Dear Editor,

I never owned a car when living in Belize; didn’t need one and used public transportation when I went out of town. Now and then I might catch a ride from a local friend who was going my way, but usually I got around via the bus.

Time and again, when riding in a car with local drivers, I noticed some peculiarities they exhibited when behind the wheel. Foremost among these was the cavalier attitude displayed as they passed on a curve, the deadliest driving habit of them all. To do so is irrational and just plain stupid.

Another habit with wide currency is the refusal to wear a seat belt. This, too, is irrational and stupid, but yet I have seen many times when a driver will buckle up when noticing a check point up ahead, and after passing through, unbuckle the belt!

The California Highway Patrol likes to say it never unbuckled a dead man. Why are Belizeans so obtuse?

Good luck,
Russell Czarnecki