Careless driving

Today’s Sound Off is about careless drivers:

DEAR HELOISE » Turn signals come with cars, so why are so many people reluctant to use them? I was out driving today and saw at least four people turn without a turn signal. One didn’t bother to slow down for the turn, another slammed on their brakes just before the turn.

Last week a car turned right in front of me when they saw the street they wanted. We nearly crashed together, and we would have had I not slowed down to 20 miles an hour!

I know driving is an “over-learned” experience, but so many accidents can be avoided if people just pay attention to the road ahead. You don’t have to turn around and talk to the people in the back seat. My brother did that and was in the hospital for two weeks after his auto accident. Let’s all pay attention to the road!

— Ben K., Houston, Texas Ben, I agree with you. So many people get injured or killed by a careless driver. We all need to be careful behind the wheel.

Heloise

Fast facts

Here are some additional uses for an old leather belt:

Moth patrol

DEAR HELOISE » I have several pure wool sweaters and scarves that I love. Some have come from England and Germany. My biggest problem is keeping moths from attacking my sweaters in the warmer weather. Any hints I can use?

— Stacy H., Brown Deer, Wis. Stacy, first, make certain all of your wool items are clean, either washed or dry cleaned. Carefully fold all your wool sweaters and scarves and place in cloth bags. (Old pillowcases work as well, or make some if you can sew.) Place in a cedar chest or some type of storage bin. Take two paper bags and punch tiny holes in them. (An ice pick works well for this task.) Place cedar blocks of wood or mothballs inside the paper bags and lay them in the storage bin. Never let the cedar wood or mothballs touch your wool items because it might stain them.

Sticky stuff

DEAR HELOISE » I have a stainless steel electric can opener. After removing the sticker on the front, there is a residue left on the front of it. Please tell me how to remove the sticky stuff.

— Lucille M., Westlake Village, Calif. Lucille, you might try plain rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth. Wipe in a circular motion to remove the residue. There are also cleaners to remove that sticky substance. You can find them in most craft stores.

Address labels

DEAR HELOISE » Like so many other people, I get address labels and have several stacks at home. I started putting my address labels on the inside of a book cover to make certain I get my books back when I lend them to a friend. I put them on the bottom of large serving dishes too. These things always seem to get lost without the labels.