Seniors’ driving exam needs update: reader Letters

Dear Editor, I am completing 80 years on this earth on Valentine’s Day and I am not excited about it, but it is time to speak up.

Recently, I attended an Ontario government so-called testing appointment to determine whether I am a candidate to renew my driver’s licence.

This appointment took one hour and 10 minutes and was the most degrading ex- perience that I have ever submitted to.

Twenty-two seniors were herded into the Lincoln Senior Center on Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. and were dealt with as a group.

All were given a vision test, shown a seven-minute video and then were given a five-minute test whereby they were requested to draw a picture of a clock

McNally decision “knee jerk”

Dear Editor, Our new council’s decision to defer funding McNally House leads me to believe that despite technical and scientific progress over the years, there is something wrong with our education systems. Are we not teaching the understanding of logical thinking, situation evaluation and assessment, problem and risk analysis or leader values to our young adults?

Decision making is a constant in our lives, but if the fundamentals of sound decision making are not part of general education from the onset then knee jerk responses to situations such as this one made by Council can create more problems than they solve.

How about developing leadership/ survival courses for children aged 10-16? I’m not advocating wilderness survival but a curriculum of situational problem solving, leadership skills and logical analysis leading to decision making.

Brian Merritt, Grimsby

showing 10 minutes after 11. Wow! Could a kid living in the digital world do this clock?

My driving record, my insurance company and my doctor should help to determine whether I should be driving at 80 years or more, not the Ontario govenment, which, like the federal government, seems to know what is good for me.

It is time for seniors to speak up and request that they be treated with respect and dignity because they have earned it.

I have always voted Conservative but it is getting harder to do.

Thanks for voicing my aging opinion and, keeping my oars wet, I remain, John (Jack) C.

Lovett Q.C. Beamsville