A letter to the editor,

First off this is the first "letter to the editor" I have ever written.

Except for 3 years post secondary, I have lived in Port Elgin for well over 40 years. 

My letter is to the people of Saugeen Shores who drive south on HWY 21 every morning.

I have found the winter traffic congestion increasingly frustrating this year, I don’t know if is worse this year or I am getting older and noticing more.

I am one of the few people that leave Port Elgin around 7 am that do not turn right on the 4^th of Bruce.

Tuesday morning I got in line with all the other vehicles, there was no snow in the air, the roads where track bare, and a bit slippery. When I got to North Bruce I was stopped in traffic. I wrongly assumed there was a plow on the road ahead, around the corner. From there to Underwood was a line of traffic with the odd break, speeds did not get over 40km/h.

I totally understand and agree that drivers need to slow down when the weather/conditions require. My problem is the drivers that do 40-50 on the highway with a line of cars behind them.

I would like to suggest that if those certain drivers are so uncertain of the condition of the road, or of there own driving ability that they do one of four things.

- Take Lake Range Road, it is more sheltered and generally an easier drive.

- Car pool, with all the people that turn right on the 4^th, there has to be someone you can ride with.

-  Take the bus, there seems to be enough of those that leave town every morning.

-   Or just stay at home

I remember the “Hydro 500” in the 80’s. There was a lot more snow on the road then, and you didn’t dare drive slow.

Drive safe,

T.J. Douglas