Park

GIVE me a brake!
Please!

It’s high time [ respond-
ed to News reporter Robert
Galster’s recent story on the
North Van Ree Centre park-
ing lot. Well, perhaps it’s
not high time, but better
late than never...

In case vou missed it,
seems a certain Mr. Peter
Leeds takes exception to dri-
ving schools using the huge
fot for teaching and practic-
ing purposes.

Good grief.

You know, folks, ir is dif-
ficult enough teaching new
drivers the complicated
aspects of traftic safety with-
out the aggravation of
“know it alls” giving stu-
dents dirty looks, emphatic
nods of disapproval and, as
in Mr. Leeds case, “taking
exception” to the mere
existence of the phenomena
know as the student dri-
ver.

Typical of North Share
NIMBYs, Mr. Leeds fails to

shaun
Conlin

signals

get the big picture.

Where, I wonder, does
Mr. Leeds expect people to
learn the fine art of parking
and reversing?

On Lonsdale Avenue per-
haps? Now that would
choke nearly every other cit-
izen of our fine Shore.

So, somewhere else then.
Surrey, perhaps?

It seems, toa, that Mr.
Leeds missed the point of
the Ree Centre’s response to
his complaint: “They said
there’s nothing they can do
about it because it's a public
parking lot,” lamented Mr.
Leeds.

Exactly. Public domain.
Don’t like it? Stop paying

ot essential

taxes and get your own, pri-
vate lot.

But that isn’r even my
biggest peeve with the Mr.
Leeds’ lamentation.

On students in the park-
ing lot, Leeds conjectured,
“there's a wreat possibility a
child could be hit.”

Really now. In truth,
there’s almost zero chance
ofa child being hit.

But while Mr. Leeds
picks at nits and uses pathet-
i¢ scare tactics in an effort to
rally public support, he,
again, fails to get the big
picture.

Mr. Leeds took exception
toa North Shore Driving
School student and instruc-
tor. | strongly suspect thar
had some Bonchead Daddy
been teaching Little fohnny
how to park the Lexus,
their presence would have
gone unnoticed by Mr.
Leeds.

As it was, Mir. Leeds
thought the lot was reserved
for perfect parkers like him-
self or outta-sight-outra-

mind Little Johnnys.

Definitely not for people
who had the foresight to pay
the big bucks and be taught
by a proiessional.

Now, f can’t help bur
wonder what Mr. Leeds
makes of that secondary fel-

“It is difficult
enough teaching
new drivers the
complicated
aspects of driving
without the
aggravation of
“‘know-it-alls.’”
low nding in the passenger
seat of the driving schooi
ay North Shore Driving
School instructor is protes-
sionally trained by a protes-

sional, government-certified
and bonded teacher of dri-

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for learn

ving.

The instructor does nor
sic there and read the news:
Paper as his student mows
over little kids.

Furthermore, a driving
schoal car is equipped with
a pssenger-side/instructor’s
brake pedal.

This pedal, while used
very fittie if at ail, is mount-
ed for just such an occur-
renee as» little kid desper-
ately desicing a look ar the
undercarriage of a driving
school car.

Bonchead Daddy and
Little Johnny tack chis nitty
little device.

Daddy screaming
“STOP!” isn’t nearly as
effective as a driving instruc:
tor calmly and quietly
assuming contral should
something, go a fittic awry.

If Mr. Leeds was worried
about having his door
scratched by North Shore
Driving School, his concern
was misguided (again, the
extra brake pedal).

If Mr. Leeds just felt his

personal space was being
mvaded, too bad (again, get
your own parking lor).

I*m the tirst to admit
that there are some pretty
lousy driving schools our
there— North Shore
Driving school vot being
one them — but none so
bad as te warrant locking
up your sons and
daughters.

Even so, the student dri-
ver often drives like a clum-
av, inexperienced novice,
borching the park job, going
a fittle slow, wobbling
through a turn, that sort of
thing.

Guess what?

The student driver, by
Aalure, isa clumsy, inexperi-
enced novice.

Personally, my har goes
off to them nor only
because they muse brave the
brave new world of driving,
but because they have to
endure Jugubrious Leeds-
like laments.

Keep it up, you novices
you! Be safe.

Photo submitted

“Ford of Canada’s 1997 earnings up from previous year

INCREASED sales and

production, reduced

costs, and higher prod-
uct quality that resulted
in greater customer sat-
isfaction and owner loy-
alty were the key factors
in Ford of Canada post-
ing 1997 earnings of
S685 million.

So said company president
and chief executive officer

Bobbie Gaunt in a press
release announcing — the
automaker's 1997 sales.

Gaunt added that the 1997
earnings are an improvement
of $205 million, or 43%, from
1996 when earnings rotalled
$480 million.

“The strong performance
reflects dedicated efforts by
our 14,000 employees and
605 Ford and Lincoln-
Mercury dealers across
Canada in achieving a number

of significant accomplish-
ments last year,” she said.
“Ford of Canada increased its
combined car and truck sales
for the third consecutive year
and retained the overall ruck
sales leadership we first cap-
tured in 1996,

“In addition, 1997 was a
year in which Ford’s invest-
ment of more char $6 billion
in its plants since 1990 pro-
duced substantial increases in
exparts, fo. the, U.S.." Grant

aren

added.

According to the press
release, shipments of cars,
minivans and trucks from
Ford of Canada plants in
Oakville and = St.) Thomas
increased last vear to 630,629,
up 17% from 537,405 in
1996. Engine shipments from
Ford’s Windsor plants reached
1,246,500, an inerease of 24%
from 1,003,861 in 1994.

Consolidated sales in 1997
— which include operations in

Canada, Austratiay = New
Zealand, and Taiwan -- were

085-7155

$27.9 billion, up nine percent
from $25.5 billion in 1996.

183 Pemberton Ave. TASKING

Vg 299-9000