Thumbs Up/Down - November 23, 2012

Talk about it

Drivers setting a bad example

Thumbs Down: The danger of distracted driving is not sinking in for teen drivers. And parents should shoulder some blame because they’re guilty of it, too. New research from Students Against Drunk Driving and Liberty Mutual Insurance reveals that 66 percent of teens believe their parents follow different rules behind the wheel than they set for their children, with approximately 90 percent of teens reporting that their parents speed and talk on a cell phone while driving. Specifically, the survey found teens observe their parents exhibiting the following driving behavior at least occasionally: 91 percent talk on a cell phone; 88 percent speed; 59 percent text message; 20 percent drive after drinking alcohol; and 7 percent drive after using marijuana. With that the case, the stats about teen drivers are not too surprising: 90 percent talk on a cell phone; 94 percent speed; and 78 percent send text messages. Parents and teens need to have a serious talk about the consequences of distracted driving and make a united effort to start paying more attention to the road. One way is to sign a Parent/Teen Driving Contract. It’s available for free at www.LibertyMutual.com/TeenDriving.

A miracle tractor

Thumbs Up: Carol Richards from Herman received a nice surprise from the Pioneer Power Club of Alexandria. Her name was drawn for a first place prize, a beautifully restored 1968 Ford 3000 Tractor. “I do not know the men who belong to the tractor club but visiting with Dwayne Weigle and hearing about all the hard work and interesting stories was great,” said Richards who attended the “Metal to Money” fundraising auction where she purchased tickets. “In the past year, I have been having treatments for breast cancer. I know God works miracles every day. What the Pioneer Power Club did for me, drawing my name, was one of them.”

An angel in disguise

Thumbs Up: An Alexandria woman sent us a note about the kindness of strangers. Her granddaughter was at the Dollar Store and locked her keys, purse and cell phone in her car. The cashiers let her call a tow truck. She was crying hard over all this happening when an unknown woman came up to her and handed her $40 to pay for the tow truck. “My granddaughter didn’t want to take the money but the lady insisted, telling her to do something nice for someone else. Whoever said there are no angels?”

Water conservation tip

Thumbs Up: Nobody likes wasting water, yet it could be happening in your home without your knowledge. A silent leak in your toilet can waste several thousand gallons of water each year and place unnecessary demands on the sewer system or septic tank. The city of Osakis recently sent out a flyer offering a good way to tell if your toilet leaks: Lift the lid off the tank; place three or four drops of ordinary food coloring into the tank (do not use dye); do not flush or disturb the toilet for one to two hours or longer; at the end of the waiting period, observe the toilet bowl. If the food coloring you placed shows up in the bowl, you have a leak.

Sweepstakes scam

Thumbs Down: Watch out for this scam: An Alexandria woman received a letter from “Paymenent Alliance Inc.” informing her that a ticket with her name and serial number was drawn by the “Mega Million Sweepstakes Raffle Machine” for a total prize of $70,500. The letter said the National Grocers Association organized the sweepstakes in conjunction with the British Grocers Association and listed several well-known shopping places. The mailing also included a very real looking check for $3,000 from “Mercury Insurance Group” made out in the woman’s name and address. The check, according to the letter, was to help offset tax service fee obligations. To claim the rest of the prize, all the woman had to do was to call the company’s claims officer and pay a 1.5 percent administrative charge, which could be sent via Western Union or Money Gram. The woman was smart and didn’t make the call. The whole thing, including the check, was bogus. The grocers association had nothing to do with the scheme. Don’t let the lure of big money make you make a big mistake.

Tags: opinion, editorials