Again this week I heard a story on the radio about the deer herd posing a threat to our local society and the need to thin out the herd with sharpshooters. Also recently, Chris Core, a commentator on WTOP radio here in DC did a piece on the dangers of crossing the street making the point that we were too engrossed in our electronics and as a result, were getting hit by cars. Okay Curt so what is the connection you say?

I remembered a similar story and situation that occurred a few years ago with deer causing traffic accidents and pedestrians getting hit way too frequently, which at the time was also big news on WTOP radio. They decided to thin the deer herd then too. During this particular situation, the local service announcements were stressing that pedestrians in a crosswalk had the right of way and drivers beware. Of course we know that is true, but I thought maybe a little common sense might also be appropriate and at that time I wrote this:

Crossing the Street

I heard recently of a plan to thin out the deer herd in Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC by using sharp shooters. They were posing a danger to the community. The radio station was taking calls from listeners on how they felt about that.

I think the whole problem with the deer is really just that they don’t know how to cross the street. They keep jumping out in front of cars and causing accidents. This results in thousands of dollars’ worth of property damage to our motor vehicles, injury or death to humans who hit them, not to mention that it causes our car insurance rates to go up. Since it’s important that we build more strip malls and office parks, apartment complexes, and the roads to get to them, the deer have to learn to deal with that. Besides, there are more than enough wooded common areas, medians, cemeteries, and golf courses for deer to hang out in. Why do they need to be crossing the street anyway?

But the fact is we now have the same problem with humans. They don’t know how to cross the street either. And they keep getting hit too and causing property damage and emotional stress, injury and even death. But you don’t hear anyone proposing to thin out the human population with sharp shooters because they keep on jumping out in front of cars. No, unlike the deer, when a human steps out in front of a car, and by the way the local government encourages this as long as they are in a crosswalk, it’s the fault of the driver of the vehicle of course. Public service announcements have convinced humans they have the right of way and therefore it’s perfectly within their rights to step out in front of an oncoming car. And so they do.

I think the solution to the problem is education. We need to teach the deer and now humans how to cross the street. It’s that simple. And I know just the person to head this program……… my mother.

My mother successfully taught my two brothers, my sister, and I to cross the street without getting hit by a car. And collectively that is almost 240 man years without an incident of walking out in front of a car and being struck (and I won’t tell you who most of those man years are attributed to because she wouldn’t like it).

In addition to that, my mother has taught her Portuguese Water dog to sit down on the side of the road when she (the dog) hears a car coming. Think about it, now that is a solid resume’. Of course she is retired now and I don’t know if she would be willing to take on such a responsibility as this. But she is a conscientious woman, a patriot, and a lover of animals; plus she paid car insurance in New Jersey for years so I know she is sensitive to insurance rates.

Can you imagine if she was able to teach those humans that the local governments currently encourage stepping out into traffic, to actually stop at the side of the road and look both ways before crossing the street? What a gift this would be to society!

And how about if she was able to teach deer to sit down on the side of the road every time one of them heard a car coming? What a public service that would be!

I think some serious Economic Stimulation money needs to be set aside for this.

It’s just that simple.
All that is pretty silly right? But, I still have people stepping out in front of my truck without stopping or looking. And Chris Core had a good point too, we are distracted walkers as well as drivers.

As for the deer I don’t have a solution. At least they are feeding the homeless with the meat generated from the thinning of the herd.

Just be careful out there!