Melvin's blog

Nshima & Curry

Melvin's  Blog

Nshima & Curry

A SEAT BELT COULD BE YOUR BEST FRIEND

Derrick Thomas, a pro football linebacker,
recently died in a Miami hospital, two
weeks after breaking his back in a car
accident. He and a friend were ejected
from the car. The friend also died. Another
male passenger suffered only minor injuries.

Guess which one of them was wearing a
seat belt?

You don’t have to be a contestant on "Who
Wants To Be a Millionaire?" to get that
question wrong. But if you’re somewhat
intelligent, you’ve probably concluded that
the man with minor injuries was protected
by a seat belt. You’re RIGHT!
Congratulations! Treat yourself to a big
bowl of couscous.

That seat belt probably saved his life. If I
were him, I would cut it out of the car and
mail it to President Clinton, so he could give
it some kind of award. Perhaps it would
give Clinton another opportunity to boost Al
Gore’s presidential campaign: "The vice
president suggested that we recognize this
special seat belt with a medal of honor, one
of many brilliant suggestions Al has made in
the last fifty or so years. Many people don’t
know this, but it was Al who, many years
ago, invented the seat belt."

If the seat belt were human, it would be
invited to every television news show to
describe its heroic feat. Barbara Walters
would name it to her list of 20 most
fascinating people.

Barbara: "There are seat belts in every car,
but many people don’t get to know them.
But you’re even more famous than Elian
Gonzalez. How did that happen?"

Seat belt: "Well, I was just hanging out in a
car, minding my business, when one of the
passengers was suddenly thrown forward,
moving faster than an Olympic runner on
steroids. I grabbed him and held him back.
People say I’m a hero, but I was just doing
my job. That’s what I get made to do."

Three years ago, when Princess Diana was
killed in a car accident, I thought it would
teach people the importance of seat belts.
But I must have been sniffing glue.

People have all kinds of reasons for not
wearing seat belts. Some don’t like
seat-belt laws. They don’t like the
government telling them what to do, even if
it’s for their own good. If the government
made sex a requirement, they’d give it up.
At least for a day or two.

Some cite the rare times when a seat belt
has actually injured people in an accident.
That’s like giving up using toilets because
every now and then a snake slithers out of
one.

Some are just too lazy to wear a seat belt.
They have enough trouble dialing their cell
phones.

A few years ago, I was surprised to see a
friend speeding without wearing a seat belt.
I thought, "Hey buddy, don’t be in such a
hurry to meet your maker. Your wife and
children need you. Who else is going to
change their lightbulbs?"

I always wear a seat belt. I’m enjoying my
life too much to take any chances with it.
You won’t catch me smoking,
mountain-climbing or hanging out with O.J.

My family learned the value of seat belts the
hard way. You see, my father was killed in a
car accident. He was ejected from the car.
He was only 40.

I really wish he had worn his seat belt.

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