We can all make the world a better place, which is why Patti Baumgartner took to the roads with a blow dryer. Yes, you did read that right. Baumgartner, a Montana grandmother, brought a chair, a drink, and a hair dryer to the roadside, and parked herself there, aiming her dryer at passing cars.
This Lady is helping @TrooperPesola slow drivers down on Finley Point. She’s running radar with her #SoloCup #FinleyPoint #SlowDown pic.twitter.com/zicvdRpCyc
— Timmy B (@timmyb48) August 18, 2019
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From a distance, the hair dryer does look a lot like a speed gun. No doubt, many drivers saw Baumgartner and eased up on the gas pedal, potentially saving lives. This is no small thing in Montana, with its third highest vehicular fatality rate of all 50 states, with a tragic 21.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Only Mississippi and Wyoming surpass Montana, based on data from 2015.
Baumgartner’s efforts made it into social media forums and the local news. But law enforcement also recognized her brave bid for road safety. Noah Pesola, a Montana highway patrol trooper, discovered Baumgartner in her chair, armed with her blow dryer, and gave her a campaign hat and a sticker badge that said, “honorary trooper.”
I was able to find Ms. Patti.
She was made an honorary Trooper with a campaign hat and sticker badge for her work to keep her grandkids safe. #SlowDown#KidsCrossing#KeepOurKidsSafe https://t.co/M2EYlDQlku pic.twitter.com/eaAh4s1It2
— Trooper N. Pesola (@TrooperPesola) August 20, 2019
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Why not? Patti Baumgartner put in the time to keep her fellow Montanans safe on the roads. With or without a job title.
More please.
