Quite the powerful picture is grabbing a ton of attention after a family lost their dog because of a careless driver. After the horrifying incident, a sign was erected that left the entire neighborhood talking, and not everyone approves. You decide: Is his message appropriate?
Kevin Jackman grew quite tired of seeing people whiz by his home in Middletown, New Jersey, despite knowing that children lived and often played in the neighborhood. The concerned resident had had enough of the reckless behavior. So, in an attempt to put an end to it, he erected a sign that garnered its fair share of attention.
The sign appeared on Duchess Avenue, a side road “which residents say is blocked from Route 36 and can become busy as drivers cut through to beat the traffic,” News 12 New Jersey explained. Jackman was frustrated with inpatient drivers using the side street and cruising through the neighborhood at dangerous speeds in their attempts to get around the congested traffic on the busier road.
Recognizing the potential for someone to get hurt, Jackson erected his bold message, which he hoped would leave passersby hitting the brakes. The eye-opening sign warns drivers to slow down. “My dog was struck last week because you won’t slow down. If you hit a kid, your family will be burying you,” it reads.
Jackman said he got the idea after he saw a similar message on social media. Indeed, signs like Kevin Jackman’s have surfaced before. Clearly upset and downright fed-up, one homeowner also decided to do something about the cars whizzing by their home. A photo of the sign was posted to Reddit with a caption simply reading, “This sign in my neighborhood.”
Similar to Kevin Jackman’s sign, this one read, “We buried our dog last week because you won’t SLOW DOWN. If you hit 1 of my kids your family may be burying you.” The image quickly went viral, but not everyone approved. Instead, it fueled a heated debate among commenters, according to The Blaze.
While some were quick to lend their support to the sign’s sentiments, others pointed out what they thought was a glaring problem that was being ignored. Quite a few felt the issue was the dog owner not having their dog on a leash. “Am I the only one who doesn’t like people who won’t keep their dog contained in their yard and then [get] upset that their dog is endangered?” one user asked, according to the Mirror. But, others stated that people shouldn’t be driving that fast in a residential area in the first place.
“A person should NEVER be going fast enough in a residential area that a dog can’t simply avoid you,” a commenter wrote. Indeed, we should observe our speed and adjust it to prepare for unexpected surprises, especially when the simple act of slowing down can save a life. Do you think hitting a dog would be a tough pill to swallow? Imagine living with the guilt of killing someone’s child because you thought you could shave a few extra seconds off your travel time.
No one wants to be the driver who killed a family pet, let alone a child, all because we were in a hurry. So, sometimes, we need tough reminders not to be so consumed by our own lives that we forget to watch out for others. Safety always needs to come before our convenience, especially when children are involved. Arriving an extra minute later isn’t going to kill anyone. On the other hand, a few extra miles-per-hour could. Be smart and courteous — it could end up saving a life, whether you realize it or not.