I wish I were a cop in the city of Luverne for one day. I’d park my unmarked patrol car on a side street like Spring St. and just sit and wait. In no time I’d have more tickets going out than the court could process in a week. My wife and I are in our 70’s and most of the time we are scared to death trying to cross the street, Main St., because who pays any attention to the crosswalks anymore? Last Thursday, I was half way across Main St. in my powered wheelchair. I waited until the street was free of auto traffic clear up to Loopy’s. I was just entering the westbound lane when out of the blue three young adults came flying down the street on motor scooters. Two went behind me and one fool cut around me in front. They knew they had scared me because I almost lost control of my chair. They passed on yelping and yelling their heads off. Real funny. I’d say eight out of 10 teenagers won’t stop for people in the crosswalks. At least on our part of town. Those that do are in a hurry most of the time and creep the cars forward. The people who always stop are the middle age people.A lot of seniors won’t stop either. As an example I was going to mail a letter the other day and I use the mail collection box in the driveway at the post office. I was almost to the box when an old lady got on my tail and kept blowing her horn. She revved up her Caddy and nearly hit my chair in her hurry to push me out of her way. I got upset and pulled my chair out of the way only to have her roll down her window and yell at me. Use the box in the lobby she yells at me. Ever try using that lift in the lobby? Half the time it won’t go up or come down. I believe it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Someone will have to get killed first. Yeah, I wish I was a cop for one day in Luverne.Then there are the farmers. They come through town with large tractors pulling two wagons full of grain. Traveling up Main St. wide open going to the elevator. Eighty thousand pounds of grain and machinery on the road, and all they have to stop that rig is two small brakes. They couldn’t stop if they had to. If they jammed on the binders, they’d upset the wagons and there would be grain all over the street. A semi tractor and trailer has 10 brakes to stop the same amount of weight. Is it going to take a death to stop the madness?Joe SimonsenLuverne
