New Jersey drivers---they're lethal

Having been nearly driven off the road on Friday evening on Haddonfield-Berlin Road by a Black Escalade (NJ Plate RHJ 51J), I thought I would reprint Nancy Muccolini's leter to the Editor that appeared in Thursday's Burlington County Times. All I can say is, I and my family carry Full Tort coverage---if one of you clowns or your kids so much as taps my bumper, you can count on losing your house. Slow down! By the way, the driver of the Escalade wasn't on a cell phone---just driving too fast.

Here's the letter.

Kudos to the valiant traffic police for issuing approximately 120,000 tickets to hand-held, cell-phone-using motorists since the New Jersey law went into effect.

Judging by the continued ignorance and disregard of both the law and public safety on the roads, I only wish the summers numbers were threefold.

While New Jersey has the dubious distinction of having one of the nation's highest property taxes, this state seems to be a "leader" in the number of moronic, self-absorbed drivers as well.

The dread of watching the clueless whiz by without lights on during darkened rainstorms or racing through obvious read lights, yield signs, pedestrian crossings and even stopped school buses, applying makeup or, the most incredulous of all, texting their equally oblivious friends has significantly increased.

Combined with drunken drivers who have multiple offenses and still continue to threaten the lives of law abiding motorists (on the level of pedophiles for criminal action) as they speed on our streets and high ways, it is imperative for our "officialdom", schools and responsible parents to instill in all of us the understanding that driving is a privilege and not a fundamental right.

Clueless driving is abhorent, criminal, and deserving of both financial and personal (jail time) punishment.

In the age of quasi-school reform and new curriculums, this state could use a return to some "old fashioned" driver's education in our public schools.

In the meantime, let's hope the police keep a watchful eye on the cell-phone yappers as they continue to place the rest of us in potential jeopardy whenever they turn on their vehicle ignition.

Nancy R. Muccolini
Easthampton

Email Letter of the week

Every few weeks I get an email that validates my work---here's the latest one...I am so pleased to hear that I had a small part to play in this young man's success :)

Hello

This is a long overdue thank-you note to you.

My son, Mike, took your Visual Basic course in 2001 when he was a high school sophomore. He passed VB6 and others exams and became an MCSD. I believe he was one of the youngest MCSDs at that time. He graduated from Brown University with a major in Computer Science in 2007 and is currently working at Microsoft in Redmond, WA.

He and his boss recorded a video a few weeks ago about what they are working on

http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Continuum/XAMLinNET4/.

I have no idea what they are talking about but I hope you enjoy watching it.

Again, thank you for allowing him to take your course for free.

Name withheld

Forklanding Road Cinnaminson bridge to close for repairs

Forklanding Road in Cinnaminson, between Route 73 and Lenola Road (County Route 608), will be closed indefinitely for bridge repairs, Burlington County officials announced Wednesday, May 20th.

The one-lane single-span steel bridge over the North Branch of Pennsauken Creek was constructed in 1988, is 62 feet long and has a 15-ton weight limit.

A detour route will be posted.

The detour is Route 73 to Route 130 to North Church Street to Lenola Road, officials said.

I'll keep you posted on further developments.

I can't believe it's been so long

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted---nothing in May.

It's not that I don't have a lot to say, but it would be mostly complaints.

People continuing to be incredibly rude with their driving...

People continuing to be incredibly rude in the movie theater, mainly through the very annoying practice of text messaging while the feature show is running...

Students who, except through the mercy of my second chance, would have failed my course complaining about a C+, and suggesting that they would have had a 'B' with another instructor. Come on now, are you kidding me?

Comcast pulling the plug indiscriminately on my Internet connections---I'm sure they can't notify the entire neighborhood, but can they reboot the neighborhood in the middle of the night? Well, come to think of it, they do that also.

Have a great day!