My 5 seconds of fame

  I had written a letter to the editor of the local paper a week prior to this interview.  It happened to publish the same day that a truck on I-75 lost it's load of plywood, causing the truck to crash and kill the driver.  The news reporter from ABC-7 happened to read my letter and decided it would make a good tie in to the story.  She left a message on my machine to call her.  After I did she was out at our house 45 minutes later.   

 
  They took one sentence out of a 5 minute interview.  My letter was more aimed about the unsafe cars in need of mechanical repair as opposed to loose loads on trucks so I guess this was the best clip to tie in to the story. Below is the letter. Click on the still image to see the video.  
 

 

Editor, Naples Daily News:

There is an area of safety that seems to be terribly lacking in Collier County.

It is the safety of many vehicles on our county roadways.

I have had multiple close calls with unsafe vehicles. The other day I saw one of these vehicles — using cardboard as a side window — almost hit a woman as it pulled out into traffic blindly because the driver could not see.

I think it would be a great idea to put into place a hotline, Web site and/or e- mail address for people to report vehicles with obvious safety hazards to the Sheriff's Office. This hotline could alert deputies to potentially hazardous vehicles and ideally allow them to inspect these vehicles themselves.

I think such a plan could have several other very beneficial side effects. Investigating these vehicles will likely also turn up some individuals with no insurance and/or no driver license.

I think the vast majority of the drivers in our county would welcome any program to reduce the number of these dangerous vehicles on our congested roadways.

I have sent an expanded proposal to the Sheriff's Office regarding this. I hope others do the same.

 

Shawn Duffey/Golden Gate Estates