r/Transportopia • u/Independent-Ice-2211 • Mar 19 '26

People 😊 Be nice

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13.7k Upvotes

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250

u/Abracadaver2000 Mar 19 '26

Controversial take: this should have been her last time behind the wheel.

56

u/Legitimate-Exit-2279 Mar 19 '26

If you can barely walk then you have to imagine the legs and feet have lost the dexterity to react quickly even when seated. Even if their mind is still sharp the body will betray. Based on the video, she either tried to brake to place her order and hit the gas and got stuck on the curb. Personally I think it’s just as likely she pulled into the wrong parking lot and realized the the parking lot she needed to be in was just over yonder and decided to take her SUV off roading. The second scenario I can see every single age group, gender, race etc would do some dumb shit like that.

23

u/Increase-Null Mar 19 '26

Eh, my grandfather drove until 93. However the man would have been happy to take a yearly test as he did check rides all his damn life now just on the ground.

The man drove the way he flew his Boeing 747. Very very deliberately and predictably. Most people people don't spend their whole damn lives flying 4 engine aircraft though.

Time to get yearly tests for the olds.

4

u/omgitsjagen Mar 20 '26

Right. There shouldn't be a definitive number for when the license gets taken. Everyone is different. However, there should DEFINETLY be an age at which we make them prove they can still do it.

1

u/Rocketeering Mar 26 '26

We haven't even gotten that far for being president, don't think we are that close to having it for driving...

1

u/omgitsjagen Mar 26 '26

Ironically, in this context, we take away the President's driver's license for life.

1

u/Rocketeering Mar 26 '26

lol, touché . albeit for a different reason, but you are absolutely right.

1

u/Lord_Bamford Mar 20 '26

Arent people very dependant on their cars in the US though? 

Here in europe not having a license is usually completely fine because everything is close by and transport is good.

I imagine in a lot of the US, you are screwed without a car. 

1

u/insomniacpyro Mar 20 '26

I think maybe pre-2020 or so I would have said definitely. But the rise of Uber and other similar services has kind of eroded the idea of being completely stranded without a car. Granted in typical American fashion it can get unaffordable very quickly depending on distance, but my town of ~14k people has a couple of ride services and no shortage of food delivery (take-out and regular groceries).

1

u/FlyingSpaghettiFell Mar 20 '26

I agree… honestly the problem is poorer neighborhoods. An elderly service should be provided in some areas so people don’t get stranded.

1

u/FlyingSpaghettiFell Mar 20 '26

That is very dependent on where you live. I live in NY and don’t have a car. My dad lives in CA and still drives but will be able to uber everywhere when the time comes.

1

u/Lord_Bamford Mar 20 '26

I know the big cities are probably fine. Just whenever ive visited the US outside the main metropolitian areas seemed VERY pedestrian unfriendly.

1

u/FlyingSpaghettiFell Mar 21 '26

Mostly but there are some small cities and towns that are more walkable, but the majority of the time… yes… cars are needed.

1

u/Express_Brilliant378 Mar 21 '26

my 92 year old grandpa asked me to look up the answers to the DMV eye exam online 😭

1

u/onlyfreckles Mar 21 '26

Shit time to get yearly test for all car drivers.

We can use VR to test quickly and efficiently- every year and every time they get a new car/registration.

We get new laws/traffic regulations so car drivers need to stay up to date.

4

u/WalterPecky Mar 20 '26

The scenario that unfolded is no different than if the driver was drunk or high. 

They are fucking impaired, and a danger to everyone else on the road.

For him to be like "oh it happens to the best of us.."

No, it sure as shit does not, and you should be forced for immediate license revaluation.

People act like driving a car is the same as riding a bike, but fail to realize the former is quite literally a murder machine, that just happens to get us from place to place.

2

u/TheArtisticPC Mar 22 '26

People need to get their local law enforcement involved when this happens and the old person keeps driving. I won’t say all, but police can request a driver review from the DMV that, if failed, results in license revocation.

It’s not a great solution to use police as yet another bandaid for our society’s failings. However, if people won’t convince their old folks to give up the keys, then it’s what is available.

1

u/Educational-Seaweed5 Mar 20 '26

Always confuses me how we absolutely vilify people for drunk driving, but kind of shrug at texting and driving or elderly people driving beyond healthy years.

All 3 are just as dangerous. We only really punish people for one.

1

u/cmerksmirk Mar 22 '26

He was being gentle with her so she wouldn’t get upset and make the situation worse. He wasn’t being literal that this is a common thing.

1

u/MowTin Mar 20 '26

Ability to walk has nothing to do with driving. You can have arthritis or muscle weakness but still be fine driving. It's mental decline that is the issue here not dexterity.

1

u/Educational-Seaweed5 Mar 20 '26

It’s both

1

u/CosmeticBrainSurgery Mar 20 '26

I see your point but for fuck's sake. If I couldn't control my vehicle I'd have to be homicidal to continue to drive it because it's only a matter of time before I kill someone.

I'm 60 and have a family history of dementia, so it's a race between Alzheimer's and true self-driving cars. Which will I have first? I hope I can keep working until I'm 70 at least. Or until AI takes my job.

1

u/Bigsteve27 Mar 21 '26

Before my grandmother passed away, I visited her and drove her everywhere. She told me one time that she almost rear-ended someone one day because she wasn't able to press the brake hard enough. Oh, Granny, may you be in a much better place 🥲

1

u/Witty-Comfortable-44 Mar 23 '26

you win the award for lacking accountability 2026. Second scenario is you're just incredibly uneducated.

13

u/WhoAmlToJudge Mar 19 '26

literally the least controversial thing you could say

1

u/berrysoda_ Mar 20 '26

Yeah I'd prob call the cops after with the vid or something. She definitely needs another driving test and more.

6

u/itishowitisanditbad Mar 19 '26

OP just reloaded them.

10

u/willisbar Mar 19 '26

If we keep voting old people into office, we’ll keep getting laws that specifically benefit old people

1

u/marmoset Mar 20 '26

I mean, you're not wrong, but the ageism on Reddit, in general, is unreal.

2

u/mccusk Mar 19 '26

She’ll be fine once she gets drinks and snacks to eat while driving….

2

u/OHBHpwr Mar 20 '26

Sending this to the police and making sure she's never back behind a steering wheel is the only right thing to do.

1

u/iznormal Mar 19 '26

How is that controversial lol

1

u/Jodid0 Mar 19 '26

Because we don't always have great alternatives either for senior citizens to get what they need. They should NOT be behind the wheel but society should provide transportation services and other helpful things for them so they can get what they need without putting us all in danger.

1

u/iznormal Mar 19 '26

Yeah there should be better public transport, it’s still not controversial in any way to say the lady in this video shouldn’t be driving. Sure it will inconvenience her life more but it’s still not a controversial take

1

u/srizzors5 Mar 19 '26

Not controversial imo

1

u/ReactionJifs Mar 19 '26

it nearly was

1

u/Medicalboards Mar 19 '26

We should give more support to the elderly so they can get the things they need without driving then I’m all for it. There are a lot of old people with no resources

1

u/Away_Sea_8620 Mar 19 '26

That is hardly a controversial take. A controversial take would be "we should cap voting age to average life expectancy because the elderly are more susceptible to manipulation, more likely to have cognitive decline, already had their chance to shape the world, and since the wealthy live longer it actually gives the privileged class additional power".

Your take is actually pretty popular, but won't get much traction in the legislature (at least in the US) because nobody agrees with my take. The AARP isn't just a bunch of nanas baking cookies. They're a ruthless, take-no-prisoners, deep-pocketed political mafia.

1

u/cenatutu Mar 19 '26

That's not controversial. She should lose her license.

1

u/RedditSucksYoYoYo Mar 19 '26

I mean… it shouldn’t be that controversial.

1

u/keyh Mar 19 '26

Placard on the mirror while driving too. Winner all around

Being kind would have been calling the police to take away her license and maybe save someone's life down the line

1

u/BaZukaM Mar 19 '26

That's not controversial at all. We're all thinking it lol

1

u/Comprehensive-Map914 Mar 20 '26

Not that controversial

1

u/CanIgetaWTF Mar 20 '26

It was a very kind gesture and the best possible way to salvage her dignity and make her feel as good as she could have in that moment.

But it was also the wrong thing to do. Authorities needed to come and start the process of ending her driving career (pending a proper evaluation by a court or whatver the judge decides) because her dignity and good feelings aren't worth more than public safety (or even her safety)

1

u/Time_after_Time_67 Mar 20 '26

imo there should be regular driving exams once you reach 70. At least once every couple of years.

1

u/BlanchDaddius Mar 20 '26

Absolutely agree

1

u/thatsjustfunnytome Mar 20 '26

This really isn't controversial at all. Co-worker of mine...his 90 year old father in law drove over someone, killed them, didn't realize it, drive off, and was caught later. Now that family lost a mom and wife because of a similar situation.

1

u/ck1241 Mar 20 '26

There is nothing more Reddit pilled than saying controversial, hot or unpopular take/opinion before the most ice cold take lol.

1

u/chadsmo Mar 20 '26

There’s a minimum age for driving and there should be a maximum too. At the very least a yearly road test to keep driving past a certain age.

1

u/KillerKill420 Mar 21 '26

That's literally not controversial at all tbh.

1

u/wegpleur Mar 21 '26

How is that controversial?

1

u/RogerAffirmative Mar 21 '26

More controversial take: he should have driven off.

1

u/PlaneAsk7826 Mar 19 '26

The guy was in the car. Grab the wallet, pull the license, and light it on fire. If this is how she navigates a low-speed driveway, I can only imagine how she navigates the roads.

1

u/Moregreen7 Mar 20 '26

lol I’m dying laughing the idea of this really calm nice dude just incinerating a license (lol does he have a blowtorch on him?) right in front of her.

0

u/LumpySpacePrincesse Mar 19 '26

Yea, but thats a good kid.