It's a sad day ladies and gentleman, when an 82 year-old woman is ticketed for crossing the street in a slow manner. Mrs. Mayvis Coyle was ticketed by a LA motorcycle cop, for upholding traffic. It is true that she could have caused herself injury, by creeping across a cross walk, yet we are supposed to respect our elders. At least, that is the way it used to be.
"I think it's completely outrageous," said Coyle, who described herself as a Cherokee medicine woman. "He treated me like a 6-year-old, like I don't know what I'm doing."
Los Angeles police Sgt. Mike Zaboski of the Valley Traffic Division said police are cracking down on people who improperly cross stree ts because pedestrian accidents are above normal. He said he could not comment on Coyle's ticket other than to say that it is her word against that of the citing officer, identified only as Officer Kelly.
"I'd rather not have angry pedestrians," Zaboski said. "But I'd rather have them be alive."
Others, however, supported Coyle's contention that the light in question doesn't give people enough time to cross the busy, five-lane boulevard.
"I can go halfway, then the light changes," said Edith Krause, 78, who uses an electric cart because she has difficulty walking.
I believe that this little and perhaps stupid story represents how young America views its Elders. Most people think of the elderly (people that are retired) are weak, feeble, and don't contribute to society. I would have to severely disagree with this argument. Perhaps the reason the world is so screwed up today, is because we don't tend to listen to our grandparents and great grandparents. They can teach us so much about the world, if we would only stop and listen every once and a while.
I fondly remember my great-grandmother telling me stories about the first motorized coach (Car) she saw, and the stories she would tell about our ancestors, and most entertaining, was the old Irish songs she would sing. I've learned so many things about the world, that I never would have known, if I hadn't took the time to listen. I was brought up to respect my elders, and that my friends is something that I will carry my whole life.
