Speeders on Circumferential don’t really save any time
On the subject of driving conditions, introduced by Al Rafuse in the Feb. 6 Community Herald, he starts his letter by being honest. He routinely drives 10 kilometres per hour above the speed limit and criticizes other drivers for their poor driving habits.
I daily travel Dartmouth’s Circumferential Highway, probably one of the busiest multilane highway in the province. It’s divided and has well-marked exit and entrance ramps. Its posted speed limit is 80 km/h.
The maximum speed I travel on this highway is 80 km/h but on many occasions I have felt I should use my four-way flashers as my speed was well below the average speed of virtually every other driver.
The really weird phenomenon I experience, when passed by vehicles travelling at breakneck speed, is that often I pull up beside them later at the tolls or pass them when driving down off the bridge.
Their speeding seldom results in earlier arrivals at their destinations.
I have frequently thought of writing a letter to council: no need to raise taxes, water bills, etc. You can make even more money installing speed traps on the Circumferential.
Sounds like I should add Highway 102 to this suggestion. Let Al and his buddies pay our water bill increases!
David Nimmo, Dartmouth
Junior high students urge driver care at crosswalk
My friends and I are frequent users of the crosswalk at Portland Street and Bel Ayr Avenue, and we have some concerns and issues. We cross there every weekday to get home from Eric Graves Memorial Junior High School, which we attend.
Almost every day when we cross, one or more cars and even buses cut through the crosswalk long after we have pushed the button and have started walking. Some of them don’t even attempt to slow down or stop.
Another concern we have is that when we cross the halfway point, cars start to drive through the crosswalk, which is wrong and makes us nervous.
We are children and have the right to cross Portland Street (or any other street) and not fear getting hit.
Please help us get the message across before it is too late and someone gets hurt, injured or worse. We want to change the fact that people drive through the flashing yellow lights while we or other persons are crossing.
Chelsea Mason and Cassie Kerr, Dartmouth
Metro Transit driver went out of his way for visitors
Recently we were on a two-week visit to Halifax. I and two other visitors went on an excursion to Mic Mac Mall, taking the No. 10 bus from South Park Street, Halifax. On the way home, we again, in the dark, boarded the No. 10 to return home. But quite a ways into our ride we noted that we were the only passengers left on the bus. Our driver stopped, asked where we were going and told us that his bus was now out of service and that we had mistakenly boarded the incorrect bus.
Jan. 30 was a miserably snowy night and we were out in the middle of nowhere. Our driver asked us where we were going and where our drop-off point was, and said that he would make sure that we got back to where we began our journey. Our drive back was about 30 minutes long and we were dropped off at our street. As we thanked our driver, he commented that he could have dropped us off at a bus shelter in Dartmouth, but decided he couldn’t leave us out there on such a miserable night.
My thanks and commendations go to this driver for going above and beyond his duty to his passengers in helping us that evening. His kindness was very much appreciated.
Kathy Meadows, London, Ont.
