Most Recent Victim of Most Dangerous City in U.S.

Yeah, so I'm the latest victim of the Most Dangerous City in the U.S., St. Louis. While J was at work tonight at the Scottrade Center (formerly Savvis Center, which is downtown), my car was broken into and his wallet was stolen (I know, why would he keep his wallet in the car - but it's because he works a physical job and runs around on the grids of arenas and can lose his wallet). His wallet wasn't in plain sight, so I don't know what the stupid ass criminal saw that made him think he should throw a fucking (sorry for the f-bomb, I'm just really frickin' pissed) rock through my window! His wallet was in the glove compartment and that means this stupid ass loser rifled through my damn car. Which means his disgusting, crime-riddened hands touched things that I own. One of my coats was in the car, now I don't ever want to wear it again. I'm so disgusted I can't even think straight. I don't even care to be in my car ever again. But, since this mother effin' bastard is already costing me the money to replace my window, I refuse to let him affect me even further financially (by buying a new car - my car is completely paid for and I like it).

So, anyway, apparently, in the city of St. Louis, when your car is broken into, they don't send a cop out. Um...I got a clue for you, when you get the Most Dangerous City nod, maybe you should hire more cops and actually do some work. I understand they have murders out the wazoo here, but I'm sorry if I'm selfish enough to think my car being vandalized and J's wallet being stolen is a big fucking deal! Again, sorry for the f-bomb but that is the word I use most when outrageously pissed. The Chief of Police, Mokwa, sure does have time to get his little 5 foot 2 ass on TV every possible chance and he has time to hang out at local fairs, but he doesn't have time to actually do something about the damn crime in this city.

You know, I was all for defending St. Louis for being named the Most Dangerous City, but now I'm just so fucking pissed that I don't care to ever do anything in the city again (which will be hard seeing as how Busch Stadium is downtown and we have season tickets). Why should I waste money in a city that doesn't care when a crime is committed against me. The cops haven't even called J back from when he called them at the scene. I say take fingerprints and get the bastard that did this (I guarantee he has a record). Can we maybe work towards prosecuting the criminals in this city so that we can move closer toward the goal of less crime??? I mean, am I just being stupid or should criminals be held accountable for their actions?? No one had any problems throwing 3 years of probation and 80 hours of community service at my ass for less (meaning we didn't inflict any financial hardship on our victim!!!! (read this post to understand what I'm talking about) The more I think about it, the more pissed I get. I expect something to be done and I will make sure something is done.

Okay, I'll calm down, I know I'm throwing this all out of proportion, but I'm so angry I am spitting fire. I try to live my life right, I don't do anything to anyone and I keep getting screwed over. It doesn't help that I'm in physical pain every day, all day from debilitating headaches either.

I guess I'm going to try to go to sleep, which I know will be a fruitless effort because I'm so angry there's no way I can sleep.

James King

On January 3rd, a friend of the family (an elderly woman) was robbed in her own home. She lives in South St. Louis City (yes, this can attribute to the Most Dangerous City nod we recently acquired) and a man knocked on her door and asked to use her phone. Then, I don't remember what else happened, but eventually he asked for her purse and she gave it to him. I believe he shoved her and left. She, being the sweetheart she is, said he was actually polite.

Well, they caught the man (to the left - James King) that did this to her and it turns out he was wanted for four separate attacks on elderly women all in their homes. He was charged with rape, attempted rape, sodomy, kidnapping and stealing. All of the victims lived within a few blocks of each other in south St. Louis.

I'm just so happy that this man didn't assault, rape or harm our family friend. She was very lucky. I happen to think it was because she didn't give him any trouble, she just gave him her purse and was nice to him. I think fighting him may have made him angry and that may have been what led to the other sexual assaults.

For more information in this case, please read this or this.

Ben Ownby & Shawn Hornbeck

I am in complete shock right now. This young kid, Ben Ownby, went missing Monday and it's been all over the news in St. Louis. Then, 4 1/2 years ago, a boy named Shawn Hornbeck went missing. Shawn Hornbeck's family went through hell and even created the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation to help find their son and other missing children. Both boys are from rural towns in Missouri.

Well, last night they found both boys in an apartment in Kirkwood, a suburb of St. Louis (about 10 or 15 minutes from my house).

Read this.

Now, I realize they may be completely messed up mentally (the guy had to brainwash them, drug them or something), but I am just so happy for Hornbeck's and Ownby's families.

The man that rented the apartment was a documented sex offender in Utah and failed to register here in Missouri. The guy's name is Michael Delvin and he deserves to fry.

Okay, I just wanted to get that out...I'm in shock and I can't really think of anything else to say.

More About My Favorite City - St. Louis

After my Thursday Thirteen on 12/7, I realized that very few people know very much about St. Louis. Yes, I love this city. I was born and raised here and will always love it. The only other city in America that I'd move to would be Honolulu. And, that's not very likely to happen.

But, I was sitting here thinking of all of the things that people don't know, that I could tell them. So, here are some more facts about St. Louis:

• St. Louis is known for its French and German heritage and Victorian past.


• St. Louis has several nicknames including, "Gateway to the West", "Gateway City", and "Mound City".


• Other nicknames include, "The S-T-L", "St. Louie", "The Lou", or "River City".


• St. Louis was purchased from France by the United States under President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 - as part of the Louisiana Purchase.


• French continued, along with English, to be one of the major spoken languages in St. Louis until the 1820s.


• Both Lewis and Clark lived in St. Louis after their Lewis and Clark Expedition.


• The steamboat era began in St. Louis on July 27, 1817.


• By the 1850s, St. Louis had become the largest U.S. city west of Pittsburgh and the second largest port in the country, with a commercial tonnage exceeded only by New York.


• Civil War battles barely touched St. Louis - the area only saw a few skirmishes in which Union forces prevailed.


• St. Louis was the home to several notable businesses including: Ralston-Purina, Anheuser-Busch, International Shoe Company and Brown Shoe Company.


• Several notable people in the literary field were produced in St. Louis. Like Sara Teasdale, Marianne Moore, T.S. Eliot, William Burroughs, and Kate Chopin. Tennessee Williams also hailed from St. Louis.


• St. Louis is one of the several cities that claims to have the world's first skyscraper - the Wainwright Building ( a 10-story structure built in 1892 and still standing).


• Nikola Tesla made the first public demonstration of radio communications here in 1893.


• In 1896, one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history struck St. Louis, MO. and East St. Louis, IL. The confirmed death toll is 255 (with some estimates above 400) and injuries over 1000. Damages adjusted for inflation (in 1997 USD) make it the costliest tornado in U.S. history at an estimated $2.9 billion.


• Several other tornadoes have hit the city making it the worst tornado afflicted large city in the nation - the most recent occuring in 1959 (killing 21 and injuring 345).


• In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World's Fair and the Olympic games (making the United States the first English-speaking country to host the Olympics). 2004 marked the centennial of these events and St. Louis celebrated the entire year.


• St. Louis developed a lively immigrant gang culture by the Early 20th century (of which I'm telling you about in my "The Gangs of St. Louis" posts). You've heard me mention Jelly Roll Hogan - well his gang was mentioned in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.

• The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (a large Roman-Catholic cathedral known as the New Cathedral to St. Louisans) houses the largest mosaic collection in the world.


• The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (known as the Old Cathedral) is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi River.


• The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis is considered one of the most haunted places in the nation.

• St. Louis is the home of the world-reknowned Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra - the second oldest orchestra in the nation - which has been honored with six Grammy Awards and 56 nominations. They play out of Powell Symphony Hall.


• St. Louis City operates 105 parks. Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world, outsizing Central Park in New York City by 500 acres.


• Forest Park offers several of St. Louis' most popular attractions: the Saint Louis Zoo, the Muny (the largest and oldest outdoor musical theatre in the U.S.), the St. Louis Science Center, Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum and several lakes.


• The Missouri Botanical Garden (known to most St. Louisans as Shaw's Garden) is one of the world's leading botanical research centers.


• The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest man-made monument standing at 630 feet.


• Fair St. Louis (known to most St. Louisans as the VP Fair), held every 4th of July is sometimes called "America's Largest Birthday Party".


• The Sporting News rated St. Louis the nation's "Best Sports City".

• The St. Louis Cardinals (EASILY THE BEST BASEBALL TEAM IN THE WORLD!!!!), one of the oldest franchises in MLB have won 10 World Series Titles (most recently this year!!!!), second only to the New York Yank-mes, ooops - sorry, Yankees. I won't post a pic since you're probably sick of my Cardinals pictures.


• The St. Louis Rams have won one Superbowl Championship (January, 2000).


• The St. Louis Blues hold the record for most consecutive playoff appearances in all of sports with 26 straight. They have also made three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, but have never won.


• St. Louis was also home to two prominent 20th century boxers, brothers Leon and Michael Spinks. The two are the only brothers in boxing history to have both captured the Heavyweight boxing title. Cory Spinks, Leon's son, has also held a world title (broke my heart when he lost to Zab Judah here in St. Louis).


• St. Louis is arguably the biggest hotbed of Soccer in the nation.


• Professional Wrestling also has roots in St. Louis. Wrestling at the Chase was a popular weekly event for hundreds of thousands of fans for several decades. WATC was held at a prestigious St. Louis hotel called The Chase Park Plaza. St. Louis is also home to WWE Champion Randy Orton.


• Soulard, a neighbor in St. Louis, is home of the nation's second largest (only to New Orleans) annual Mardi Gras Festival and Parade.


• Washington University's School of Law is the oldest continuously operating private law school west of the Mississippi.


• "Escape From New York", the movie, was filmed almost entirely in St. Louis. Mostly at what was the defunct Union Station (now rehabbed and a gorgeous mall).


• Ringo Starr, a former Beatle, sang a song called "Missouri Loves Company" which had references to St. Louis.


• The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space capsules were built in St. Louis by McDonnell Douglas - now Boeing.


• Disney World was to be opened in St. Louis, however, Walt Disney wouldn't let the park serve beer so Anheuser-Busch rallied against the park in St. Louis (big mistake).

Most of this information was found through Wikipedia. For more trivial facts about St. Louis, see my Thursday Thirteen from December 7.

Finally, here is a small portion of our Walk of Fame (excluding those already mentioned above)

Music

• Chuck Berry (If you're ever here, don't go to the bathroom at his restaurant)
• Ike Turner
• Tina Turner
• Johnnie Johnson
• Scott Joplin
• Nelly
• Michael McDonald
• Fontella Bass
• Miles Davis
• John Hartford
• Robert McFerrin, Sr. (Bobby McFerrin's - Don't Worry, Be Happy - dad)
• Nikko Smith (American Idol, son of Ozzie Smith - St. Louis Cardinal)
• Akon (Check out his name - I dare you to pronounce it correctly & say it three times)
• Chingy
• J-Kwon
• Murphy Lee

Acting/Entertainment

• Vincent Price
• John Goodman
• Redd Foxx
• Josephine Baker
• Phyllis Diller
• Buddy Ebsen
• Betty Grable
• Dick Gregory
• Robert Guillaume
• Charles Guggenheim
• Kevin Kline
• Virginia Mayo
• Shelley Winters
• Scott Bakula
• Kate Capshaw
• Nell Carter
• Randy & Jason Sklar

Literature

• Maya Angelou
• Eugene Field
• Howard Nemerov

Sports

• James "Cool Papa" Bell (Baseball)
• Yogi Berra (Baseball - Yo-gi)
• Bob Gibson (Baseball)
• Lou Brock (Baseball)
• Dizzy Dean (Baseball - my favorite Cardinal of all time)
• Jimmy Connors (Tennis)
• Dwight Davis (Tennis)
• Dan Dierdorf (Football)
• Joe Garagiola (Baseball)
• Rogers Hornsby (Baseball)
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Track & Field)
• Stan Musial (Baseball)
• Red Schoendienst (Baseball)
• Jackie Smith (Football)
• Ozzie Smith (Baseball)
• Bryan Cox (Football)
• Ryan Howard (Baseball - current NL MVP - plays with the Phillies)

Now you can see why I love St. Louis Baseball so much!

Broadcasting

• Jack Buck (I miss him so much)
• Harry Caray
• Bob Costas
• Stone Phillips

Art/Architecture

• Mary Engelbreit
• Al Hirschfeld

Military/Politics

• John Danforth
• William Danforth
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Harriett Woods

Science/Education

• Masters and Johnson

Civil Rights

• Dred and Harriet Scott

Missouri Hall of Fame

• Brad Pitt (Acting/Entertainment)
• Sheryl Crow (Music)
• Sara Evans (Music)
• Harry S. Truman (Politics)
• Daniel Boone
• Samuel Langhorne Clemens aka Mark Twain (Literature)
• Walter Cronkite (Broadcasting)
• George Washington Carver (Educator)
• Bill Bradley (Sports & Politics)
• Jean Harlow (Acting/Entertainment)
• Rush Limbaugh (Broadcasting - do I have to claim him as a Missourian?)
• Jesse James (The actual Outlaw)
• Ginger Rogers (Acting/Entertainment)
• Dick Van Dyke (Acting/Entertainment)
• Walt Disney (Art)
• "Unsinkable" Molly Brown (Socialite of RMS Titanic fame)
  

I'm 100% sure I missed someone and I know I missed a lot of people (I skipped the lesser unknowns).

And, Blogger REALLY needs an "Undo" button added to the format toolbox.

I hope you enjoy my "Did You Know" about St. Louis. Now, since my eyes are crossed from all of this work, I'm going to bed! G-nite!

More Driving in St. Louis

23 BASIC RULES FOR DRIVING IN ST. LOUIS

My comments are in bold italics.

1. A right lane construction closure is just a game to see how many people can cut in line by passing you on the right as you sit in the left lane waiting for the same jerks to squeeze their way back in before hitting the orange construction barrels. Just know that I do this because I get sick of waiting for 15 minutes while everyone else gets in front of me since there's always some idiot that has no problem wasting several minutes of his time to let the cheating asstard in front of him - and that idiot is always, inevitably, in front of me. I appreciate the fact that you're not a Type A Personality and that you have all the time in the world, but seeing as how everyone is different - GET. THE. HELL. OUT. OF. MY. WAY. I choose to be the asstard, this way I might get to my location on time.

2. Turn signals are clues as to your next move. A real St. Louis driver never uses them. Has anyone checked to see if we have the largest population of Paranoid Schizophrenics?

3. Under no circumstances should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you or the space will be filled in by somebody else putting you in an even more dangerous situation. This is very tough in traffic, but they will surely take any footage between you and the car in front of you - it could be 2 feet, they'll take it. And, don't honk or give them a dirty look - you're in the wrong.

4. Crossing two or more lanes in a single lane change is considered "going with the flow." I don't call it "going with the flow", I call it "getting around all the idiots".

5. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit. According to J, you're supposed to honk your horn as you go through the light because that alerts the other drivers that you're going through it - I still don't get it, but he swears it's the truth.

6. Never get in the way of a older car that needs extensive body work. Missouri is a no-fault insurance state and the other guy doesn’t have anything to lose.

7. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in giving a nice relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it’s a chance to stretch your legs.

8. Construction signs tell you about road closures immediately after you pass the last exit before the traffic begins to back up.

9. The new electronic traffic warning system signs are not there to provide useful information. They are only there to make St. Louis look high-tech and to distract you from seeing the St Louis County police car parked in the median. I've noticed them being used for S.A.R.A.A or Amber Alerts more often than for traffic alerts.

10. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It’s a good way to scare people entering the highway. Oh no, you can't get on the highway in St. Louis, you're not allowed.

11. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as suggestions and apparently not enforceable in the metro area during rush hour.

12. Just because you’re in the left lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn’t mean that a St Louis driver flashing his high beams behind you doesn’t think he can go faster in your spot. It is possible that you're a good 3-5 car lengths behind the person in front of you and you keep slamming on your breaks every two seconds forcing the car behind you to test their brakes every time, despite the fact that you're 3-5 car lengths away! Maybe it was a clue that you shouldn't be in the passing (left) lane! If you're so scared of the driver that is 3-5 car lengths in front of you, you should probably be driving relatively slow - and in the far right (slow) lane. Besides, I thought the far left lane was called the "passing lane" and that it should be used primarily to pass slow drivers. Why is it that at rush hour, that is the only lane that is packed and every other lane is passing the folks in the "passing lane"? I don't get it. I just don't.

13. Please remember that there is no such thing as a shortcut during rush-hour traffic in St Louis. This is so true. You will end up getting caught in worse traffic if you try to take a shortcut.

14. Always slow down and be a lookee-loo when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire.

15. Throwing litter on the roads adds variety to the landscape, keeps the existing litter from getting lonely and gives Adopt-a-highway crews something to clean up.

16. Everybody thinks their vehicle is better than yours, (especially pickup truck drivers with stickers of Calvin peeing on a Ford, Dodge or Chevy logo.)

17. Learn to swerve abruptly. St Louis is the home of high-speed slalom driving thanks to MoDOT (Missouri Dept. of Transportation), which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and keep them on their toes.

18. It is traditional in St Louis to honk your horn at cars that don’t move the instant the light changes. This is mainly because the lights are only green for a split second. If you don't take off the second the light changes, chances are that you'll miss it and be stuck again.

19. Seeking eye contact with another driver revokes your right of way. Matter of fact, you don't have a right of way in St. Louis.

20. Never take a green light at face value. Always look right and left before proceeding. Again, they do change very quickly.

21. Heavy snow, ice, fog, and rain are no reasons to change any of the previously listed rules. These weather conditions are God’s way of ensuring a natural selection process for body shops, junkyards, and new vehicle sales. After all, we do have our priorities.

22. Remember that the goal of every St Louis driver is to get there first, by whatever means necessary. Funny, J always asks me if where we're going is on wheels and my answer is always "yes".

23. Real St. Louis women drivers can put on pantyhose and apply eye makeup at 75 miles per hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Real St. Louis men drivers can remove pantyhose and a bra at 75 miles per hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Who wears pantyhose anymore?

Driving in St. Louis

I received this in an e-mail and I have forgotten from whom...but I actually laughed out loud at a couple of these (they are in bold). I've also gone as far as to leave some additional comments (those will be in bold and italics). This is 100% true and you all know it!

If you live in St. Louis, you'll understand this. If you've ever visited St. Louis, you'll understand this. If you've never been to St. Louis, consider this your Visitor's Guide to Driving in St. Louis:

1. There are 75 "official neighborhoods" in the City of St. Louis (not to be confused with the County of St. Louis of which it is not a part). In fact, the City of St. Louis is not located in any county. It is much like Washington D. C. - in a world all of its own. St. Louisans commonly give directions to strangers (primarily to restaurants) based on these neighborhoods which are not marked on any map that is handed out by the tourist board, AAA or even available on Mapquest. I don't know many St. Louisans that can name all 75 neighborhoods either. But I can assure you that they know what high school is in each neighborhood.

2. There are 54 school districts in metro St. Louis on the Missouri side alone. (We prefer not to recognize East St. Louis, IL as being a part of the metro area just as Israelis prefer not to recognize Palestine.) Each of these districts has their own school bus system and scheduled times to block traffic.

3. There are 91 official municipalities in St. Louis County. Each has its own rules, regulations, courts, and often their own police and fire departments. [Calling 911 for help in an emergency can be a very interesting experience...especially if you don't know in which municipality you're located when someone plows into your car, you have a heart attack, or have been mugged.] And, this poses a problem when trying to figure out what police department to get a police report from - try it, I dare you.

4. More importantly, most municipalities have their own snow removal contracts so it's not uncommon to drive down a road in winter and have one block plowed, the next salted, the next piled with snow and the last partially cleared by residents wanting to get out of their driveways. And, if you make an attempt to clear the sidewalk in front of your house, be sure to clear it completely because if someone falls and breaks their neck in front of your house, guess whose fault it is! You betcha - YOURS!

5. Snow plowing is never a problem in the City of St. Louis. They plow nothing, and if the forecast calls for snow, they close everything except on "The Hill" (please refer to #1 above) where each homeowner goes out into the street and shovels out one car-sized rectangle and then stands watch over it. Pull in at your own risk! I think I remember this being a problem during the blizzard of '82.

6. Any car parked longer than 4 hours in the City of St. Louis is considered a ' You Wrench It ' parts store.

7. The City of Ballwin actually proposed that drivers use connecting strip mall parking lots to get from place to place rather than to drive on Manchester Road to cut the traffic on Manchester. Younger St. Louisans consider turning left onto or off of Manchester Road in traffic an extreme sport. If you've ever driven on Manchester and NOT cut through parking lots, then you're either in complete denial or a compulsive liar.

8. Laclede Station Road mysteriously changes names as you cross intersections. The same goes for McCausland, Lindbergh, Watson, Reavis Barracks, Fee Fee, McKnight, Airport Road, Midland, Olive and Clarkson. Gravois Road can only be pronounced correctly by a native St. Louisan and not all mind you, but a few. Ditto for Spoede and Chouteau. And, don't forget River Des Peres! Luckily, I can pronounce all three roads and I even work on one of them. Oh, and ask Linlee how to pronounce Spoede, her version is much better.

9. A St. Louisan from South County has never been to North County and vice versa. West County has everything delivered. Very true, I grew up in SoCo and I couldn't tell you how to navigate around NoCo or to NoCo - well, except the airport.

10. No native St. Louisan knows that Lindbergh runs from South County to North County! And, if you tell them, they will not believe you.

11. Lindbergh Boulevard (named after Charles, AKA: " Lucky Lindy " ) belongs to every neighborhood except in the city of Kirkwood, where they had the nerve to change the name to "Kirkwood Road". (The artsy St. Louisans who reside there are known there for their creativity.) I never did understand why that one stretch of Lindbergh was called Kirkwood Rd., it's silly really.

12. There are 2 interchanges to exit from Highway 40 onto Clayton Road and 2 for Big Bend. Stay alert, people!

13. If you need directions to O'Fallon, make sure to specify Illinois or Missouri. This is also true for Troy, Maryville, St. Charles, Springfield, Columbia and well, need I really go on? Oh, and don't forget to specify that you're going to Cuba, MISSOURI - people get really concerned when you say you're going to Cuba.

14. The Page Avenue extension and the Airport expansion projects took over 20 years to get approved and St. Louisans lost track of how many political figures claimed them as their own idea.

15. St. Louisans were aghast when the federal government required them to redo the highway signs to indicate that our federal highways actually went to cities in other states instead of our local municipalities.

16. Many drivers are starting to cut their OWN license plates rather than go through the Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles to get their tags. St. Louisans can also purchase tags from "dealers" behind most QuiKShops in the City. They are a lot cheaper, their clerks are more pleasant than DMV employees, and the service is a lot faster. Cash only. You may want to pack heat.

17. Lambert Field and St. Louis International Airport really are the same place. The East Terminal, however, is a different place.

18. Highway 270 is our daily version of the NASCAR circuit. The same thing goes for Highway 70. You can go all four directions on Highway 270: North and South in West County, East and West in South County, and East and West in North County. Confused? So are most drivers in St. Louis.

19. The outer belt is Highway 270, which turns into Highway 255 in South County. The inner belt is Highway 170. Highway 370 is a sorta-kinda outer-outer belt. Highway 40 is the same as Interstate 64 (but only through the middle part of St. Louis).

20. The morning rush hour is from 5:30 to 9:00 a.m. The evening rush hour is from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. unless the Blues or Cards are playing - then its 3:30 to 8:00 and again from 9:45 to whenever. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning. Never ever try to cross a bridge over the northward flowing Missouri River or the southward flowing Mississippi River in St. Louis during rush hour unless you have a sack lunch and a port-a-potty in the car. There is no beating traffic in St. Louis, it is NOT possible unless your work hours are from 4:00 am to noon (and you might still run into some type of traffic, maybe a sobriety check point).

21. YIELD signs are for decoration only. No native St. Louisan will ever grasp the concept. And at 4-way stop intersections controlled by stop signs, forget about the idea of taking turns. Cars go through two or three at a time. It takes some getting used to.

22. If someone in St. Louis actually has his or her turn signal on, it is probably a factory defect or has been on for the last 17 miles. See, I told you - see my post entitled "Blinkers".

23. Construction on Highways 40, 64, 70, 255, 270, 44, 55 and 170 is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. I have, most certainly, never considered this entertainment, I consider it Chinese Torture.

24. U.S. Highway 61 mysteriously disappears as it enters West County and suddenly reappears as it exits South County. Even MO-DOT can't figure this one out. Many think if they ever find it, they'll also find Jimmy Hoffa and Iraq's WMD's.

25. Any blue-haired babe in a Cadillac driving on Olive west of the inner belt (see #19) always has the right of way. But if the Caddie has fins, this territorial limitation does not apply so pay attention. It's dangerous out there!

S.A.R.A.A. Alert Issued: Police Trying To Find Child, Mother Abducted By Father

Just how many S.A.R.A.A. Alerts do we have a month? I'm starting to get embarrassed and irritated.

KSDK - St. Louis Police issued a regional S.A.R.A.A. Alert after a child and his mother were apparently abducted by the boy's father, who may be forcing them to go to Mexico.

Police were searching for 1-year-old Axel Cortez. He and his mother, Lenora Anguiano, were last seen in the 3800 block of Eichelberger in St. Louis.

St. Louis police believe 26-year-old Martin Cortez abducted the woman and the child, and may be forcing them to go to Mexico, perhaps on a bus.

Police say they believe the child may be in danger.

A S.A.R.A.A. Alert is a St. Louis Regional Abduction Alert that is similar to the nationwide Amber Alert.

NewsChannel 5 and ksdk.com will have more information as soon as it becomes available.

Blinkers

Since I was already complaining about drivers, I thought I'd add this one today too.

I just have one question, DO CARS HAVE TURN SIGNALS ANYMORE? I mean, seriously, I will admit I get a little agitated when someone cuts me off when I’m in the passing lane (and they end up going slower than I was), but I will accept it a lot easier if they use a blinker to tell me they’re coming over. I guess this all goes back to my “Good People” post. NO one has courtesy or concern for anyone else in the world. These people that do that (and don’t use their blinker) are only concerned about themselves, “screw everyone else, I need to be in the passing lane”. UGH!

Good Samaritan Drivers

I know I’m hyperactive and irritable at most times, but what is it with these people that think they can slow everyone down by getting in the passing lane and doing EXACTLY the speed limit or less? I had a friend tell me that one of her parents’ friends does that. She wants to slow the speeders down, so she takes her happy arse over to the passing lane of the highway and does about 55 (in a 60 mile an hour zone). I don’t understand the logic of that. Doesn’t it ever occur to them that if I want to speed, I’m going to do it and they can’t stop me? Doesn’t it ever occur to them that if I am speeding and I come up to them in the passing lane, I will get frustrated and zip around them? Don’t get me wrong, I know that your response time is diminished when you speed, but if someone is making me switch lanes because I have to go around them when they are in the “PASSING LANE”, I would think that makes it more likely for an accident to occur. Let me just say, if I am speeding and I want to risk getting a speeding ticket, LEAVE ME ALONE, you can’t control me and the harder you try, the worse I drive – so get a clue and STAY. OUT. OF. THE. PASSING. LANE!!!!!