Earlier this week I took one of our Toyota vehicles to be inspected for an eventual auto registration renewal. While there at the auto shop I had a rumor heard days earlier which turned out to be confirmed as fact.
On June 13, 2023 the Texas Legislature has given final approval to House Bill 3297.
Supporters of the bill [Republicans] called the safety inspections time consuming and inconvenient. Opponents of the bill [Democrats and Independents] say it could set Texas drivers, and future Texans, on a dangerous path. […]
Texas highways are notoriously dangerous. At least one person dies on a Texas highway each day. According to the most recent state data, 4,489 people were killed in auto crashes in Texas during 2021, or about 1.56 deaths per 100,000 miles traveled by drivers. That’s up from 1.36 deaths per 100,000 in 2017.
— The texas tribune, june 2023, accessed 2/10/2024 at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/01/texas-car-safety-inspection-changes/
Starting in 2025 Texas will not require (by law) any of its 23+ million vehicles to be annually inspected as “safe and environmentally friendly” except in just 17 Texas counties. Yes, you read that correctly. I kid you not! If I want to drive a vehicle that spews out a shitload of black smoke carbon monoxide, in 2025 Texas, I will be allowed to do that unimpeded and with no serious consequences unless pulled over by law-enforcement and given a small citation, a slap on the hand.
Yes, over the last 20+ years it has become glaringly obvious that this 21st-century Lone Star State, Texas government, very sadly, very shamefully craves to be in national and global news limelight and headlines weekly. If it is negative, especially ugly, and the news tarnishes the state’s already suffering and declining reputation, they bask in the attention. Texas’ craving for worse keeps increasing as the state turns more and more radical MAGA with more out-of-state MAGA radicals moving here every month. And I haven’t mentioned yet what two elderly white Kerrville men openly discussed with the entire lobby waiting area and the part-owner of the shop, boldly and out loud to everyone there.
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Fair warning. This is going to be a lengthy rant, fed-up, irritated blog-post about rural Texans. If you’d rather not read about my high-level of frustration, then I politely suggest skipping this read and move on. No harm taken. 🙂 The reality, however, is that this gripe must be made known if for no other reason than to recalibrate the mass mental delusions of specific rural Texans that audaciously boast abusively of this state’s “many perfections.” The attitude is certainly laughable, but also quite disturbing that they believe it, wholeheartedly.
Once the white lady, who’s part-owner of the auto shop, explained the change in vehicle inspections for January 2025, one of the aforementioned white cowboys said aloud, “That shows you how stupid those legislatures are in Austin.” It was a peculiar thing to say and surprised me a little. I kept listening in order to better ascertain what he meant. Why? Because most all of the current Texas Congress, both the Senate and the House, are totally dominated by Republicans (see above diagram)! Over the last 15-20 years about 85% to 99% of Conservative Republican laws get easily passed. Was he calling our Republican dominated legislatures stupid?
The other white cowboy chimed in as he was the more vocal of everyone talking and almost agonizingly long-winded. Then before I knew it, they were quickly onto open-carry, pro-guns, and pro-Second Amendment. They moved so quick to this subject/debate I totally missed the segue from vehicle inspections to “the right to bear arms!” White Cowboy #2 sitting near me proclaimed that “every gun-owner should be combat trained.” What? I thought to myself with a bewildered expression, you mean like trained in military combat? Special Forces Black Ops? What the hell!? I wanted to speak up and say to him, Sir, isn’t that a closer step to a Police State? But I refrained, i.e. choose your battles on your terms.
A little disturbed that the open lobby discussion took a bad turn, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I said sternly to white Cowboy #2, “that is exactly what our school teachers are now required to be.” He responded with a simple, sort of dismissive yes. He turned his attention back to white Cowboy #1 and the part-owner lady behind the counter who was sharing a frightening story she had recently in Austin with her daughter inside the vehicle with her. It was a case of road rage by a man up on her door window and windshield cussing her up, down, left, and right while giving her the middle finger. She put her purse—with a pistol inside—on her dashboard. The man slacked off his tantrum she said, but the red-light in which they were stopped was turning green.
Yes my readers/Followers, this is a common occurrence in rural Kerrville, Texas, or Austin. I am not embellishing in the least.
Finally, our Toyota Avalon’s state inspection was finished, but not before the white part-owner lady and white Cowboy #2 spouted off that “they,“ meaning our federal government and anti-violence, pro-gun-reforms, liberal Americans, “will never take our guns in Texas.” Because I was leaving, I painfully held my tongue. I wanted to say while walking out, That’s an all too common misnomer people. All of you can have as many 18th-century flint-lock muskets and pistols as your gun-worshipping hearts desire! But I was polite and wished the two white ladies behind the counter a good day and departed.
These sorts of road hazards and mentally unstable, poor white drivers in rages have become a frequent event and dangerous problem here. Just for me, since moving back to Kerrville in August 2021 for my Mom’s severe Dementia/Early-Alzheimer’s, driving around Kerrville’s four main highways—Hwy 27, Hwy 16, CR 783, and Spur 98; see slideshow below—I have been in almost five (5) auto accidents! Of those five, two of them came within 1-2 feet of each other’s cars/trucks, both cases were at red-light intersections where I had a green-light right-of-way in the left lane, and they only had a flashing yellow arrow to turn left in front of me.
Other near accidents were once again, my green-light right-of-ways, in the right lane this instance, and a big monster-wheeled dually diesel truck with cow-bars and flatbed trailer hitched to the rear… was to my right at the intersection. As I was moving into the intersection, speed limit is 45mph, I was doing about 43-44, this white redneck pulls into my lane in front of me going perhaps 10-12mph… because he had paused in his right-turn lane with a “Yield” sign in front of him (slide #3 below), he impatiently chose to pull out in front of me anyway. I had to slam on my brakes, again. I sat on my horn for a good 10-15 seconds. Are there THAT many blind or nearly blind drivers everywhere? How do they obtain driver’s licenses, much less afford auto insurance? Following are some of my other near accidents in this very dangerous, white redneck town.
We use the State Farm Drive Safe & Save app in order to save as much money as possible each month in these hard inflationary times. We’ve been on it now for over a year. Of the five different driving categories State Farm tracks via Bluetooth beacon and satellite, two of the categories—Hard Braking and Quick Accelerating—I get flagged or punished for my sudden reactive defensive driving so I won’t slam into these many idiotic bad drivers. Every time I slam on my brakes, we must pay more on our monthly premium. It is beyond infuriating that I am having to pay more for so many crazy bad drivers here! 😡 However, based on a 6-month to 6-month average of scores, we do still pay a lot less than we did without the app.
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I decided to do a little research on this motor vehicle nightmare in Texas and rural Texas counties. I found some depressing statistics, e.g. image left. Texas also led the nation in 2020, 2021, and 2022. We lost the number one spot to Mississippi in 2023, but fell only one slot: #2.
What are the primary causes of fatal deaths or maiming of drivers and passengers on Texas roads and highways? According to multiple Texas law firms specializing in vehicular damages, the top four causes of fatalities are 1) running off the road crashes, 2) stop-light intersections, 3) distracted driving (cell phones), and 4) DUI crashes, or Driving Under the Influence of drugs or alcohol.
It is also worthy to note that #5 is motorcycle accidents where 45% of all “chopper riders” are not wearing helmets. This is also a very frequent occurrence on Kerrville roads and highways. The rebel biker-chopper culture is huge here! There seem to be biker rallies here every other month, but mostly from May to September. The noise that 15, 20, or 30 bikers together make on our highways sounds like a freight-train on your porch. Your windows are literally vibrating. And NO! I am not exaggerating. Here are more statistical facts from vehicular damage law-firms of how deadly Texas roads and highways truly are:
Therefore, what’s the moral of this ranting story? What’s the takeaway? It is exactly this:
- Absolutely do NOT believe what most
whiteTexans brag or arrogantly boast how great or incredible Texas-living is about. They are lying or not telling the entire picture or truth. Remember, I am an 8th-generation Texan. My ancestors have lived here a long, long time, and I have lived most of my life here and watched how downhill and deteriorating this state has gone. It is not pretty. There’s not much hope it will reverse, or change anytime soon. - Every other time or third-time you drive on Texas roads or highways, you are literally risking your life or bodily harm and vehicular damages. In my last 20-years here I have noticed how horribly dangerous our streets and roads have become. It is a STARK difference from 1994.
- And this is only about two aspects of living in rural
whiteredneck Texas where too many radical MAGA Republicans reside and freely, rudely express their rage and anger with either vehicles and/or guns/weapons at anyone and everyone.
If someone you know is considering moving their family to Texas, rural Texas in particular, share this post and information with them quickly along with my many other blog-posts about the reality of rural Texas living. As a matter of fact, share not only these motor vehicle dangers, but also these seven (7) reasons NOT to live in Kerrville, TX or most all rural towns in Texas spoken from a residing Texan. They’re all the same problems statewide:
- Lack of urban amenities – little to do except eat or eat or eat, and drink alcohol. Boring.
- Very limited diverse Job Opportunities – mostly ranching, construction, or retail.
- Very limited diverse Education & Institutions – only one high school and one tiny private Christian college.
- Extreme Climate swings & Allergies: Cedar in winter, pollen in spring, and ongoing developmental pollution! Also, drinking water contamination due to these conditions.
- Lack of diverse Scenery – essentially just one type: predictable Hill Country.
- Decaying Community and Family Values – simply drive on Main St/Junction Hwy for 12-36 months and you will risk vehicular and/or bodily harm 1-out-of-2 times on the roads/highways. Some of the RUDEST or UNSAFE drivers anywhere else in a Texas small town!
- High Cost Housing & Real Estate Market – and it’s still rising. This negatively expands the economic inequality gap in Fair Housing. And Property Taxes are high as well!
Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always – Avoid Texas!
The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
The Professor's Convatorium 