Write To Senator To Urge Change
Dear Ann Landers: I am outraged that California, unlike many other states, does not have specific laws regarding diabetic drivers. Last May, my two best friends were hit by a diabetic driver who ran a red light while having a diabetic seizure. One friend, “Monica,” was killed instantly, and my other friend, “Robert,” her fiance, suffered critical head and chest injuries. The right side of his brain was severely damaged. He probably will never be the same.
The man driving, who has been a diabetic for 20 years, was not injured and is probably still out there driving. He stated in the police report that he is supposed to test his blood sugar daily, but he hadn’t tested it for three days, nor had he seen his doctor for two years. He admitted that he never ate breakfast (which every diabetic knows is risky) and simply drank a glass of orange juice when he felt his blood sugar was low. The night before the accident, he’d had three or four beers - another diabetic no-no.
The district attorney’s office has not pressed charges. They said if that man has any other accidents, they will charge him with vehicular manslaughter, but I guess they felt he was not negligent in this case. I wish that diabetic driver could spend one day with my friend Robert and see what he has done to him.
Monica, who was an A student, was killed just three weeks before she would have received a degree in nursing, graduating with honors. Her promising future in nursing was lost forever, and there will be no wedding bells for her and Robert.
I must do something about this. Where can I write for help in changing the California laws and saving lives? - J.K., San Diego, Calif.
Dear J.K.: Letters such as yours make me so angry I can’t see straight. While most diabetic drivers are conscientious about monitoring their condition, those who deliberately put others at risk should be held responsible. The man who caused the death of a young woman and the crippling of a young man is walking around free as a bird, and District Attorney Paul Pfingst’s office says if that driver has another accident, he will be charged with manslaughter. Now isn’t that lovely?
Write to your state senator, William Craven, and tell him you want him to do something about that law now. Urge your friends and relatives to do the same. Elected officials respond to pressure. His address is State Capitol, Room 3070, Sacramento, CA 95814. And send him a clipping of this column.
Dear Ann Landers: We rented our two-bedroom apartment to a single mother with a young child. As soon as she moved in, she gave her spare key to her boyfriend, who visits her every Friday night and leaves on Monday mornings.
When she signed the lease, we asked if her boyfriend was planning to move in with her. She said no, rather emphatically.
She is a good tenant, but we resent this present situation. Do we have any recourse? We will abide by your advice. - Homeowner in N. Y.
Dear Homeowner: If there is nothing in the lease that prohibits family or friends from moving in, the woman is not violating the rental agreement.
Actually, the boyfriend may be considered a “visitor,” since he is there only on weekends. Your only recourse, as I see it, is to refuse to renew the young woman’s lease, but then, you may have the same problem with your next tenant. Or one that is worse.
Gem of the Day (Credit Abraham Lincoln): The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him your friend.