This is a little different post for the STS blog, but I’m posting it anyway. Teresa (my wife) found this great little running tour in Memphis, TN. We met our tour guide, Mel, along Riverwalk park and took a very nice tour of the city. We saw areas we wouldn’t have otherwise seen, got a lot of great history, and received some really good food recommendations. We’d recommend the tour to anyone. It was a great experience!

http://www.rockinrunningtours.com/

The land of blues and bbq! AND a classic car show! I know it just so happened that this once a year event took place this year on Oct. 23rd and I couldn’t be happier. We went to dinner after the trade show and to our surprise the street was filled with classic cars from all eras. Novas, Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs, Coupes, Sedans, Trucks, Customs, Dragsters — everything. If there were a for sale sign on any of them it would have been a road trip home instead of our flight on Friday.

Each time I get to participate in a pupil transportation trade-show, I am reminded of how down-to-earth, passionate, and caring this group of people are. The NAPT conference/trade show is another shining example. Everyone is willing and eager to listen for ideas that would make pupil transportation more efficient and safer. These people really care about the children they transport. Take the time to thank them and acknowledge what they do to keep your children safe while traveling to/from school. Thanks for reading.

One of the things that really stood out for me during the NAPT keynote address is a comment by a NTSB representatives about the use of blutooth or hands-free devices. Consider this blog paraphrased and by not means a direct representation of NTSB. It is purely my impression. As I understood it, the NTSB’s stance is that drivers should not use ANY devices while driving.

It is becoming common for States to ban texting, which is awesome, but many allow the use of hands-free devices. Are these types of devices better than fumbling with a phone to text or dial a number? ABSOLUTELY. Are hands-free devices still distracting? Yes. It only takes seconds of distraction to cause or contribute to an accident that could potentially injure or kill someone. Think about everything you do WHILE driving. Is it worth the change that it could hurt someone? No. Take the opportunity to slow your life down. When you drive – only drive. Stay safe everyone!

It is important to constantly look for new perspectives. Different people have different ideas. Other countries do things differently. Different is NOT wrong. I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Dubai, but I learned about it’s transportation infrastructure today. Their government made a commitment to providing safe transportation to it’s people. Transportation at all levels. They’ve improved roads, processes, and procedures. They’ve integrated rail, water, and roads into a cohesive program. It’s truly exciting to see how they are growing. If you would like to learn more, check out their website: http://bit.ly/WF0fQS

The link for their English site is very long so I’ve used bit.ly to make it shorter. This is a Dubai Government site. If you would like to navigate to it directly, search for “Dubai, RTA”