An Email from a West Coast Florida buddy arrived with advice for driving in Florida which, with slight modifications, we pass along to those among us who may be visiting, newly-licensed and all traffic-tied Kendall motorists:
1. If you’re a snowbird or non-working retiree, absolutely do not drive between 6-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. ‘rush hours’ since you are not in any rush. There are no exceptions. Seniors only do errands on weekdays, never on weeknights or weekends which are reserved for working folks.
2. Freeways only go north and south, not east or west. Tolls are a fact of life; the state has to make money so deal with it. I-95 and the Palmetto Expressway will always be under construction. That’s the law and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
3. A1A and ALT A1A are the same road. Just for the heck of it, every street in Florida has both a number and a name (i.e., SW 112 Street or Killian Drive). That also creates inner pleasure from watching visitors react after giving them directions.
4. Always measure distance by your watch since Florida miles, especially in cities, are meaningless for estimating travel time. That is a northern driving habit. Lose it.
5. If you travel more than five or 10 miles on any South Florida road without dodging orange barrels or Bob’s Barricades, you are probably lost.
6. When a green arrow traffic light permits a left turn, three cars normally get through an intersection. When the arrow turns red, the average jumps to six or eight more. Blinkers mean nothing.
7. And, oh yes. ‘Swale’ is not a Southern dialect for ‘swell.’ It’s where you park when your car radiator overheats in traffic gridlocks.
If you have any advisories, send them along…we’ll be glad to add ‘em!
Miles Moss wonders if anyone else has been cited for not having a current insurance card in possession when stopped by a traffic cop. The veteran West Kendall engineer recently went through the tortures of uknow- what to prove his insurance was intact but still wound up paying a $129 fine as a cited infraction.
He’s appealed his case to County Clerk Harvey Ruvin, disputing the statutes that permit such a fine in Florida, simply because the driver does not have proof in possession, even though valid coverage exists (“the card I happened to be carrying was last year’s,” he explains. “I simply hadn’t transferred my new card to my wallet.”). Gotta be a traffic advisory here somewhere for that!
Martha Backer still hopeful of finding Killian Class of ‘68 alums interested in celebrating that high school’s first graduation since it is “45 years since we’ve seen them.” She asks any 1968 Killian grad to get in touch with Ken Rawlinson at kckrawl@msn.com if they any information on a married gal with changed name or is otherwise not on a current list planning for a reunion.
Latest Park in Kendall to get a new facility is A. D. Barnes, 3401 Southwest 72nd Avenue, where a ribbon-cutting marked a new modular building at the popular Sense of Wonder Nature Center on July 27. A double- wide modular building (24-by-60 feet long) replaces a former single-width building, expanding space for nature classes, scout programs and special workshops to keep our kids interested in the environment, flora and fauna. Also coming up at A. D. Barnes Park is a “Swim for Jenny” Memorial Fund event August 13-18 to help spread water safety information and learn-to-swim scholarships for underserved children in South Florida. If interested in learning more, tel. 305-665-1626 to help a memorial that honors 12-year-old Jenny Hong Nguyen who accidentally drowned after going into water too deep for her limited swimming ability.
Greater Kendall Business Expo already beating the drums for its October 11 “Expo” at Lexus of West Kendall, a place where hundreds of Kendall business folks can display their wares, network and create business opportunities. For details, call ‘Maggie’ at 305-386-4030.
Thought for the Day:
The empires of the future are
the empires of the mind. —
Sir Winston Churchill
Richard Yager contributed to this column.
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For news tips call 305-669-7030 or send to Michael@communitynewspapers.com
