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Billy Joe Fudge: Spare the rod, spoil the child commentary

'I want you to consider the spirit of the "spare the rod, spoil the child" saying concerning the tragedies on our bypass intersections,' Billy Joe Fudge writes as he considers how we've lost the need for self discipline and attention by some of the well meaning convenience and safety innovations which seems to have added more, not less peril
Click on headline for complete essay

By Billy Joe Fudge
Personal Commentary

We've all heard it said, "spare the rod, spoil the child". Now we all have the definition pretty well ironed out but I'm gonna put a little different spin on it.

"Spare the rod" of course implies that those who do not require discipline in the lives of children for which they are responsible are doing them (the children) a great disservice.


"Spoil the child" is the scary part of this, old saying. One of the definitions of spoil is, "diminish or destroy the value or quality of something". In this particular case the something is a child; however, where I'm headed there will be a completely different, something.

Now, I want you to consider the spirit of the "spare the rod, spoil the child" saying concerning the tragedies on our bypass intersections. The following is a list, incomplete I can assure you, of points about our culture that is contributing to an undisciplined population.
  • Safely operating (driving) a vehicle requires the full attention of the operator.
  • We as a people are attentive to those things for which we consider, in this case, a threat.
  • The removal of curves has increased sight distances to the extreme in that, the focus of drivers has moved to distances beyond the point from where threats are a perceived danger to them. In other words, looking a half mile down the road from where perceived threats might be, is a distraction from the intersection which is only a 100 yards ahead and is the most immediate and deadly area of threat.
  • Wide shoulders allow drivers to speed ahead with very little attention paid to controlling the vehicle because running off the shoulder on most roads is no longer a threat. A simple correction is all that is required to bring the vehicle back into its proper place.
  • Vehicles which beep or talk to us to alert us to deficiencies with the performance or speed or condition of our vehicles has made it unnecessary, for the most part, to pay attention to the gauges, speedometer and the overall performance of our vehicles.
  • We no longer have to "notice" landmarks, road signs, street signs, etc. because one of our many devices will alert us when we are nearing our programmed destination and the maneuvers necessary to bring us to our desired locations.
  • We no longer have windows rolled down to give us a perspective of being in motion. Today's wide roads, wide shoulders, scalped and manicured right of ways, have removed all points of reference which give us a perspective of being in motion. In other words, we drivers are lulled into a false sense of safety.
  • Our bodies and minds are receiving the same feedback driving down the road that they receive at home setting in the recliner watching our big screen, digital TV's.
  • We no longer will tolerate driving on narrow country roads with narrow to no shoulders, with narrow bridges for which we need to slow, curves for which we must negotiate, ditches which are only inches from the road shoulders and trees which are only feet from ditches. All are perceived as clear and present dangers and discipline us into driving appropriately.
You getting the idea now? In our efforts to make things easier and safer while driving, we have actually removed the need to discipline ourselves to the inherent dangers of moving across the land at speeds that bring death and destruction when we interact with others who are moving across the land in the same fashion.

We have "spared the rod" of discipline for our drivers which has "spoiled the child" (drivers) to the degree that we have diminished and destroyed the value of paying attention and the quality of driving safely".

This story was posted on 2015-04-06 03:41:33
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Broken blacktop edges: A safety hazard; or do drivers adjust?



2015-04-06 - Jr. Burton Road, Adair County, KY - Photo by Ed Waggener.
The past winter was extremely damaging to county roads. The break-away edges along the way present a hazard. But questions Billy Joe Fudge raised about perceptions of safety and how drivers adjust may warrant a study. Does anyone have any metrics on whether there are more accidents or maybe fewer because of conditions like this one? We haven't heard of any caused by the condition of extraordinarily high shoulders, but have no statistics. It seems that in the wake of the crumbling roads, drivers have adjusted to the conditions and actually pay more attention. Is that why we rarely hear of a vehicle dropping off the roadway on Hurt Street in Columbia. Drop offs are scary on the busy shortcut, but I've never seen an accident on the street - doesn't mean they haven't happened - but I wonder. Right now, if all the county roads which seem to need paving were resurfaced, the cost would be astronomical. We've heard Magistrates mention that gravel may be the better solution for many of them. The county crews can move in with graders and repair them quickly. Comments welcome. Clicking Read More accesses Billy Joe Fudge's commentary
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James Roberts: On bypass, video surveillance, automatic tickets

To Danny Beard, for Good Samaritan Act

Celia Downey: GRAWL Bake Sale looked like a Panera or Riley's

Betty Coop: Bill always had a story to brighten our days

Joyce Coomer develops Monarch Butterfly Road Sign

Roger D Smith thinks Russell Creek should be F&W project

COF: Doesn't care for 'his' picture taken at Egypt

View even more articles in topic News
  

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