Letters to the Editor: A driver of 77 years offers his rules for safely road tripping with his spouse

To the editor: I am 90 years old and have been a licensed driver in California for 77 years, starting with a junior operator license when I turned 13. I have never had a major accident, only a few fender benders. I taught driving for the California National Guard and AARP. My wife and I have been in love and married for more than 50 years (“If a 7-hour road trip up the 5 doesn’t ruin your marriage, nothing will,” July 1).

Our driving rules: No unnecessary conversation with the driver. No distractions from driving. Wife acts as co-pilot — heads-ups are welcome, as are personal needs requests. Routes are agreed upon before the trip begins. Rest and food stops are taken as the trip progresses. Control of the radio is shared. HVAC has separate controls for driver and passenger. Driver does not use phone. We normally do not carry passengers and thus, no conversations in the car.

My wife will not ride with other drivers and we have an agreement on my driving: When she believes I should no longer drive, she will tell me and I will not argue with her. Drive safely!

Ernest Salomon, Santa Barbara

..

To the editor: Growing up the child of public school teachers, I experienced road trips throughout my youth — gas was cheap and camping spots were plentiful. Obviously, we had no digital distractions and the places we went to were all unique and representative of people who lived different lives than we did in the suburbs. Plus, there were no ubiquitous chain stores that looked the same everywhere we went.

I would add one book to guest contributor Derek Mong’s syllabus on the road trip in America (“The road trip — sublime, profane and [almost] reclaimed,” July 3). That is William Least Heat-Moon’s “Blue Highways,” a rich tale of America in the 1980s and an exploration of the diversity of endemic cultures in our country.

Peggy Perry, Claremont