I should probably direct this at parents of kids at Chiles High School, but I decided to generalize the title of the blog because the problem is not just at Chiles.  But, that's where my angst is directed.

Parents of Chiles students...most of your children a rotten, dangerous drivers, and since you won't deal with it the community will instead.  I am just the guy who will be at the tip of the spear because I have a radio show and give my opinion.  I am confrontational by nature.  While it is not always something to be proud of, in this case I am willing because it could save lives...namely mine or a member of my family.

Friday, late in the morning, I was driving north on Thomasville Road and was nearly hit by three students driving recklessly and stupidly fast within a fifteen second period of time.  One of them, a blond haired girl driving an older Suburban (full of other students) was laughing and totally clueless as she rolled her oversized weapon in and out of the lanes of traffic; then there was the knucklehead driving an older, nasty looking little Mitsubishi sports coupe (were they racing), and the ridiculous little boy driving a newer Mustang that was obnoxiously loud.  All of them weaving in and out, bearing down at unreasonable rates of speed, cutting drivers (me and many others) off while darting around us. 

You want to hand your son or daughter the keys to a new sports car; that's your business.  When they endanger lives, including their own, it becomes my/our business.  I am sick of it and I wonder what it will take?  Will you need to see your kid wrapped around a tree, another set of cars, a drape over their dead bodiy or the dead body of a victim before you parents will wake up and deal with your kids?

The Principal of Chiles, Joe Burgess, can rip the kid's parking privilige (no, there is no right to park on campus) and he has asked me to let you know that if you see a student of Chiles driving wrecklessly up and down Thomasville during lunch (11:10-11:50) or leaving campus at the end of the day; write down the vehicle description and license plate number.  Then let him know...he'll take it from there.

BTW: Have you heard about the game where the students pick a restaurant that is far away from the Chiles campus?  The idea is to get there and back before the end of the lunch period.  You can guess what happens.

I am hoping thast TPD/LCSO/Florida Highway Patrol make the pocketbooks of some of you parents miserable and your insurance rates go up.  The community is demanding speed traps and enforcement during special times of day when these kids are driving so wrecklessly. 

Of course, some of you will likely take the same position you do on gun possession.  It's not people that kill people...it's guns.  It's not your little angels who drive like idiots; it's the vehicles' fault.

Folks, parents of teen drivers...deal with this problem or, sadly, some of you will be attending a funeral.