Fw: 19-51: Pesonal Note & Safety Concern

----- Original Message -----
From: "McDowell, Robert W., Jr., No.2" <abdmcfpi@localnet.com>
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2019 10:42 AM
Subject: VIEW: 19-51: Pesonal Note & Safety Concern


VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson) Number 19-51
Personal Note & Safety Concern Week of 2019/12/23
The subject matter here was planned for the week of October 14 but 'a
strange thing happened on the way to the office'. I received a diagnosis of
'Squamish cell cancer in a lymph node on my neck' resulting in seven five day
weeks of Radiation Therapy concurrent with six one day weeks of Chemo
Therapy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Tulsa. The combination of
time demands and side effect weakness prevented fulfilling my plans. I hope to be
able to fill in the missing items as more time and energy becomes available. In the
meantime my grateful gratitude and thanks for friends and readers who have raised
prayers and sympathy for my recovery.
One thing that continues to bug me is what appears to be a failure of
designers and builders of the myriad makes and models of vehicles being
produced for us to purchase and drive on the roads today. In some cases
perfectly good designs have been dropped and replaced with some actually less
safe and/or convenient to the drivers. That problem also seems to pervade the
professions of road and street design and construction. Those circumstances
must, however, wait for a different effort on my part.
Primary interest today is the placement of side mirrors on the front doors
of vehicles, particularly when they have a fixed protrudenance out from the
vehicle side. They do present a danger to individuals on foot that the vehicle
may pass too closely causing severe injury, or even death. One of the side
effects of my treatments has brought home to me one of the more serious
problems of this arrangements. The radiation treatments caused a substantial
loss of skin where the X-Rays entered my neck which made it most difficult,
and painful, to turn my head to the right to use that mirror. It one day dawned on
me that that location required a head turn of 90 degrees to use the mirror while the
one on the left (driver's door) only needed a turn of no more than half that, thus
removing the eyes of the driver too long from the front for safety.
That thought reminded me of a family situation back in 1959. Wife decided
it was time for a new car as she had been driving one of two left in Denver by her
Dad or Sister and Mother. Thus, a new Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible was
ordered to my specifications late in the model year in July or early August. In fact,
when it arrived we were told that it was the last convertible to leave the line that
model year. In particular, among some other 'niceties' it had side mirrors, but
they were placed on the fenders. They were, and are, nicely swept and so
designed to produce less air drag than the ones in use today, and because of the
location had a broader width of vision and little to no extension beyond the side of
the car. Thus the driver only had to turn his/her eyes rather than head to view the
sides of the car. A much, much safer way to operate.
Incidentally, the car is still in the family. It survived wife, her daughter
taking it to college in Gunnison, Colorado, on the West side of the Divide, Son
No. 1, Son No. 2, Daughter No. 2 and perhaps Son No. 3, and now has
returned to Son No. 2 who prizes it strongly and drives it sparingly and still look
new with about 100 thousand miles of experience. Among other 'conveniences'
the front seats could swivel out about 45 degrees for more convenient entry and
exit, it had 'push button' transmission shifting (much better in case of a need to
rock the car to unstick from mud or snow), and factory air conditioning, which
Son No. 2 was told by a collector wanting to buy it from him for a monster price,
'there was no convertible made that year with factory air' to which he replied that
he remembered it was there when it came. Perhaps the collector's information
was authentic but this one not included because of the lateness of its assembly.
In any event, it would be nice if someone would come out with such as
'aftermarket' to add, and complete with the current convex glass and remote
adjusting. Just a thought.
At this time of the Year it is appropriate to offer my prayer to each and
every one for a most joyful and pleasant Merry Christmas. But remember the
reason this is observed. May GOD be with you each and every day and send
His angels to protect you and yours from every evil as you live each day He has
given you.
Also, may the year coming, 2020, turn out to be even greater than you
could imagine!!
END
Composed December 20, 2019
Robert W. McDowell, Jr. © 2019 841 Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken Arrow OK 74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com