Just Sayin': Stay alert in hiring vehicles for occasions

Stay alert in hiring vehicles for occasions

As we approach the season of celebrations, including graduations, proms, Memorial Day and July Fourth, it is important to remain alert on the roads and to the safety guidelines and laws surrounding the for-hire vehicles that bring us to venues.

Eight years ago this July, eight families were forever changed after a stretch limousine was struck in Cutchogue, killing four young women and injuring four others in that vehicle. My daughter’s injuries have caused us to realize how precious life is. The justice system has left me speechless, as it is slow and accountability has been evaded. At the very least, relying on the system has failed to bring closure. While we wish for justice, we also wish that no family ever walk in our shoes.

Adhere to the rules, inquire about the vehicle you hire, and investigate drivers’ credentials. No celebration should be ended because of careless carriers or unsafe vehicles. That proof also lies in the trial of the deadly upstate Schoharie limousine crash of 2018 in which 20 people were killed.

— Nancy DiMonte. Elwood

Mother’s Day emails shouldn’t have option

Hallmark, Kay Jewelers and other companies are giving customers an option to opt out of receiving Mother’s Day and Father’s Day emails and notices. They claim that those days are difficult and can be upsetting to some people.

Mother’s Day has been celebrated for more than a century. I lost my beautiful mom in December. Do you think these messages are going to upset me? No, but what really upsets me is this message to customers. My birthday without my mom is Mother’s Day weekend. Can I opt out of birthday messages? Will the stores be taking down their sale signs for Mother’s Day? What are they telling children? That they don’t have to think about their deceased mom or dad because it is going to upset them? They should be encouraged to celebrate their mom and/or dad.

May is also Maternal Mental Health month. I survived postpartum depression. So many other moms also survived. We deserve our day. These companies have no right to dictate how we should feel about Mother’s Day, especially Hallmark. If they are so concerned, then they should remove every Mother’s Day card from every store.

— Geraldine O’Keeffe, St. James

Roadway reflectors make driving safer

Street and highway lanes used to be marked by reflective white paint. Guardrails and barriers had metal reflectors attached to them or a line with reflecting paint on them or next to them.

For some reason, new paint jobs and repairs seem to be done with non-reflective paint and no reflectors near barriers. This is dangerous, especially in foggy or rainy situations at night. This needs immediate rectification.

— Samuel J. Mark, West Hempstead