Sir: I agree fully with Bruce Corcoran’s point of view in the “Drive the COVID-19 speed limit” column in the March 19 Chatham Voice. However, you have only touched on one facet of the “me mentality” that is so pervasive in our community today.
I drive approximately the speed limit or slightly above while in town, but must confess to driving about 117 on Highway 401. In town, it is unusual for a day to pass that some moron tries to push me through traffic, tailgating so closely that I cannot see the grill of the following vehicle in my mirror. At night, these clowns add high beams for effect.
Others at intersections make no effort to slow down, but just drive right past the stop signs.
At traffic lights, I now wait after getting a green light, and look both ways for oncoming traffic, since to too many drivers it appears that the red light is only a suggestion, not something to be obeyed.
These are the same people who barge their way around supermarkets, making people step aside as they barrel down aisles. Not surprisingly, it is this same cadre that is stripping the shelves either to hoard for themselves, or to peddle online to gouge others.
In recent years, society has devolved into a ME society, where what I want, what I want to do, the speed I want to drive, what I want to take has become totally first place in my life and what the law, or other people, or the government dictates or recommends is totally not applicable to me.
This also, is not a generational or gender issue. It can be a senior, white-haired woman tailgating me just as often as a young male cutting me off at an intersection.
We, as a society have lost our morals; our values rudder. What we were taught by our parents or school teachers to respect others and to be kind to others seems to have gone right out the window.
An old joke once said that Canadians were so polite that they said “please and thank you” to automated teller machines. I am afraid that being Canadian no longer evokes the same respect in too many people.
Perhaps surviving this pandemic together will help resurface and re-instil some of the true Canadian values of respect, courtesy, caring, sharing and politeness.
One can hope.
David Goldsmith
Chatham
