Joe Gilbert: If your eyes aren’t on the road, you’re a menace to my neighborhood

Today, like most days, I watched as a careless driver sped down the street, on the wrong side of the road, eyes glued to a cellphone. This person then made an unsafe U-turn, parked along the curb, and walked to watch a ballgame. Cars often drive 5 mph looking for the right game or for a parking spot, staring at the field – not the road – while other drivers struggle to safely navigate the street. Sometimes, the cars are parked so densely along the curb, or so near to the corner, that is difficult to see any oncoming traffic when trying to cross the street.

The little league diamond and shade trees at Eisenhut Park are a welcome change from the dirt field I played on as a child before the park was built. I happily endure the same dust, noise and crowds that I once helped create on the same fields. I don’t fear the broken bottles or the occasional park sleeper. I fear the cavalier use of a two-ton object.

I’ve come to accept the lack of safe driving from careless passers-by, but it shocks me that it often comes from people coming to watch children play ball.

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Joe Gilbert: If your eyes aren’t on the road, you’re a menace to my neighborhood."