When Should You Stop Towing - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

Glenn and Lorraine · 03-01-2007, 11:30 PM

I believe a certain age should be used to start testing but other than that age would have nothing to do with it. We have folks in this very park that are both well into there 80's with excellent health and a clear minds. They are both very sharp witted. They both have Class As and drive as well as they did many years ago. Than we also have some that kinda shuffle rather than walk as they can barely lift their legs. But lifting them high enough to get into their cars is not a problem. One even lifts his legs with his hands to get them over the door sill. Can you see him reacting to an emergency stop? Another just drives with one foot on the throttle and the other on the brake pedal. Oh sure, it keeps his brake lights on full time but he's not following himself so it doesn't matter.
Age is a number and that's all it is. You are only as old as you feel.

I HOPE I'll know when it's time to quit driving but when that time comes will I be WILLING to admit it or do I say "Just one more year and than I'll quit". Like most everyone else probably the latter.

ols1932 · 03-02-2007, 02:21 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

Age is a number and that's all it is. You are only as old as you feel.

Glenn, you nailed it!

Orv

Bob Pasternak · 03-02-2007, 02:34 AM

I am comming up on 76. I hold a class "A" CDL. Had all endorsements on it until when I renewed it last year and they wanted $100 for the hazmat. Still have all the rest. I have to take a DOT physical every year because of heart surgery 7 years ago. I retired from over the road driving in 1993. After that I drove charter buses for a couple years until my "part time" job got to be 70 hours a week. Then I went to Bosch Automotive Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, IN for several months as a "Heavy Vehicle Test driver." The test track about shook my insides out.

I have seen drivers out there I wouldn't let push a wheelbarrow regardless of age. Just my thoughts on it.

richfaa · 03-02-2007, 03:09 AM

Being a school bus driver we also have to take a physical every year and that is a good thing.I am not a real old guy.but I am no longer 30 years old. I don't hear as good,don't see as good and our reaction time is not as good as it was when I was much younger. Did the Ohio, Advanced school bus drivers testing last year and although we passed with a good score we noted our skills diminished somewhat. Did not do as well in the obstacle course as we had previously done.Strange..the younger drivers did better????

Wifeofdano · 03-02-2007, 03:11 AM

There needs to be some new rules to the games of parking lot & highway
that should have been in place all along.
Okay, when you start out, there are written and driving tests to be taken and passed.
Those tests need to be continued every ___# of years,
regardless of who you are, how old you are, wheather or not you've gotten tickets,
been in accidents, etc...you have to continue taking the tests always in order to drive.
We just recently in the last year, signed and sent in our license renewals through the mail.
Our new licenses don't expire until 2016!!
It's actually pretty cool but "they" have NO idea if we are safe drivers or not,
or if we need glasses or not, etc...
"I" of course think we are very safe drivers.

Connorsmom · 03-02-2007, 04:44 AM

When I was living in St. Pete back in the 90's, I was sitting at a red light on Roosevelt Blvd. I was driving a minivan. I looked into my rear view mirror just in time to see a car getting ready to slam into the back on my minivan. The speed limit coming off there is 55, I believe he was doing all of that since he caused me to hit the car in front of me, they the one in front of them, and so on for 4 vehicles. I was headed straight for the passenger side of the windshield when my seatbelt SNAPPED me back into my seat. I had to miss work for a few days because I was so sore I could hardly walk, and I had burns from my coffee dumping all over me. Everyone assumed it was some old guy that hit me, since everyone assumes thats all there is in FL. Well, he was about 20 years old. I believe that young people should also be tested yearly due to their very limited attention spans. They even have software that can be installed in vehicles now so parents know what their kids are doing while driving.

I've thought about this a lot lately due to my plan of going fulltime in June. I'm on my own, so I can't turn the driving over to my significant other. As fiercely independent as I am, it's going to be awfully hard for me to stop driving when the time comes. I believe I do okay now, but I'm still young by this forums standards. I gave up my hazmat endorsement after I was with UPS for a year or so, because I didn't need it working there, and I hated having to study for the written test every time I renewed my license. Besides that, I have every endorsement except passenger. I always said that I would never haul anything that talks back...LOL But I digress...

I just hope I can continue driving for many years to come, and I never have someone driving around me saying..."that bi*&%% needs to give it up"!!!LOL Peace out...

Jan

rldriver · 03-02-2007, 05:59 AM

We tried to convince my mother in law's boy friend to take his RV home and sell it and the truck. Two little things that we noticed about his driving at close to 80 years old was when in Canada he took the top off of the 5th wheel on a very low bridge and then he blamed it on the navigator, my wife's mother. And secondly they came to visit us in a motor home when we lived out in the country. He pulled into the space between the road and our yard and started to back up to get closer to the house except our 69 mustang was parked perpendicular to the road between him and a tree. With us beating on the side of the RV and all of us yelling for him to stop he only slightly squished the mustang into the tree. Not only was he blind but was also very hard of hearing.

It was his time to pull over and give up his license but he never did.

BillyRay · 03-03-2007, 01:35 PM

there sure doesn't seem like there's an easy solution.

Old GI · 03-04-2007, 02:26 AM

I'll be 70 in a few months and I agree with the retest Idea, as a matter of fact my license is up for renewal this October. It's not a problem for me, when I cannot handle driving anymore I will turn in my license. I am quite sure that my wife, kids and grandkids will tell me when since I have to lug them around every now and then. A couple of them would probably do it to get there hands on my F350, fat chance!..............Pete

hookman · 03-04-2007, 04:28 AM

My Dad's licence was taken at 80 as the Doctor felt he could not react quick enough any more. When you get up in age here you need a medical and the the Doctor has to sign for you. We also have a friend in our rockhound club who just gave up his licence at 91 and to lookat andwatch him you would swear he was in his late 70's. So it depends on the person.It is a blow to their pride but most know it is time.

keham · 03-06-2007, 12:04 PM

Iowa has where they can require drive test and phy. But My wife great aunt passed ever time until her 98 birthday. But then again she lived in small town and stopped driving highways at 64 because they was to fast to drive. I think everyone in that small town new her and her car. But like I said she did pass the tests. So I am for retesting and physicals. If not law then insurance company's should demand them.

adelmoll · 03-07-2007, 08:46 AM

Thought this might be a good place for this.

A group of senior citizens were exchanging notes about their ailments

"My arm is so weak I can hardly hold my coffee cup."

"Yes, I know. My cataracts are so bad I can't see to pour the coffee."

"I can't turn my head because of arthritis in my neck."
"My blood pressure pills make me dizzy."

"I guess that is the price we pay for getting old."

"Well, it's not all that bad. We should be thankful that we can still drive."

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