Dear Editor:
Nonsense, I said in the '60s when this nutty concept of wearing seatbelts was introduced! I'm a careful driver, and how do you expect me to keep those rambunctious boys in those straightjackets? Then, the even sillier alcohol limit breath test - hell, that would limit me to less than six beers at Friday night poker. Just more "government statistics babble"!
Well guess what - soon my kids were yapping at me. "Put on your seatbelt, Dad!" As for the beers limit - I drive better with a few beers in me, every guy knows that!
No, I will not stop smoking. . . . Well, guess what?
Statistics: mankind's enemy, or friend?
Some "liar" or "statistician" will tell us that oil tankers laden to the gunwales with bitumen won't leak and can't sink. Yet seatbelt-wearing people still are injured, or worse, because some poker-night partier had just a half dozen "or so" beers.
Still, some say, if that stupid government stopped interfering in our lives, we might be able to have some fun.
Bitumen laden ships are less likely to leak or sink if we do two things:
Reduce the probability of incidents (leaks - or sinkings) by dictating where those ships can travel. To whit, only in common sense locations: that is, not in busy Burrard Inlet, or the island-bound Douglas Channel.
The second suggestion likely won't be approved - keep people off those tankers. People can be the problem.
Obviously, we're left with a partial solution only. But it's a step forward. Simple as that.
Carl Shalansky North Vancouver
