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Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC BIGGER
THE DAILY DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road
MAY 2025
The Road Trip of a Lifetime MEMORIES MADE, MILES TRAVELED
As a famous author once said, your destination on any journey is never a place but a new way of seeing things.
That captures my experience on an epic 3,000-mile road trip I took last year. In recognition of Take a Road Trip Day this month, I’ve been remembering my drive to a family reunion in tiny Yaak, Montana, and beyond. I took the opportunity to explore parts of Canada and the Pacific Northwest I had never seen, and traveled back home via Highway 101, one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Here are a few highlights. LITERARY LANDMARK I began my trip with my nephew, Ben, in Bakersfield, went through Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and picked up my parents in Reno en route to Sun Valley, Idaho. In the beautiful little town of Ketchum nearby, I was surprised to find the site of Ernest Hemingway’s grave. I have visited many of Hemingway’s haunts, including Cuba, where he lived for quite some time, and his longtime home in Key West, Florida. But I didn’t know he had died in Idaho. As any Hemingway fan might guess, his gravesite was littered with alcoholic beverage bottles visitors had left there. We drove on through Kalispell, Montana, to the tiny community of Yaak for our reunion. Much of our family history is rooted there. My grandfather once taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Yaak, and my second cousins still have cabins there. We had a great time with our extended family. On one outing, we hiked past waterfalls all the way to the Canadian border. My nieces had fun jumping off the falls into the pools below. A WILDERNESS ADVENTURE On a drive through the forested glacier country around Rexford, Montana, we took a wrong turn somewhere. We spent about two hours following Google Maps, which has some accuracy problems in that area. After more than an hour, the dirt road we were following had become so narrow that brush was rubbing against the sides of the car. That route took us over a mountain pass and to a narrow paved road that eventually got us to our destination. I had to have my brakes replaced after navigating all the bumps and rocks on that backcountry road. Brakes repaired, I headed north to British Columbia, took a ferry to Vancouver Island, then boarded another ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. That is just absolutely gorgeous territory. Driving on and off the ferry and seeing the world that way was a cool experience. One of my favorite stops was Cape Flattery
in Washington — the northwesternmost tip of the contiguous United States. I hiked out to the observation deck where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific, and the view of the ocean and islands was stunning. CHILDHOOD HAUNTS I made my way down Highway 101 to Astoria, Oregon, an ocean port where I spent part of my childhood. It’s the oldest city in the state. Our house was about a mile from the Astoria Column, a 125-foot tower built atop a hill a century ago. As a kid, I used to climb the circular staircase inside the tower and throw paper airplanes from the top. I remember launching one that I never saw land, and imagining where it might have gone. Today, a vendor there sells lightweight wooden airplanes for people to launch from the top. I like to think I set that trend. I drove on south to Depoe Bay, Oregon, the smallest navigable ocean harbor in the world, and also one of the best places for whale watching. Just as I sat down at a table overlooking the harbor at a Mexican restaurant there, I saw a whale spouting offshore! I love driving. I love the beautiful roads of the west and being able to stop and hike or enjoy a meal in a friendly little town. I love the freedom of being able to choose which route to take and to see the beautiful ocean, mountains and trees. I hope all of you have a happy road trip month! –Mark Bigger
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CHORDS OF NEW WONDER THE WORLD’S FIRST COLOR-CHANGING GUITAR
“We’re crazy. That’s the first thing you need to know.”
Through our innovative collaboration with E Ink, we are providing artists a level of creativity that extends well beyond anything available in today’s market.” The Voltage DaVinci’s E Ink displays allow players to switch between seven styles and shades. Depending on a player’s specific needs, the guitar can be programmed to retain a static color or display various animated looks as desired. This option will appeal to performers who welcome the opportunity to alter the color of their guitar based on the mood or presentation of a particular song. Developed in the mid-1990s by scientists and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), electronic ink has become a staple of mobile phones, electronic notebooks, and e-readers. With its colorful arrival in the music world, the possibilities for sonic and visual expression on stages worldwide have never been greater.
When Cream Guitars mastermind Luis Ortiz said those words in an interview with Premier Guitar on the floor of the 2024 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in California, he summed up his company’s awe- inspiring vision for the future of music performance. Through a partnership with the Boston-based electronic ink and ePaper technology company E Ink, Ortiz has developed Cream Guitars’ revolutionary Voltage DaVinci, a guitar that can change color on demand. As Ortiz explained to Premier Guitar, a player who delights churchgoers with their white guitar in the morning no longer has to switch to a black guitar when they hit the stage with their heavy metal band in the evening. “We had the idea to break all the rules of the traditional guitar,” he states in an E Ink press release. “We’ve redesigned every part of an electric guitar to broaden and enhance the playing experience.
The color-changing guitars are expected to be on the market by the end of 2025 and have an estimated price tag of $3,200. Sit Tall, Drive Strong MAKE POSTURE A TOP PRIORITY ON THE ROAD
EXERCISE FOR STRENGTH Other exercises can strengthen your core muscles while you drive. Squeeze your shoulder blades together for 5 seconds, then release, to strengthen your upper back. Also, try tightening your abdominal muscles for 5 seconds, then releasing them. Repeating this exercise 10–15 times can help stabilize the spine. Finally, do you remember making snow angels as a kid? Try “wall angels” during your rest breaks. Stand with your back against a wall. Then, make like an NFL referee and move your arms straight up into a goalpost position, then down, for several repetitions. This simple exercise can help counter the effects of slouching by re-aligning your shoulders and spine. Making a habit of these easy routines can help keep you pain-free and improve your musculoskeletal fitness for the long haul!
No professional truck driver would think of starting a trip with an unbalanced load, risking swerving and rollovers on the road. The same should be true for your posture behind the wheel. The goal of practicing good posture is to align your weight in a balanced way on your spine and throughout your body. Slouching or slumping behind the wheel puts serious strain on your back, muscles, and ligaments, causing herniated discs, sciatica, and other problems. Roughly 43% of truck drivers suffer from back pain, according to a 2018 study of 123 drivers in Applied Ergonomics. Left untended, poor posture can cause pain serious enough to force a driver into early retirement.
back and the seat, reinforcing and supporting the natural curve of your spine. This reduces the pressure on the intervertebral discs. It also improves circulation to the lower legs, preventing tingling and numbness. Seats that are adjustable or made of memory foam can provide this type of support. STRETCH FOR FLEXIBILITY Building brief exercises into your rest breaks can help relax muscles. Neck rotations and tilts involve tipping the head from side to side and rotating the head in a circular motion. Counteract slouching shoulders by clasping your hands behind your back, lifting your arms slightly, and pushing your chest out; this will open your chest muscles and flex your upper back. You can even exercise while seated in your cab waiting to unload: Place your right hand on your left knee and twist your torso gently to the side, then repeat on the opposite side.
Here are three tips for straightening up behind the wheel.
LOWER BACK SUPPORT A lumbar support cushion or seat back should fill the gap between your lower
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Your Referrals Make a Difference! Thanks to your 113 referrals in April, we were able to donate $1,760 to help fight human trafficking and lead medical missions. INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION To learn more about International Justice Mission and their mission to protect half a billion vulnerable people from exploitation, please go to IJM.org . MEDICAL MISSIONS OUTREACH To learn more about showing God’s love by providing quality medical treatment to some of the poorest people in the world, visit the Medical Missions Outreach home page at Medical-Outreach.com .
Big Rigs, Big Fines TRUCKS ARE PRIME TARGETS FOR SPEEDING TICKETS
Professional drivers ticketed for speeding may wonder: Why do I get pulled over for going 65 when the Honda doing 80 in the next lane is allowed to fly right on by, free as a bird?
The answer lies in both the workings of police radar and the sheer size, weight, and limited maneuverability of commercial trucks.
Police radar zeroes in on vehicles based on a combination of their speed and the size of the vehicle. Radar works by emitting radio signals and measuring the time it takes for the signals to bounce back after hitting an object. Larger vehicles’ larger surface area tends to reflect those signals more strongly. Police radar can detect both the vehicle moving fastest in a group and also the vehicle with the strongest reflected signal. Also, the risks to other drivers and vehicles posed by a speeding truck are greater than the risks caused by a speeding car. Big trucks take far longer to stop, for one thing. A tractor-trailer traveling at the California speed limit of 55 mph in ideal conditions takes 196 feet to brake to a complete stop, compared to 133 feet for a passenger vehicle, federal data show. The size and weight of large vehicles make them harder to maneuver and more likely than cars to roll over, especially at high speeds. They also are at higher risk of brake failure if required to stop quickly. Even a minor collision with a big truck can cause serious damage to other vehicles and their drivers, especially if the truck is speeding. That is one reason that 7.3% of fatal trucking accidents in one recent year were caused by trucks that were speeding at the time of the crash. Finally, increased enforcement is also a factor. California Highway Patrol officers have been told that enforcing speed laws against commercial trucks is more important than it is for smaller vehicles because of the great risks trucks pose. Protect yourself against the points on your license, hefty fines, and higher insurance premiums that a speeding ticket can cause! Our experienced traffic ticket attorneys can mount the strongest possible defense to protect your license and your livelihood. Call us at (661) 859-1177 for a free consultation today!
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” JOHN 4:18
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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1701 Westwind Drive Suite 203 Bakersfield, CA 93301
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Memories of an Epic Western Road Trip........ PAGE 1
Meet the Voltage DaVinci.................................. PAGE 2
Tips for Easing Aches and Pains Behind the Wheel................................................. PAGE 2
Why Big Trucks Get Pulled Over While Cars Speed Away................................................. PAGE 3
Mindset Coaching: A New Path to Savoring Life......................................................... PAGE 4
Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!
In a fast-changing world, it’s easy to get bogged down in self-doubt and negativity. Mindset coaching, a new route to self-improvement, applies psychological tools to instill a more upbeat, hopeful attitude toward life. Mindset coaching helps people break away from habitual negative thinking and behaviors that prevent them from seeing and reaching their potential. It is a relatively new field that evolved from two influential bodies of research — cognitive psychology, which helps individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns, and the work of psychologist Carol Dweck on “growth mindset,” a perspective that teaches people they can change and develop through effort and learning. It’s important to understand that mindset coaches are not therapists, nor are they licensed or regulated. Interested individuals should seek a qualified coach trained and certified by a reputable coaching organization. The training equips mindset coaches with tools to help clients cultivate resilience and positivity, including mindfulness, journaling, visualizing achievements, and cognitive restructuring or replacing negative thought patterns with more realistic, balanced views. Mindset coaches also help clients uproot limiting beliefs about themselves and reduce their fear of being evaluated negatively by others. For example, mindset coaching might help a software engineer struggling with self- doubt and fear of failure to reframe their thinking and view criticism as constructive feedback to help improve their skills. Also, a manager striving for a promotion might learn to value their skills and cultivate a belief in their ability to expand and acquire new competencies. Ultimately, clients are taught to reframe life as a journey of self- discovery and learning — a mindset so empowering that it can change lives!
Embrace Your Capacity for Growth ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
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