) “Seber eens” 14151 Hunter St, NV. 968-4480 Rass with this ad a0 41 721 West 14th St. NV. off Bewicke St. Lawn eee bam: eee. 1415 Hunter St, N.V. 586-3121 890 West 15th St. at Marine Drive North Vancouver 984-03 Roncheads don’t cause accidents, they cause avoid- able crashes. They cause pain and suffering. At the feast, they cause great inconveniences and for no other reason than the fact that thev’re human, they make mistakes. Ignoring a problem or dismissing its criticism because it is common does not help us; it merely fuels the problem. Thar’s why I occasionally refer to otherwise fine folks, bad taxi-drivers and baby- cating bus drivers as bone- heads. They need co be singled out. They're not merely men and women with typically human foibses; they are boncheads causing avoidable crashes. And they are not spiling milk, they are killing people. Mrs. Foster, I am not try- ing to win friends with my witty way of describing the density of a person’s cerebel- lum casing, I’m trying drive home a point that needs to take top priority in the minds of drivers. Don't be a bonehead. Be sate. Take care when car travelling | with pets SAAB and the U.S. Humane Society aré working to promote a safer, more comfortable travel experience for all pets — and their own- ers — and offer the fol- lowing tips. When travelling by car, the safest place for. your pet is properly restrained in the back Seat or cargo area, or placed in a pet carrier. Mi Never leave pets unattend- ed in a parked car — they could suffer heat stroke or be stolen. @ Although your dog may want to hang his head out of the window when travelling, flying debris can easily injure his eyes. Open the window only enough to keep the air flowing. 8 Wherever you're travelling, make sure your pet is wearing a collar and an up-to-date identification tag. If you're travelling away from home, affix a second tag with a tem- porary travel ID with the address and phone number where you can be reached. In addition, keep a current photo of your pec and his medical records with you. @ Actach your pet to a leash to prevent escapes or accidents before letting him our of the car. Betore a road trip, see your veterinarian to ensure your pet is up to travelling. Get any necessary vaccinations, med- ications or health certificates. @ A book tike Pets Welcome, available at , can be very helpful.