The pain of being the oldest son and stopping a parent driving

Why do i feel like a dog?

Having to stop a parent driving is hard

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I have just had to deal with the trauma and unpleasant job of stopping my Dad from driving due to old age. Now it’s one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do but it had to happen as his driving was becoming erratic and darn dangerous to say the very least. Then a month or two back he had an accident smashing into the back of a slowing car.

Well with the accident and the police saying he should not be on the road I had no choice but to broach the subject. At first it was like I was attempting to cut out his liver and then there was the “I am your father and you can’t do this to me” Parents know how to make you feel bad and I felt like a bad Son

It is an unpleasant thing to have to till a 79 year old man you cant drive anymore as he sees it as me trying to curb his independence.

Well with lots of argument and much tears and the help of the police who told him they would lock him up if they caught him on the road we prevailed. We then managed to persuade the old man to sell his ancient 1986 Datsun Stanza, which badly needed to be retired from driving just like Dad.

Well it was with tears in his eyes that he said goodbye to his most treasured possession the old faithful Datsun that had never failed him. I at the same time felt like a dog for doing it to my father.

Well after the tears and trauma and sad farewell it is quite amazing to see how quick the old man has adapted to getting all and sundry to drive him around.

So for all those out there facing the same situation I can only say it is sometimes necessary to be cruel in order to be kind