October
12, 2007
Teen deaths highlight public transportation needs
By Gail Paparian
For the Record Gazette
A friend of mine lost her granddaughter a few weeks
ago Š at age 17. Tabitha Loftis and her two friends had just finished a day
at school and she was driving near the school in Palm Desert. She swerved,
probably overcorrected and ran up the median into a tree. The three
youngsters were killed instantly . . . at 17.
I saw my friend the other day and tried to help her in any way I could think
of. While I never thought I would get over the pain of losing my husband, I
cannot imagine what she is going through with the loss of a granddaughter
who was living with her at the time.
“I want do-overs,” she said several times. We both let this impossible dream
pass into reality. We talked for a long time. I mainly tried to convince her
that, if she could be granted “do-overs,” she probably wouldn't have done
anything different. She was a strong, positive, loving influence in her
granddaughter's life. “What could you have done different there,” I asked
her almost rhetorically.
“I can tell you one thing,” she said pushing back sobs. “I wouldn't let
teenagers going to high school have a car.”
She went on to say that if youngster needed to have a driver's license (as
much for peer pressure as for transportation), they should have extensive
driver education, including using a simulator to give them some experience
with rain, wind, snow, oil, etc.
I went a step further and indicated that if teenagers are driving without a
(mature) adult in the vehicle; cell phones, IPODs, other text message
devices and even the car radio should be banned.
I was relieved we were
conversing on one of my favorite subjectŠ safe, dependable public
transportation.
I reminded my friend that I had been brought up in
New York where we had a wonderful system of trains, buses and taxi cabs that
substantially aided in the massive people moving logistics in the city.
My parents survived with one vehicle which my dad
took to work, mainly. My mom used public transportation to get from Long
Island into the City and my brother and I navigated through public
transportation with our bus passes. The car was mainly used for Sunday
outings. Amazing, we survived quite well.
Even though I've lived in California for well over
40 years, I am stunned that we haven't made even a scintilla of progress
with public transportation; particularly in Southern California.
We are still engaged in building more freeways,
which suffer pre-obsolescence before the bond issues are even sold! Why
don't we get over the California mentality that we need to have one person
per vehicle?
I keep reading that legislation is in the offing
to test older folks for memory and reflexes. This is a good thing. With the
painful loss of young Tabitha Loftis and stories in the newspapers almost on
a daily basis that a youngster has been in or caused a fatal vehicle
accident; haven't we finally reached the time to do something about how we
can get from one place to another?
My friend lives in Palm Desert and other than
driving her granddaughter to and from school every day because there was no
reliable public transportation, her parents thought they could solve the
problem by purchasing her a car. Their thoughts are within the realm of
today's thinking.
I spend a great deal of my working and leisure
time going to the desert. We used to live there and I still go to doctors,
visit clients and friends there and play golf in the Coachella Valley.
Each trip I make is about 92 miles round trip. Bad
as that is; it is relatively traffic free compared to heading west on the
I-10 or 60. I won't even mention what happens to my nerves and blood
pressure if I have to go anywhere that brings me to the 60/90/210/215
freeways. Be still my too-quickly-beating heart!
Like the tragedy of 9/11, it takes something this
enormous to even think about effecting some change. I know what I'm going to
do again in anticipation of any upcoming election for local, state or
federal offices. I am going to do what I've done for years Š ask electeds or
wannabes how they will make safe, reliable, affordable and yes, desirable
public transportation a reality.
I'm dedicating this column to young Tabitha --- gone
too soon. Maybe with her as an inspiration, we can keep teenagers safer
because we have given them other choices rather than driving their own
vehicle.
IN
THE REAL WORD is written for the Record Gazette by Gail Paparian, a Banning
resident for nearly six years, has served on Banning (and
Riverside
County)
commissions and committees.
She currently serves on the following boards:
Community Blood Bank, San Gorgonio Pass Rotary, San Gorgonio Pass Boys and
Girls Club and a member of the Banning Economic Development Committee.
Gail and her husband Bill Paparian created a
service called Writing Solutions in 1996. Gail has also written for a number
of local and national magazines and newspapers over the years. Currently,
she provides public relations consulting services for the
Banning Unified
School District. She can be reached at:
gail@WritingSolutions.com.
