Hopeless in Houston

I’ve commented before (here and there) on how I am amazed on how clueless I find younger people these days. But those were 20 somethings. Now I have a 30 something who needs reality therapy.

I get a call about a complainant following a vehicle that struck their car. Coming up TX 288. Well I look at the call and none of the exits are off TX 288. I ask the dispatch to call the driver back and get better locations. Well the driver was on US 59, another highway near by.

After the hit and run vehicle is lost, the driver asks for an officer to at a fast food parking lot. Upon arrival I look around and no one is flagging me down (let’s be honest, a cop’s marked vehicle is kinda hard to miss). After almost ten minutes I have dispatch call back again and the driver is saying “I’m still waiting on the officer...” I drive around again and the driver finally gets out of the car I had passed no less than twice.

The interview goes well except for one minor detail. “Where did the accident occur?”.

The driver answered “Off of 59 and I think Westheimer...look I just follow the GPS to tell me where to go....”

I made no comment but I was wondering how clueless are you? I can understand not knowing the exact location (e.g. 4000 S US 59 SB) you’re at when the accident occurred, but is being aware of what highway you were on for almost 10 miles too much to expect? Are people so oblivious to their surroundings and it’s conditions or hazards (see the comments above about the idiots around armed cops) that I wonder if they can actually drive a mile without a Garmin.

This driver was a nurse...I hope they know their job better than they know their surroundings.