License to Deprive
Two months ago, on a warm summer day, a senior driver lost control of his car and slammed into an open farmer's market, with tragic results. The horror of the incident was broadcast nationally and resulted in an uproar: Get the seniors off the road. As I am a senior and was then in the process of trying to get my license restored, my heart sank. Friends called. You'll never get your license now.
I have never been concerned about aging. It's part of the life process. As an octogenarian, I have continued to work and function with confidence. I do not drink. I do not smoke. I do not drive freeways. I have not received a traffic violation in years. I'd been given a safe-driver discount on my insurance. I am of sound mind and body. I have no major disease. I do not take any medication. I walk on my own two feet without assistance.
Yet, a year ago, my driver's license was revoked after I failed a driving test three times. I had easily passed the written and eye tests. But on the driving tests, they said I drove too slowly, too fast, used rearview mirrors instead of turning my head, etc. The effect was shattering. I have been driving all my adult life. Now my license was revoked. How would I get home? They gave me a pass to return home. Ironic? It was safe for me to drive home, but nowhere else?
I know many readers will look at the evidence of my failed tests and be thankful the state has removed a potential killer from the roads. But if you had ever driven with me, you'd know it wasn't like that. My record on the road speaks for itself. When my college-age granddaughter heard that I'd lost my license, she was incredulous. "I can't imagine you not driving, Grandma." I may have gotten more cautious as I got older, less apt to drive during rush hour, but my driving was safe.
I live in a canyon -- have lived there for 35 years -- where no public transportation is available. I am totally dependent on an auto to do the most minimal activity, like going to a market, a bank, a post office, a dentist. I am still a functioning citizen -- I read, I write, I lecture -- yet I cannot go to a bookstore or library except by taxi, which is very expensive.
