Should They Give Tickets For Going Too Slow?

Do you think police would give out a traffic ticket for driving too slow?

I seem to get onto the roads often in Ladue and Frontenac between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

That's just about the time our senior drivers come out of hibernation and hit the roads.

They are probably headed to Schnucks to shop, the country club for golf or a hot card game or one of a multitude of doctor’s appointments.

I should not make fun, because sooner than later, I’ll be right there with them.

But it frustrates me to no end.

Invariably, I’m behind a Crown Vic, a super high performance Volvo or Saab or a Lincoln Towne Car, chugging up Price or McKnight road, going a breathtaking 20 mph. How do they ever get to their destination?

And once they hit that stoplight at Price and Clayton roads, the worst is yet to come. The light turns green, and these land jets hardly get into gear. By the time they make the wide sweeping turn, the light has changed to amber, and I’m still waiting in line to go.

I know the Ladue and Frontenac court docket is jammed with all kinds of young speeders. But maybe the officers on the streets ought to start writing citations for going too slow.

It’s exasperating.

Don’t they know I’m in a hurry to get to a hot Patch story? Do they care if I’m chasing a fire or a highway accident?

I doubt it.

These days, there seems to be no upward limit for the driving age. I hear cases where seniors 100 years old are still behind the wheel.

They need to be driving, because they are in no shape to walk. Maybe I should take back that unkind remark?

When I was just a kid, I used to caddy at St. Louis Country Club. On Sundays, old man Gatsch used to drive his highly polished black Chevy to the Club. He was about 92 years old. They had these heavy metal hurdles in the road and you guessed it-he drove right through them. Nothing was going to stop his golf game.

Actually, at the Center of Clayton I’ve seen some seniors in their 80s and even 90s swimming and working out in the gym. They realize that exercise will extend their longevity.

But I wonder, how did they get to the center, and how long did it take them to do that?

I suppose the local police officers are a lot more patient and considerate than this cranky middle-aged editor.

The next time I get behind one of these huffer-puffers, I should be more considerate. It could be me riding the brakes while trying to get up the hill at 20 miles hour in a few more years.

I guess the whole object is to just arrive safely in one piece. Our senior drivers seem to have this down to perfection.