After the thaw from our frigid winter, it seems like the spring and summer heat goes to our heads, making for more reckless or thoughtless decisions.
A drive through parking lots in town over the weekend revealed several vehicles with dogs left inside, in what was a scorching day for April. Even on a relatively mild day, temperatures in parked cars can become dangerous in minutes, and a dog can withstand internal body temperatures of 40°C for only a few minutes before brain damage or death can occur. It should go without saying not to leave any living being – animal or human – in the vehicle in these conditions.
That’s not to mention the uptick in vehicle and quad accidents that are reported in the summer months, where a lack of seatbelts or in the case of quads, helmets, are associated with a loss of life.
Right now, with hot and dry conditions ramping up and a fire restriction in place, a big dose of common sense is needed about averting fires, making sure quads are clean of debris, dousing any brush piles or campfires thoroughly, etc.
More and more, it seems there are several crusading citizens that are willing to approach strangers and question them about their unsafe or questionable choices. One gentleman recently saw his video go viral, where he followed a woman that had parked in a handicapped stall and questioned what made her so special she could park there, even though she admitted she had no disability. When he captured her throwing her coffee at him, the video – with the woman’s face and license plate in full view – drew lots of attention, exposing the woman not just to the disgust of her community, but a nation of viewers.
There are certainly kinder, less invasive ways to promote being safe than filming the people whose choices we don’t agree with. It’s up to each of us to use that common sense, and to encourage our neighbours to use common sense, to have a safe and fun six months of warmth and sunshine before the colder weather sets in again.
