Reverse + interstate = NOT A GOOD IDEA

In case you all were wondering, if you attempt to go in reverse in any lane of the interstate, you're asking to get hit.

Earlier yesterday, March 21, four kids from--I cringe to say it--one-half of my alma mater high school (one-half for me because I actually took two Valley math classes), Shades Valley, collided with a Fed-Ex truck in the right-hand lane of I-459. The reason? They were going backwards.

Reverse.

ON THE YOU-KNOW-WHATING INTERSTATE.

Now I am not usually one for caps lock-abuse, but that deserves one. Why on earth would you be going in reverse on the interstate? If your car is broken down, put flashers on, pull over in the emergency lane like a normal human being, and/or call the police to help you. On AL.com, I read a comment in which someone had heard one of the kids' hat flew out of the car and they were backing up to get it.

ON THE INTERSTATE.

A HAT.

WHAT?!

If this is true, I swear, my faith in the teenage population just decreased by about 500%. I know we are shitty drivers, by and large. I have a "heavy foot," as my dad used to say, and my speedometer hits 80 before I know it (however, this has greatly reduced since my seizure in January, even though I am on anti-seizure meds). Sometimes I get too close to people (a habit which has also greatly decreased since my seizure). However, if something flies out of my car--even if it's a $20 bill--I am not putting my car in any kind of reverse for that. Not even the interstate. If something flew out of the car (a convertible, no less!) I would blame myself, and just say, "Well, there goes that," and learn from my mistake! One of the reasons I don't open my sunroof and/or window(s, now that the jackass who hit my car screwed up my passenger-side window so it doesn't want to roll down) when I have loose/unsecured items in the car is because things tend to get sucked out of the car if possible.

Of course, it is a terrible tragedy for these kids' parents. I'm not disputing that fact at all. We all make mistakes, but is a hat really worth it? I don't care if it was blessed by the Pope, kissed by Jesus Christ himself, or spit on by Babe Ruth--a hat is not worth a life! I will remain my typical, stubborn Leo self about this. Now, who knows if the thing about the hat is true? I sure don't, so I can't really make any assumptions, except the fact that the kids were going in reverse on the damn interstate remains.

I feel sorry for the families, but I feel sorrier for the Fed-Ex driver who hit them because of their own dumb mistake. I personally knew one of the boys killed, and I can say from experience that he was not the brightest crayon in the box, so if he was driving, this is not completely unexpected. However, I would have hoped that logic would come more readily for this type of situation. All we can do is think of the families and the poor Fed-Ex man, and hope that drivers everywhere take a lesson away from this whole mess.

(In case you missed it, the lesson is DON'T DRIVE IN REVERSE ON THE INTERSTATE.)

On an unrelated note: I think I am the only one who thinks Kanye West sucks and is an incredibly arrogant and untalented man.