I was coming off of my street the other day and trying to use a busy crosswalk on Pleasant Street. Many cars passed before a police car stopped to allow me to cross. Unfortunately, the driver coming from the other direction was not paying attention and failed to stop (which happens frequently at this particular crosswalk). Have you ever been in a situation where you thought to yourself, “Where’s a cop when you need one?” Well, a cop was there when I needed one. The police officer waited for me to cross the street, and then flicked on their lights, did a 180 and flew after said driver. Ahhh, sweet redemption. Thanks to that cop, I had a grin on my face for the rest of my walk.

This is the second near-miss I’ve witnessed on this street. The first time was when a child escaped his mother’s grip and ran out on the street. The vehicle that the child jumped in front of was an ambulance, whose driver had been going the speed limit. If it had been any other car, they would’ve been over the speed limit and that child would be dead.

Slow down, people. My kids’ lives aren’t worth the extra five minutes you chop off your driving time. And thanks to the men and women in this city who keep us safe.

Jody Patten, Dartmouth