Off the record

New meters are right

Just like people, Marion city’s electric and water meters slow down with age. There are a number of the meters that are 30 years old and older — pretty old for a meter, anyway.

Kudos to Marion City Council for approving a project to replace the meters with digital meters that are designed for accuracy. With that being said and with my luck being what it is, the meters at my house will probably be some of the ones that were running slowly and our utilities will increase.

Regardless, we all should pay for what we use.

*****

My daughter and I were returning from Wichita Sunday, following a young man who couldn’t have been more than 20 years old in a new, fast, sports car. We watched as he weaved in and out of traffic, slowing down and speeding up, all the while fiddling with a cell phone.

On the last go-round of passing us, the teen and us were approaching a semi, preparing to pass it, when the young driver appeared to be reaching for something and nearly struck the trailer of the semi. I slowed down as quickly as I could and I thought if the two collided I would drive into the median to try to avoid the wreckage. The car couldn’t have been any closer without connecting to the trailer when the driver pulled away, diverting the collision.

I wanted to flag down the young man to make sure he realized how close he came to disaster. What I really wanted to do was tell his mother. Unfortunately, he drove away quickly in that hot sports car and disappeared in traffic.

We hope he made it to his destination.

*****

We hope the spring weather preview thus far isn’t a sign of things to come for the entire spring.

I guess it’s better than tornadoes every other day.

— susan berg