In one of the other threads we've been talking about taking someone's keys. And to ground them from driving and all. I'll tell you about my parents.

Years ago, Dad had a heart attack, and less than 2 weeks later, he had a stroke. The doctor told us that Dad shouldn't be driving or anything else dangerous. Kind of let things settle down and see what happens.

The human brain has a way that it can kind of rewire itself. What Dad lost from the stroke, it slowly came back, most of it. The doctor told us that if he said something wrong, or out of place, to correct him and move on.

Eventually, I gave Dad his keys back. Before I gave him his keys, Dad and I had basically the same talk that my buddy Moe and I had the other week.

Mom had a brain hemmorage, was basically in a coma for a week. She was transferred to Charlotsville, VA, where they drained the pressure and she came around. Mom and Dad were both in their mid 70's when this stuff happened.

After lots and lots of PT and rehab (for both of my parents) Mom got to the point where I gave her her car keys. Mom and I had the same talk that I had with Dad.

Thinking about it now, Mom and Dad were both in pretty good shape for their age. They were both very active and always on the go. That's one thing that helped them both.

I'll tell you it's not easy and it's not fun to take away someone's keys. I took their keys for their own good. I told them both, I don't want to see you all banged up or kill yourself. And I didn't want to see them wreck and kill someone else. Or kill someone's family.

About my buddy Moe, since he had brain surgery (to remove a tumor, the size of a baseball) every single time I've been out with him driving, I've had to tell him to slow down. I never did tell him that before.

I told you about the day we went shopping and I bought an ax and all. We talked about it the evening before. I told him we'd go over on the back roads, circle around and come home on the other back roads.

Going over, I had to tell him to slow down. We were going 68 MPH and he was still pouring on the coals. We had a close call going down that one road. Moe was in the center of the road, probably going 30 or 35? Some girl in a small light colored car popped around the corner. Car comming. The girl was on the edge of the road, dead stopped, when we went past. I was a split second from grabbing the wheel. I know it scared the crap out of that girl.

I didn't say it, but I almost told Moe: Pull over at the next wide-spot and let me drive. That same week is when his doctor took his keys. It's a bad situation.

For buzzing around town, those electric strollers are very popular around here. They use them all winter, too.

I see a few of those things now and then. I've been seeing a good many electric bikes too. You don't need a drivers license to operate one of them. One guy said he was making payments on his E-bike. Total price was almost $3,000. Thinking to myself: I'm glad it's your money!

West Virginia changed the rules about driving a buggy on public roads. For years they were just like a 4-wheeler, restricted to off-road. Moe's buggy has tags and is street legal. Far I know it has to be state inspected, just like any other motor vehicle. I see buggies on the road every day.

When it's nice out, Moe will drive his down to chat, now and then.

Last evening when Moe and I were out, I noticed where someone had been spinning doughnuts. I asked if it was him? I know he was up there a day or 2 before. I didn't understand what he said, but he was smilling. But he does run his buggy hard.

About him driving fast, I would guess that is probably his medicine?

Years ago a good friend, and older man, told Dad and I that he was going home. Said he thought something was odd, said he looked down at the speedometer in his Chevy Blazer, and was going right at 100 MPH. That was from his medicine.

I know that road, it's not a 100 MPH road!

Man, that's a hard thing, taking somebody's keys, unless they are drunk or other wise impaired. Actually within our social group we were pretty good about not letting somebody drive drunk.

But the issue of the elderly, of which I am, is another thing. Honestly I favor people over the age of 65 having to take the driver's exam every three or four years in order to renew their license. There are a lot of old people on the road who don't belong there.

I agree, it's very hard to do. That's one thing I was thinking about, if a feller knows for sure that you're going to tie one on. It's best to plan ahead. Find yourself a driver or spend the night.


Some folks get mean and stubborn when they are drinking. But if someone offers you a ride home, it's best to take the offer.

We have a local guy that is pretty much like a "taxi" driver. He has business cards, "Designated Driver." He uses his little car. Not sure what he charges? But I know people that will go to something like a "Super Bowl" party. They know for sure they're going to drinking hard. I think he'll come to your house and pick you up and drop you off. Then come back and haul you home.

I don't really like talking about this, but it's a good reminder. Within the last year, I've lost at least 5 or it might be 6 friends, who were killed on the roads. I mean these were all people that I personally knew, some of them I've been to their homes and all.

Last weekend there was a crash on one of the backroads North of town. One of my high school classmates was killed, and the guy driving (I know him too) was flown to Baltimore. Last I heard he was beaten to a pulp and too sick to die. I don't know the details of the wreck? I'll tell you the way the DOH has our side-ditches, reamed out and deep. If you get your car off of the road, it's going to stop you cold.

But I want to tell you about the close call that we had the day Moe and I went shopping. I haven't been in a vehicle with him driving since. We were going down Bean Ridge road, Moe was driving his pickup, he was doing ok. That road has a lot of twists and turns, very little traffic. His phone rang, and in his nearly new Ford pickup, it's got one of those screen things on the dash. I guess we had just enough signal, it only rang once. It came up Erin on the screen. Moe took his eyes off of the road, focused on that screen thing. That's when the girl in the car popped around the corner.

If the lady wouldn't have been on her toes, doing some very good defensive driving, we'd have hit her. It was very close. If we did hit that car, it would have been Moe's fault. My opinion, that phone, screen contraption in his truck should be disabled. Pull the fuse, clip the wires or something. Moe was distracted, and it only takes a second.

Erin is Moe's niece, I've met her a few times, very nice girl, but she didn't have anything important to say. (Don't tell her I said that) When I'm out on the road and the phone rings, most times I don't hear it, and when I do I ignore it. I'll pull off later and call back.

My sister asked me the other day how Moe was getting along. Barb said he was back on the church prayer list. I told her that his Doc gave him his keys back. We were talking. Moe has a drone, that he takes pictures with and all. I asked him a while back if he'd been flying the gizmo. He told me that he didn't think he could concentrate enough to fly his drone. Barb and I were thinking to ourselves. If you can't concentrate enough to operate a 20 pound mini helicopter, should you be out operating a vehicle that weighs 5,000 pounds?

It's just a bad situation. I don't want to see him hurt and I don't want him to hurt anyone else.