When should you stop driving?  

 As we get older we can see our friend's driving deteriorating, but how do we check our own driving?   

AARP has some things to check for.

  Feeling nervous or fearful while driving

  Dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes or garage doors

  Difficulty staying in the lane of travel

  Getting lost often

  Trouble paying attention to signals and road signs

  Slower response to unexpected situations

  Medical conditions or medications that affect driving

  Easily distracted while driving

  Frequent traffic tickets or warnings by police in the last year or two

 Check it Out

When riding in someone else’s car, check the seat belt to see how to remove it before you start out.  So many have different methods of unlatching and it’s good to be prepared in case you need to do it quickly.

Check door latches as well.  I once rode in a friend's Datsun 280Z.  When we got where we were going I couldn't find the door handle.  My friend watched me for a moment, then pointed at ankle level.  I never would have found it.  A newer SUV I drove has the door "handle" concealed as part of the door decor.  In an emergency every second counts.

In rental cars, check for the hood release and check out the filler access for the gas tank.  Some are quite tricky.

After once being stuck on the Santa Monica Freeway, heading west into the sun, with a filthy windshield, I would also suggest making sure your rental car has washer fluid.  Fortunately I had a bottle of water with me.  I pulled over and gave the window a wipe down with a Kleenex.

 Holiday Parking

The holiday shopping season is fast approaching, and parking lots drive me crazy for lots of different reasons.

First you have to deal with children and distracted adults running every which way.  You have to keep your speed down and your eyes open.  No one needs a law suit just before Christmas. 

Remember to keep those bags of goodies you've purchased out of sight.  If you have a trunk which opens from inside the car it's a good idea to key lock it so the latch release won't work and keep packages, cd's, tapes, etc. in the trunk.  Out of sight, out of mind.

A friend of mine was mugged in a parking lot.  She was targeted be cause she had both hands full of packages.  The mugger followed her to her car and waited until she got her key out.  He then knocked her down, stole her purse and her car and left her lying on the asphalt.  No, she wasn't a frail old lady, she was a healthy young woman who stands about 5'll".

Plan on parking far away from the stores.  Somehow those spots right up front fill up first thing in the morning and the people who park there shop all day long.  Expect to walk and you won't be disappointed.  If you happen to luck out and get a space near an entrance, thank the parking lot angels.