Mapper71 Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 So back on Jan. 27 my mother got stopped by a cop as she was on her way up to the grocery store at 11AM. The store is no more than 3 miles away and she was not quite halfway there when the cop stopped her. Apparently she was deviating out of her lane. Well first off she was in the left-hand lane and freaked out when she saw the lights behind her. Having never been stopped before she just sort of froze and didn't pull off to the right-hand side and just stayed put in the left-hand lane. The cop apparently tried to wave her to the right side but she said she didn't see him do that. Then he came to the passenger side window and asked her to roll it down. Well she was so flustered that she couldn't figure out which button put the window down. I should mention that she has issues with this when she's a passenger--she'll pull the button rather than push it or hit the locks button rather than the window button. She is very challenged when it comes to technology. So the cop had her open the door so he could put it down. He asked her where she was going and if she was confused and gave her a written warning but also told her she'd be getting a letter in the mail from the DMV. Well about a week later she gets it saying she needs to go in and be evaluated by a doctor and then a possible reexamination at the DMV to keep her license. She goes in on Feb. 8 and explains what happened and the doctor asked her when the last time she had a road test was and she said never (just learned to drive on the farm). He said she should probably have one and she pleaded with him not to make her take one. He succumbed and marked her as fine and not needing to be tested. She sends in the paperwork thinking everything is good and she won’t have to worry about it. Well on Feb 22 she gets a notice from the DMV that she has to come in anyways and take the knowledge and signs test and if she passes that, sign up for a road test. She can take the written test up to 5 times if she doesn’t pass it. Well she goes in on March 3 and takes the test and passes the first time. They make an appt for her to do the road test then on March 13, but she cancels that due to a snow storm on that day. She then gets her appt rescheduled for March 20 (yesterday). They told her to bring someone with her because if she fails she won’t be able to drive home. Well she didn’t bring anyone with her since she’d have to ask a neighbor (which she probably didn’t want to do), but she also failed. She couldn’t get more than 25 points off and she got 29. Well from what I’d heard that if you fail, that’s it, no more chances and your license is taken from you. Well this guy told her she could try again and they’d even come to her house and she could drive in that area (which is what she wanted to do all along but they said they didn’t do that). Plus then she’d be restricted to that area. She said she’d try again at the DMV and they made an appt for her for April 10 and they let her keep her license and drive home no problem. So what I’m getting at that I find so hilarious is that she got this notice from the cop because he thought she wasn’t fit to drive due to her seeming confused, yet here it is nearly 8 weeks later and she’s still driving. I mean she may have had to drive to the DMV 5 separate times if she failed the written test (since you can only do it once a day) and then come back for the road test. Gee, we really want to keep those dangerous drivers off the road! Then they let her keep her license during all this time while waiting to road test (she probably could have cancelled several times and they’d just reschedule her) and then she even fails her test and they let her keep her license drive home and schedule her to try again 3 weeks later. At that point it will be nearly 3 months since the incident occurred. Why do they let her keep her license and drive then if they are so concerned with her driving? You’d think the thing to do would be to tell her she can’t drive until she passes her road test. Then if she fails next time are they going to take it away and tell her “Nope, I mean we’ve been letting you drive all this time but now you can’t even drive your car back home now and you’ll have to call a cab”.
preraph Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 Well, she's not supposed to drive herself there. Just like a teenager without a license, she's supposed to have someone bring her in unless she has her learner's permit. If she can't roll down the dang window without getting flustered, I don't see how she's together enough to be driving. But I understand that one needs to be mobile. Maybe time to get her a smartphone that she will never figure out how to use and just put one app on it: Uber 1
Author Mapper71 Posted March 21, 2017 Author Posted March 21, 2017 Well, she's not supposed to drive herself there. Just like a teenager without a license, she's supposed to have someone bring her in unless she has her learner's permit. If she can't roll down the dang window without getting flustered, I don't see how she's together enough to be driving. But I understand that one needs to be mobile. Maybe time to get her a smartphone that she will never figure out how to use and just put one app on it: Uber Oh no, they never said anything about her not driving. She still has her regular license, even looked it up on the DMV and it says it's valid. She drove for nearly 2 months after being stopped before she even took her road test and nobody ever sent her a letter or told her that she can't drive. You don't understand just how nervous and on edge she is all the time. I haven't been a passenger in her car for over 20 years as she always wants me to drive. So her getting stopped by a cop will fluster her enough to be able not to do anything.
Mittens Posted March 23, 2017 Posted March 23, 2017 As someone who was run over by an elderly driver when I was 17, and is still dealing with the physical repercussions over 30 years later, I don't find your story laughable at all. I've been disabled since that day, and in constant chronic pain because someone who shouldn't have been driving was on the road. It's affected my whole life...I was planning a career in law enforcement and all that was flushed down the toilet the day that idiot ran me over. If she can't pull over or even open a window when required to, and then fails her road test, she shouldn't be driving. End of. I'll say it once again...IT'S NOT ****ING FUNNY. She's a danger to others. 2
Author Mapper71 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Posted March 27, 2017 I'm sorry you were hurt, but why is the DMV STILL allowing her to drive then??? As I said, she got this letter from the DMV via the police almost 2 months ago. It took nearly 3 weeks for her to take her knowledge test, then another 2 weeks to take her road test. She FAILS her road test, but they allow her to keep her license, drive home and they will call her to schedule the 2nd road test. They call and schedule it for 3 weeks out and she can STILL drive all this time. Then she calls and decides she wants to do the restricted area test, around her home, so the reschedule it yet again for yet another week out. We are now looking at nearly a month yet before she takes her test and she can continue driving all this time. If the DMV is SO worried about her driving ability then why did they let her drive home when she failed? Why are they allowing her to continue to drive while waiting on the test? I mean she could seriously reschedule over and over and push it out for months and they'd let her.
whichwayisup Posted March 27, 2017 Posted March 27, 2017 Anybody over the age of 80 should have a driving test done! It's not only for their safety but others on the road too. The cop did the right thing, even if you think it's laughable he was doing his job. 1
WaitingForBardot Posted March 27, 2017 Posted March 27, 2017 Apparently the cop thought it was serious enough to cite her, but not to revoke her license on the spot. He made a discretionary call and is letting due process take its course. My mother was reported for erratic driving while she was at a market. The police came, interviewed the witness, interviewed my mother, then they impounded her car on the spot and told her to call a cab. They also made a discretionary call, but in my mother's case it was that by allowing her to continue driving she was a danger to herself and to others. After many visits to the doctor and dmv, her license still has not been returned. And rightfully so btw...
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