In Response to Cleo
Submitted by Robert Calhoun
9/27/99
I am not a Toronto resident but I work here as a mailman. I would like to add something to Cleo’s observations. The area of Toronto that I deliver mail in comprises Ridge Avenue from Banfield to Loretta street. Presently there are stop signs at each of the streets along Ridge Ave. however you wouldn’t know it if you watched the traffic for just a few minutes during any day.
I take that road myself as a back way to get to the post office from Rt. 7 and I admit that when I am running behind I am tempted to coast through the stop signs. I just have to recall the numerous near misses I have witnessed at those stop signs while I was walking on those streets and I make sure to stop at the signs.
Don’t get me wrong, I am no traffic busy body. I have received my share of speeding tickets. I don’t write this letter to chastise anyone for their behavior but to hopefully open the eyes of quite a few drivers who don’t think about the consequences when they run those signs.
It really suprises me when I witness Moms who are picking up their kids from S.C.Dennis running through the signs without even pretending to slow down. Some times while other children are walking through the street. They of all should know better.
When you are driving on any of the east/west streets that lead up to Ridge Ave. you don’t have a stop sign at the top of the street but you had better stop and look at the traffic on Ridge if you don’t want to get run over! I drive one of those big, ugly, white mail trucks and I have had to stop to avoid being hit by drivers on Ridge, running the stop sign and not even looking down the street to see if there is anything coming. Some of these folks live on my route and I wonder if they are trying to get a new mailman!
Please…take a minute and think about what you could end up inflicting on someone and what you could end up doing to yourself if you hit someone while trying to gain a few seconds on the way to your destination.
And if you read this and see me delivering mail be sure to beep and say “hi”.
Robert Calhoun
