We have been spending some time this summer traveling, and intend to do more, as so many folks do in the summer when the roads aren’t icy. Now though, the roads are filled with a whole bunch of other travelers.
I’ve noticed that a lot of drivers seem to think driving their car is secondary to a whole range of other things they think they need to do. But, they go on piloting a car down a road traveling at speeds from a few miles per hour, slowing down everyone catching up to them, or approaching 100 mph, texting, checking their phone messages, reading, putting on makeup, shaving, and 100 other things. Sometimes they are alone, often however, there are passengers whose lives they are endangering, along with the lives of whomever they might run into. They don’t seem to think about the consequences of not paying attention.
Here in Estes Park, especially in Rocky Mountain National Park, and in many of our national and state parks, nearly everyone sees animals alongside the road. They twist around to see them as long as possible, only to find the car veering into the wrong lane, or toward the edge of the road. Or, as many tourists do, either just keep driving and go right through a bunch of deer, elk, or wild turkeys without slowing down. Or they stop, throw open every door, jump out without pulling off the main road, and begin photographing the animals. After picture taking, they stay stopped until the animals or birds have gone completely out of sight. Then they finally drive off, frequently traveling too fast to see any animals that are off the road a ways, and not right in front of them…