Transportation tales

Driving Distractions

I guess Ontario has now officially declared fines for people found talking on cell phones while driving. Not a bad idea, really.

But there’s another hazard to driving in this part of the province these days: Bugs. Specifically, mosquitoes–skeeters. Seems no matter how fast we run to the car, or how quickly we slam the doors, we end up with a plethora of the pests inside. And then what happens? We’re forced to swat and smack and squish the nasty nuisances so they don’t alight on your arms or legs or–too true–ankles to suck your blood while you’re otherwise occupied trying to negotiate the roads. I get large itchy welts from the things so I can’t just ignore them.

Tell me that performing contortions to dash them against the dashboard or whacking them against your window, or that slapping yourself in the face to flatten those that are feasting on your forehead, isn’t hazardous to your driving. I have even waited until I think we’ve eliminated them all before starting out on my journey. Inevitably I get down the road a little way when the whine of one of the wily critters sends my system into full-out search and destroy mode.

I can’t win. Here’s hoping skeeter season is over soon

© Lizann Flatt, www.lizannflatt.com
No part of this blog may be used without written permission from the author.

Flight of the Silver Dart

Big celebrations going on this weekend in the world of Canadian aviation. It’s the one hundredth anniversary of the flight of the Silver Dart.

Never heard of it?

First heavier-than-air flight in Canada. You know how those Americans have their Wright brothers and all that? We Canajuns have the Silver Dart.

Background on the Silver Dart here at the Canadian Encyclopedia.

And all the info on the celebrations in Baddeck, Nova Scotia from February 20 – 23 here:
www.flightofthesilverdart.ca.

Pretty daring to launch yourself up in the sky in one of those flimsy things, don’t you think? I mean, sure I have flown in an ultralight a few times when I was a lot younger, but at least I knew the thing worked!

Have a high flying weekend

© Lizann Flatt, www.lizannflatt.com
No part of this blog may be used without written permission from the author.

A Flying What?

In Let’s Go! I tried to encompass several future transportation possibilities that included both the ideas of personal flight and large distances covered. I used the line, near the end, “Will we circle the stars like we now drive our cars?”

So it’s kinda fun that I just saw this article thanks to Nathan Bransford’s blog:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/22/flying-car.html

Yes, flying cars! Gotta get me one of them! Okay, later, when they are fully idiot-proofed by people not wearing white lab coats and have come down in price. Har!

Seeing this technology makes me think of my grandmothers. Why? Because I wonder what it must have been like to be born into the tail end of a horse- and train-based transportation society and then living to see automobiles and airplanes everywhere. Maybe one day I’ll have a pretty good idea.

I’ve already seen huge technological changes for computers (bulging black-and-green screens you used by memorizing Basic codes) and phones (remember rotary dials?), and good lord I’m old enough to have experienced life before microwave oven!

So I may yet live to see a huge shift in transportation technology. That would be pretty cool. Cause the evolution so far, from driving in the parentals’ Cordoba to joining the masses in a minivan, hasn’t been all that impressive.

© Lizann Flatt, www.lizannflatt.com
No part of this blog may be used without written permission from the author.