Keeping Teens Safe on the Road http://driversedge.org/ I have added a new item to my "Links" page. This weekend my daughter and I attended a wonderful FREE program put on by Driver's Edge. This is a nonprofit organization founded by race car driver Jeff Payne, with the goal of improving the appalling statistics on teen driving fatalities. Did you know that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16-20? Payne's "revolutionary" idea was that we need to do a much better job of teaching our kids to drive. It's not enough to teach them the rules of the road and how to pass the driver's test. They need to learn how to get out of a skid, how to make quick lane changes, how to use the antilock brakes on their cars... and they need to learn those skills behind the wheel with expert assistance, not in a classroom. Check out the website for further information, and if you have a teenage driver, get them to a Driver's Edge session, wherever it's being offered.   Here's the Baha'i quote from my Basic Skills class Women and men are the two wings of the bird of humanity; Unless both wings are equally strong, The bird of humanity Cannot soar to the height that it must achieve. Baha’u’llah   Yes I Can! Self Defense wins 2002-2003 Golden Web Award!!! Golden Web Awards The International Association of Web Masters And Developers have awarded "Yes I Can Self Defense" the 2002-2003 Golden Web Award for design and content. I.A.W.M.D. sponsors and affiliates include some of the worlds largest and most respected companies, including: GE, Microsoft, Hertz, K-Mart, Amoco, TTI, Budget, FTD, Alamo, AOL, BigBallot, NBCi, American Greetings and a multiple of other name brand companies, as well as health care and other service providers. Many thanks to Dale Hertzfeld of The Comnetech Group who designed this site so beautifully. This is a great honor!   Yes I Can! on NBC 7/39 NBC 7/39 11:00 News - June 7, 2002 The camera crew came out to Pat Robertsons coffee kiosk in Pacific Beach, and we shot some footage of the 911 Jack in action. I had an opportunity to demonstrate the use of the device and comment on its benefits.   Yes I Can! on Channel 8 Channel 8 - June 5, 2002 I was interviewed on the KFMB Channel 8 Morning Show with Kyle Kraska. Pat Robertson was there to introduce her new invention, the 911 Jack, and I was there as a self defense expert to comment on its effectiveness.   "911 Jack" is a great product! www.911Jack.com I've finally found a personal safety product I like enough to endorse! This lightweight device can be used to punch an attacker and leave nasty, identifying scratches on their body. In addition, it's a DNA collector and can be used to make sure the assailant actually gets convicted of his crime. These easy-to-use, effective devices will now be available at all our workshops, and I will be teaching how to use them effectively.   Yes I Can! in the Carmel Valley News Women's Self-Defense Business Opens in Carmel Valley Click on this image to view the full article.   Yes I Can! in the Del Mar Times Myths and Tips for Children's Self-Defense Click on the image to view the full article.   Here's How to Fight Effectively! StupidVideos.com From a self defense perspective, this is one of the funniest video clips I've ever seen. Just click on the title of this item or go to StupidVideos.com. Sort the video menu alphabetically. Double click on the one entitled, "Don't Trust Women" or click here to view. (It's best viewed in Internet Explorer.) If you've ever wondered whether men can be vulnerable, here's your answer!   Who's Really at Risk for Abduction? San Diego Union Tribune, 2/10/2002 Despite the popular conception that kidnap victims most often are young children, it is teenage girls who face the greatest risk, said Ben Ermini of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “At that age they have more freedom, they’re out on their own,” Ermini said. “They go to the malls without other people, so they are vulnerable to abduction.”   How's This for Feminine Power? King of the Jungle??? How about QUEEN of the Jungle?   Want an ID Card for your Kids? Ident-A-Kid Services of America Dave and Margie Johnston will come to your child's school and create an identification card for your child, complete with photo, thumbprint, and updated height and weight information. These cards are useful at airports, border crossings, and if - God forbid - your child is ever missing. Call (858) 549-8666 or email them at idkidsvs@aol.com for more information.   What Would YOU do? A freeway experience - June 7, 2002 My husband, Jon, and I had a very sobering experience today and I feel the urge to share it. We were driving on the 5 south from Oceanside and Jon said to me, "Oh my God, that guy is asleep!" I looked over and sure enough, the man (about 30-40 yrs old) driving the pickup truck next to us had his hands on the wheel, his head back against the headrest, and his eyes completely closed. He was tooling along at about 75mph on a straight stretch of freeway, probably with his car in cruise control. Nothing about his driving would have alerted us, but the freeway was completely straight at this point. My first reaction (I was driving) was to think that I'd better change lanes and get away as fast as possible. It seemed inevitable that he was going to have a terrible accident. (I'm not proud that this was my first reaction, but it was instinct and I can't be too hard on myself for that.) That feeling was quickly replaced by the question of whether we should try to wake him up. We agreed that we should, and pulled up next to him again, still going about 75. His eyes were still closed, and if there had been any doubt before as to what we'd seen, we were certain by this point that he was, indeed, fast asleep. I started honking the horn and Jon leaned out the window yelling, "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Fortunately his window was half way open. Still, it must have taken at least 15-20 seconds (which is an ETERNITY under these circumstances) before he startled awake, looked around, realized where he was, and slowed down. I kept an eye on him in my rear view mirror, and soon he pulled up next to us again, nodded, and waved to us in what felt like a thank you. I followed behind him all the way to our exit, where he too got off. I keep thinking about this now that it's over. Many questions come to mind. For instance, how many people drove past him without noticing his condition? How many people noticed it and followed that first instinct to just get away? What would have happened if Jon hadn't chosen to accompany me on my errand to Oceanside today? It was a last minute decision on his part. If he hadn't been there I wouldn't have been in the right place at the right time, because we decided to stop for lunch. (Even if I had been in the right place, I probably wouldn't have noticed the guy.) What if we'd chosen a different restaurant, as we'd originally thought of doing? Would we instead have been caught in the traffic jam caused by his fatal crash? And also, what if when he awakened, the guy had jerked his steering wheel to the left and crashed into US? When an accident happens, all of those "what ifs" come out in bargaining for a different outcome to a terrible situation. What about when an accident DOESN'T happen? So many things had to come together in perfect synchronicity for this to have the outcome that it did. We probably saved at least one life today. The traffic slowed up ahead, so even if he hadn't gone off the road before that, this guy would have plowed into the car in front of him a few minutes down the road. I feel awed and humbled by this experience. Today we had an opportunity to make a difference, and we did. What a blessing that is! I wonder what this man took home to his family. I hope he realized that we cared enough about him to take on some personal risk in helping him to stay alive. I guess this is one of those random acts of kindness, and this time it was our turn to be the delivery system. Perhaps he will pay this one forward some day? I've learned something. When I drive, I'm going to try and pay more attention to the drivers on either side of me. Think of how many accidents could be averted if we all did this. Please drive carefully - and pull over if you feel sleepy.