Gary's interview

An interview podcast with an early Baby Boomer not thinking about retirement.

*Note that this interview has been adapted to protect  person interviewed identity and the recording has been adapted to improve time quality or shorten length.
(Gary, personal communication, August 15, 2012)

What’s your name: Gary E.

Age ( 61)

Where do you live now?
-"Houston, TX."

 Have you always lived there?
   -"No."
Where did you live?

-      - "A small farm."

Generation: "Early bloom"

Married?- 
 -"Yes."

-     Kids? Age( ages 23, and 19) 
-"Two  lovely daughters. "

When did you start driving?
  -"Legally? Age 16."
How did you learn how to drive?
  -"On a tractor, on a farm, in Washington state. Stick shift, it was fun. I don't drive that now."
What was your first car?
 -"The first car I drove on a regular basis was 51 GMC one ton truck. The first car I owned was     a 1967 GMC half ton pick up."
What are you driving now?
   - "The Jeep compass."
What have you done for a living or are you still in the work force?

 - "I'm still in the work force. I'm self employed. The majority f my working career was software programming. I did not have to travel much. I just traveled to work when I worked down at Johnson Space Center which was a 30 mile commute. I did that for 13 years."

How long do you expect to still be in the work for till you retire?

 - "Forever."

How come?

- "Oh, I don't know... we cant seem to put together a  retirement plan."

How many cars are in your household? 
-"3, but until recently 4." 
What happened?
  -"We donated it to a radio station instead of paying for the car insurance. That was a GEO Metro."

 Well your saving from that. You can put that money to you retirement plan.
  -"Ha, that wouldn't last a day."
What do you use the car(s) for? 
- "Errands generally. I don't commute any more."

How is your health?( are you physical disable, vision decline, hearing impaired, history of strokes etc. not good for long distances) 
-"Excellent."

Do you have any accidents? 
- "Yes. On my record?"

 Yes and what were they generally about?
 -"Most of them were on city streets. They weren't real severe. They was no bodily injuries."
How many accident would you say you’ve been in since being a driver?( in the car or driving a car) 
-"3."

 Where you in the car or driving?
  - "All of them I was driving." 
Would you say you get in more accidents as you’ve gotten older? 
-"No."

Do you ever feel scared while driving? Why?
 - "Yes. Really, Really bad weather and I felt the trucks were moving to fast.And passing me, with a lot of water on the road."
Is that because of the quality of drivers on the road or you fault?-"I was.The insurance companies say it was may fault...I mean I got the ticket, the insurance company says it was my fault. So, I mean...what are you gonna do."

What would you say your strong points in driving are? 
-"I'm very much aware of the road condition."

What would you say your weak points are in driving? 
-" The awareness of other vehicles around me. I'm always surprised when I find a car where I thought it wasn't." 
So your not check our blind spots?

  -"Well I check my blind spots its just ..I'm surprised."

Do you do anything to prevent accidents?

   -drive only at night? -"I don't drive at night and I do switch drivers. I like to have someone else I can switch with.For trips that are 4 hours or more."

-Do you have any of those high tech or  gizmos they have out like backwards cameras...? 
  -"No, just a Gps"

Would you be able to quit driving today? 
-"No."

Why do you think that is?
  -"Its to difficult to get around without having a car."
 You wouldn't be able to rely on public transportation?Is it too much off a hassle?
  -"No, its just too unreliable."
What problems would you have if you did that? 
-not reliable.

Could you get rides from your friends and family? 
-"Umm..Yeah...and...if I'm...Yes from my immediate family. Most of my more distant family members are in different cities, in different states."

Whats the name of the public transportation system in Houston?

-    -"Metro."

What do you think of it?
-"Its pretty good especially the tram if it goes where you need to go (that is)."

What are some problems that you thing people your age have with driving? 
-" I don't know if they have any problems. Umm...I think just the normal problems that all drivers do." 
What are those?
 -"Too many hours behind the wheel. Its just a mode of transportation. There's no  enjoyment out of it."

  Did there use to be enjoyment in driving?
-"Yes. there use to be a lot of fun to drive."
 What mad it fun?
  -" Something other then a freeway. things use to be a bit ore scenic."
Do you feel that your generation, your friends of the same of the same age are bad or good drivers?
   -"No."

Online and on the news there are lots of people, doctors, lawyers, common man, bloggers who  starting at what time or at what point senior rivers are unfit to drive? Should the issue be addressed be case by case or with age being the issue?

  - " I don't know. I don't like the question. I mean I don't believe in case by case but I do believe that people should have a higher drivings skills."

 Do you think that the current generation is fit to drive?
-" I think that all American drivers are lacking!...To European drivers. I'm serious. Their not as good."
  Have you ever been to Europe?
  -"Yes."

 How they drive is different from Americans?
   -"Their more conscious of all the rules of the road."

-      When where you in Europe?Where in Europe?
      -"In 1963 to 1965. In Holland." 
What role do you think doctors have in this issue? Should they be able to revoke their licenses?

-"Haven't thought about the problem.(cheekily) I don't think they can. I don't know if I should be in that capacity or not. I don't know. I really don't know. I would think not. I mean I think that if it was a problem with blindness or  physical they can rule on that. I don't think they should rule on anything else. Because there not going to know how a persons going to react- reaction time and stuff like that."

-  Would you force an age limit that would deem someone unfit to drive?
    -"No. Some people cant drive at 16."
Do you think it is age that is the deciding factor to when someone is unfit to drive? Or do you think it is health issues that are the factors?

-      -"The health issues are the factors."

Do you feel that your fit to drive?

 -"Yes." 

When do you think you are no longer fit to drive? Personally?

-"When I can no longer turn the steering wheel."

So your not planning on giving up the keys any time soon?

 -"Nope." (like a child) 

{END OF INTERVIEW}