Speakout 4/8

Monday, April 8, 2002

This is addressed to senior citizen drivers. I have no disrespect for senior citizens today, but the law on having a driver's license should be reviewed. If you need a handicapped spot but are not in a wheelchair, then why do you need it? If you drive and have a walker or cane and apparently have something wrong with your legs or back, causing slow reaction to use your legs, that is very dangerous to have on the road because you can't slam on your brakes in case of an emergency. I have totaled out two cars because of two different senior citizens running stop signs because they couldn't see them and when they came up on them, couldn't press the brakes fast enough. They were both over the age of 75.

I got a call from a telemarketer offering a credit card. For a $199 processing fee, I was promised a $2,000 credit limit along with a cell phone with three months of free service. After I gave the person my checking account information for them to withdraw the required fee, I waited for my card and phone. After I waited longer than the two weeks they told me it would take, I tried calling the number they gave me and always get a recording that all representatives or busy or I can leave a voice mail message for a return call. They never called me back. The name of the company is First Capital Consumer Group - I had confused this name with Capital One, which is why I applied in the first place. The number I had to call for the card was in Toronto, Canada (416) 488-4664. I called the police in Toronto and learned that they had received several complaints like mine. To report if you've been a victim of this telephone scam, you can call Phone Busters, an investigative unit of the Ontario Provincial Police at (888) 495-8501. If you're like me and have been burned by this, you need to get to your bank and fill out a fraud claim to have the authorization revoked from your checking account. My bank said I had to do this within 60 days. I will also be reporting this to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. I just don't want to see anybody else get taken in like I was.

Last week in your SpeakOut column there was an article that asked if anyone knew of any dog obedience classes being taught in the Sikeston area. The Community Education Department of Sikeston Public Schools offers dog obedience classes to anyone in the greater Sikeston area. We are presently holding one now on Monday evenings for eight weeks and plan to schedule another basic obedience class for dogs in September or October. For more information, call 571-5442.