Fantasy Bridge Remains a Fantasy

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Go Aheadry Show weekday afternoons from five till seven.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I wanted to tell you too, by the friend of mine,
her name was Biddy, too, moved from the bay right
here on the baby and she moved over to Daphne, Yes,
and told me how wonderful it was to drive that
drive to Daphne, said you just leave your troubles behind

(00:32):
and mobile and by the time she got home she
was a new person every day.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
This is the Uncle Henry Show here on news Radio
seventy ten WNTM. Thank you, I appreciate very much you're
listening to the Uncle Henry Show once again. Here we

(01:50):
are together, me and you trying to figure out what
is going on, what is going on? What is going
on in the world around us? Well, if you can
tell me, telephone lines are open two five one four
seven nine two seven two three. That's two five one
four seven nine two seven two three. Email address Uncle

(02:10):
Henry at iHeartMedia dot com. That's Uncle Henry at iHeartMedia
dot com to send an old fashioned electronic mail message
to the Uncle Henry Show. And yes here we are now.
Plenty of things of course to talk about. There always is,
especially during these times in which we live. There's one
thing I do want to mention here at the beginning
of the program, and that is the unfortunately familiar subject

(02:35):
of the Fantasy Bridge, the bridge that I've called it
the fantasy Bridge for numerous years because the bridge, this
this new bridge that people have have dreamed about, have
hoped about, have prayed about, have fantasized about. This bridge.
It's been thought about for years, fantasized about for years,

(02:58):
dreamed about, prayed about for years, and I've often wondered
would it ever? Will it ever really get built? Will
it ever really get built? In fact, I remember I
was asked to speak to a civic group back years ago,
back when people actually invited me to do stuff like that.
I remember talking to some group that met at the

(03:19):
Atholeston Club, probably about fifteen years ago, and at the
end of my brief but excellent talk, I took questions
from the audience, and one of these wealthy guys at
the Athleston Club asked me what I thought would be
the top topics talked about twenty years in the future

(03:40):
in Mobile and I told them I thought one of
the top topics would be, are we ever going to
build the bridge? And everybody just laughed. There was hearty
laughter those fifteen years ago, lots of hearty laughter. But
here we are, and today there's a story in line
yam Lanyapmobile dot Com on their website. They've got it

(04:05):
as they've got it as breaking news, and the news
is that the people building the bridge have have said
that it'll be It'll be next year. They thought it
was going to be this year that they both they
broke ground on it. They were telling us, hey, it'll
be this year. It's gonna be twenty twenty five. Everybody

(04:26):
get excited. Twenty twenty five, we're gonna bake ground on
that bridge. It will no longer be the fantasy bridge.
You know, I got. I started, I started believing it
was gonna happen. In fact, I've told you the story.
I was doing one of these ninety five KSG concerts
down at the wharf in Orange Beach and some woman
came up, and middle aged woman. She said she had

(04:48):
just moved to Mobile because she was hired as some
kind of federal contractor to get this bridge going. I thought, wow,
people are moving here to build it. Well, now, these
spokesperson for al DOTS says it's gonna be next year.
Ground break ain't gonna be this year? What does lan
Yab say? Story written by Kyle Hamrick. Lan Yeb says

(05:13):
the ALDOTS spokesperson told Landyab this morning that even though
they've got a contractor moving these these projects forward, the
agency still searching for additional funding, is not yet finalized
a budget. Because of that, they hope they hope to
break ground on the project in twenty twenty six. So

(05:36):
they're not now. They're not saying, yeah, we're gonna do
it in twenty twenty. Now it's the hope to break
ground on the project in twenty twenty six. Now does that?
What do you think you think it's really going to happen.
I know there are some people I have met them,

(05:58):
they've moved here for this. If they it'll happen in
twenty twenty six, Should I get my hopes up for this?
In twenty twenty six? They don't even have a budget yet,
still looking for more money. Do you think the cost
of building a bridge will go down next year?

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Now?

Speaker 1 (06:17):
I've got some audio that I've saved in the audio archives.
This is from twenty sixteen. I had a congressman on
the show telling me that they were gonna get they
were gonna break ground in twenty seventeen. It was this interview.

(06:40):
I had this interview with this congressman in twenty sixteen,
in August of twenty sixteen, and the congressman was on
this show telling me publicly in front of the listeners,
the ears of the listeners, that it was the ground
would be broken the next year, twenty seventeen. Here is
a brief clip of this.

Speaker 4 (06:59):
I think we're going to start building on it sometime
probably late next year. But remember it's a four to
six year bill.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Late next year. Yeah, that soon, yes, sir, No, sir no,
Actually it did. Believe it or not, it did not happen,
even though it was a federal official and elected federal official,
congressman telling me it would be twenty seventeen. No, didn't happen.

Speaker 4 (07:25):
Well, why don't you and I will make a date.
We'll drive across it together. But remember I said a
four to six year build.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
Right, four to six years build, so six years. Help
me do the math. Twenty seventeen, six year build that
would have been approximately twenty twenty three, right, that we
would have driven together, right.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
So even if we start next year, I've still got
to live that. You know, even we start next year,
you're talking about twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, twenty
twenty three, maybe twenty twenty four before it's completely.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Maybe twenty twenty four. Well by be done by now.
I had a congressman sitting here and tell me it'll
be it would be done by last year. Well here
we are now. A spokesperson for ALDT says they hope
that they hope to break ground next year. They're hoping.

(08:17):
So now I guess now it becomes the fantasy bridge again.
For me. It's a fantasy. And now once again I
have to wonder, if it is built, will I live,
Will I live to see it happen? And if I do,

(08:40):
will I be able to physically drive across it? Or
will it simply be somebody driving my remains across it.

(09:10):
Uncle Henrich's show here on news Radio seven ten WN ten.
It's five twenty news headlines coming up in ten minutes.
Telephone numbers two five, one four seven nine two seven
two three. By the way you can, you're of course

(09:31):
listening on the radio, probably on the iHeartRadio app or
some people near our transmitter on Telegraph Road. Here the
show on their dental work. You can also watch on
YouTube live on YouTube right now the first hour of
the Unclaimber Show live on YouTube. Just look for the

(09:53):
Uncle Amory Show on YouTube. Let me go to the phones.
I've got callers waiting. Hello.

Speaker 5 (09:59):
Call good evening, Uncle Henry.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
Bert Bert. You are live on the radio.

Speaker 5 (10:06):
There is a very sad case happening right now in Texas.
Man was about to be executed for what's called shaken
baby syndrome. That's what they said. His daughter died from
two year old daughter. Yes, I've just recently read posts
saying that there are vaccines whose side effects are exactly

(10:27):
the same as what's called shaking baby syndrome. So it's
entirely possible that this child was killed not by her father,
but by her pediatrician. This happens every day, Uncle Henry.
When I was a kid, I got one shot when
I went to a doctor visit. Now they get ten
at a time, and they wonder why these kids die.

(10:48):
And it's euphemistically called sudden infant death syndrome, a crib death. No,
it's vaccine death, Uncle Henry. And the Big Farm is
not admitting it, and doctors have not admitting it because
they're getting bonuses to give these vaccines. But it's happening
every single day, and this kid could very well have
been the victim of a vaccine loaded with mercury and

(11:10):
aluminum that overwhelmed her system, and they're blaming it on
the father.

Speaker 1 (11:16):
Well, Edie, I don't know anything at all about this case,
but I'm guessing it's probably too late for the dad, right,
I mean, I don't know how you would prove that,
would you? Is there any way on earth you could
ever prove that.

Speaker 5 (11:31):
Not without getting in Big Farmer's crosshairs, Uncle Henry, you'd
be a target. People have been whacked for admitting that
vaccines kill babies. This would open up a huge can
of worms if this man were exonerated when it was
proven that his kid was killed by the pediatrician and

(11:52):
a routine procedure and not by a fit of anger
on his part. He has denied right up till the
moment he was to be executed, that he did anything
to that child. And I think they're blaming a vaccine
death on the father because the symptoms are exactly the same.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
Well, this if we're ever if there's anything to all this.
I guess now is the point in history where we
might find out if there is anything to it, because
otherwise there is there is no There are no politicians
other than the ones you got right now that would
even look at that.

Speaker 5 (12:29):
The only candidate for president in twenty sixteen that was
bringing up the issue was Senator Rand Paul. He was
my second choice for president that year. He was the
only one that was that was doing anything that would
that would go up against the pharmaceutical industry, which bankrolls
the campaigns of candidates on both sides of the aisle.

(12:52):
And if he runs for president again, he's going to
have my vote.

Speaker 1 (12:56):
All right, Well, anything else, Bert, are you still waiting
until November for your next gig?

Speaker 5 (13:04):
As far as I know, November the seventh that the
Blues telling all.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
Right, Well keep reminding me.

Speaker 5 (13:10):
All right, Thanks so, Henry, Thanks for taking a call.

Speaker 1 (13:13):
Thank you Bert for listening and for calling. Two five
to one four seven nine two seven two three is
a telephone number here on the Uncle Henry Show. And
I don't know if there's of course, lots and lots
being said about vaccines over the last several years. It
would be nice in the next few years if they

(13:35):
just put everything through as many safety protocols as possible,
just to uh for people that are nervous about it.
Just go through some safety protocols and make sure that
everything is as safe as humanly possible. I know there's
a lot of blowback on it these days, but if
we're ever going to have that happen, it'll be in
the next few years. Two five to one four seven

(13:58):
nine two seven two three the telephone number here, and
they claim to show hello Coller.

Speaker 6 (14:03):
Cockah Hendry. Yes, sir, is it a roll and thanks
for taking my call? Yes, sir, I heard you say
earlier about how crazy it has gotten. It's supposed to be.
According to the word, it's supposed to be one of
the worst times since ever been a world. This time

(14:25):
that we're living in. We don't We should not expect
anything different. It should be just all just whacked out
people are doing all but don't worry. Hang on, God
promise he'll never leave us in off forsakens. So buckle
up your seat belt and hold on. Going for the
ride on the bridge. Yes, sir, it's already been built.

(14:52):
What those polons that you see out there will bridge
our bridge, polons and po those things. That's part of
the bridge. I think that to have a bridge.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah, I think that's testing. I think that is testings.

Speaker 6 (15:09):
Oh no, I passed by them every day. I passed
by them every day. It's being built.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
Okay, well they they have not broke ground for it,
according to the state, and they don't have a budget
for it yet. Well, so whatever they're doing, I was
told that was testing.

Speaker 6 (15:28):
No. If you get out of your vehicle and walk
to the edge of the water, you can see those
big huge concrete poland to keep those barges and things
from like hitting the bridge. Cales are being put in place,
given down around the port. If you go around the port,

(15:51):
see those tall pilons and things that are being put in.
All those are not tests. Those are the real uh
or poles and things that are being put there a
concrete Okay, they're being put in. Oh yes, it's being built.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
All right, alrighty well, I trust you. I trust you
rolling more than al dot. So I'm going I'm going
with you.

Speaker 6 (16:16):
I pass them when I pass them every day, Yes, sir,
all right, thank you, sir.

Speaker 1 (16:22):
Thank you. Good to hear from you today two five, one, four,
seven nine, two seventy two three the telephone number. Look,
I had a congressman sitting here back in twenty sixteen
and tell me he was gonna drive me across that
bridge and it would be it would be finished and
ready to go by twenty twenty four, and now here

(16:43):
we are. Ol DOT is saying they don't know if
they're gonna get the groundbreaking next year or not. They're
they're probably they're hoping next year will be groundbreaking. So
I'm just gonna try rolling. I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm
not gonna worry about it. I'm not going to expect it.
I'm just going to make arrangements with my loved ones

(17:07):
and put it into my will that I don't know
if I want my remains driven across it, or maybe
just a memento of some memento from my life that
they may and I drive. Maybe maybe my hair piece.

(17:28):
Maybe I will instead of being buried with my hair piece,
maybe I will specify in my last will and testament
that my hairpiece be driven across the new bridge and
then you can take the hairpiece to my grape site.

(18:14):
This says the Uncle Henry show here on news Radio
seventy ten WNTM SPY I thirty five. You can also
hear me on FM radio. I'm on ninety five KSJ
Monday through Friday between ten and two playing today's hottest
country music. Tomorrow, I'll have your chance to win tickets

(18:36):
to see Hardy. Hardy is going to be in concert
at the Wharf in Orange Beach Saturday, May twenty third.
Tickets going sale tomorrow. I'll have your chance to win
tickets right after one pm on ninety five KSJ tomorrow.
It will be right around one fifteen, So if you're

(18:56):
interested you want to win those tickets, be listening at
one fifteen tomorrow to ninety five ks J. That's when
you have a chance to win tickets to see Hardy.
Telephone number here is two five one four seven nine
two seven two three. That's two five one four seven
nine two seven two three. Email address Uncle Henry at

(19:17):
iHeartMedia dot com. That's Uncle Henry at iHeartMedia dot com.
Got some voicemails to get into here as well as
taking your live phone calls. Now, it's been a while
since we've heard from longtime caller Norman Hey Oh, this
is a different Norman. This is not the longtime caller Norman.

(19:39):
There's a different Norman. Storm and Norman Storm and Norman.
All right, Storm and Norman, what is on his mind
in this voicemail message?

Speaker 3 (19:49):
Want to call in about the dag dumb issues on
Hillquest Road after they just paved it.

Speaker 1 (19:57):
All right, so this is the newly paid Now. I
haven't gone out out there and looked at the paving
of Hillcrest, but I in Mobile City Council meetings I've
heard this discussed briefly by Mobile City councilman johnsh Woods.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
This is primarily between Pottage Hill and Gurby Road, actually
dollar the way down to Nevius. You know, the Ben
Reynolds was bragging about how much money he got and
how much money he spent on paving, and how many
miles he did. All that is wonderful. Hillcrest really didn't

(20:38):
need it. But the thing that really irks me is
they always leave the manholes low. You can't drive down
Hillcrest Road in any lane now without hitting the manhole
that's too low. I don't understand it, I really don't.

(21:00):
And it's still the same way on Cottage Hill Road.
Between Soli Road and Hillcrest. You've got to dodge the
man holes, otherwise you're gonna beat the fillings out of
your teeth. I don't understand it, Paul, three to one one.

(21:21):
We've had many reports about it, many reports. Come on,
let's get something going on this. Huh, it's ridiculous. I
guarantee of the contract has been paid. Have a good day, all.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Right, storman Oman. Thank you for that report. Normally, you
you get reports about streets that have been in disrepair
for years, like the streets I walk on every day
with my dog in Midtown, streets that have not been
fixed since I don't know, thirty years ago, forty years ago.
You don't. I don't get as many reports out from

(21:57):
that area. But here we are with man holes too low.
All right, well this is new to me. I'm i'm
I'm I'm gonna be out that way later this evening,
Storm of Norman. So I think I'm gonna take a

(22:17):
look and see what you're talking about. So thank you
for alerting me. The voicemail number if you'd like to
leave a message two five one two one six nineteen
seventy six. That's two five one two one six, nineteen
seventy six to leave a message for the Uncle Henry
Show voicemail. Now, let's say I've got another message that
was phoned in. This one is from longtime caller Buford and.

Speaker 7 (22:47):
Hen House and Wilmer. Well today in a gas station
behind me, some livers and gizzards. Hen I'll tell you
what gas station dining is. Some of the most underrated
dining there is. I have had some of the best food,
especially of the pride of variety, out of gas station.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
Yeah, and pausing there just to say yes, I agree.
I've also had some outstanding gas station food. It's especially
good in rural areas where there aren't as many opportunities
for people to buy junk food, and the gas stations
fill in the gap. And there's I can't remember exactly

(23:29):
where it is, but there is a gas station somewhere
between Creola and Macintosh. I think I think it's between
Creole and Macintosh. There's a gas station somewhere on in
those parts. That is just it. You see people lined

(23:50):
up trying to get in there and buy their their food.
They just do such a great job. But back to
the message anyway.

Speaker 7 (23:57):
Here, I don't call about gas station food, Henry. When
I was in line waiting to pay all my livers
and users, one of the more prominent citizenry of Wilmer
got behind me in line. We got talking, and yes, Henry,
Wilmer does have a few prominent citizens.

Speaker 1 (24:14):
Good.

Speaker 7 (24:15):
I don't appreciate people thinking they didn't have prominent citizens.
But here, this fella lives in a regular house on
a slab. His domicile did not come with will's attached.
So you know, you can take what he says to
the bank. But hen we got to talk.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
By the way, I've spent when I was a young man,
I did spend plenty of time out in the Sims Fairview,
Wilmer area, and I knew a guy once I was
taken and I'm sorry to interrupt the voicemail like this.
I promised this that this won't take long, But I
talking about prominent citizens of Wilmer. There was a guy

(24:52):
in Wilmer that took me for a ride in I
think it was a Dotson car back when there were Johnson's,
and the steering wheel was broken and I was alarmed.
He was steering the car with pliers. That's but that's look,

(25:16):
that's Wilmer, you make do you do what you gotta do?
And yes, I was driven by somebody that steered the
vehicle with pliers.

Speaker 7 (25:24):
And about how the closed off Big Creek Lake to
the rest of the citizen ry, and they said where wore?
Citizens told me that the real reason is it people
were bading in Big Creek Lake.

Speaker 1 (25:38):
People were what people were bathing in Big Creek Lake.
That's why they closed the lake.

Speaker 7 (25:44):
You can take what he says to the bank. But
hen we got talking about how the closed off Big
Creek Lake to the rest of the citizen ry, and
they said, a wheal wore citizens told me that the
real reason is is it people were bading in Big
Creek Lake? Said it was some sort of tradition started

(26:04):
after Hurricane Frederick. But Henry, you know, you know as
the nineteen eighties soap commercial said that everyone is glad
that you use Dial soap. Let me tell you this,
Malls does not like you using dial soap. Dial soap

(26:27):
seemed to be the preferred soap in the Big Creek
Lake Wilmer bathing and uh, the soap scrum that it
produced was such to wear. It rehabited with the sterilization
equipment in the water treatment facilities at malls. And let
me tell you this, Henry, it got in the way

(26:48):
of them putting the floor right into a water or
per the wishes of or leg of people over lord,
and so Henry and people would not be bathing in
Big Creek Lake. They would, but they would not have
shut Deep Creek down. Henry, have you ever bathed Big
Creek Lake? I ain't saying nothing, just asking, and Henry,

(27:09):
out of respect you and your new wife. I will
not imagine you bathing and Big Creek Lake, but if
I do, you will be fully clothed in nineteen twenty
styles swimming costumes. Okay, anyway, Henry, just passing it along.
And uh, if you aren't Dad them good Fried pork shop,
try to sell station It Range Line and Hammerson. Anyway,

(27:31):
you have a good day here.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
For thank you for your voicemail. There's more show coming
up after the break. It is five fifty uncle, Henry.

(28:04):
Show news headlines coming your way in ten minutes. Telephone
number here two five one four seven nine two seven
two three. That's two five one four seven nine two
seven two three. Hello caller.

Speaker 8 (28:19):
I'm Henry LD.

Speaker 1 (28:20):
The mad truck retired mad trucker.

Speaker 8 (28:24):
Look, there's been a change of plans. Uh, I've given
this a lot of thought. I'm not gonna take Auburn
at all. I'm going seventeen fifty for Alabama minus three
and a half.

Speaker 6 (28:34):
What do you think?

Speaker 1 (28:35):
Seventeen fifty Alabama minus three and a half?

Speaker 6 (28:40):
Yep, gotta give away three and a half points. But
that's my call. I just want to let you know.
I want to make to make the statement out before.

Speaker 8 (28:47):
So if y'all you know, I call later, either I
won or lost.

Speaker 6 (28:51):
Y'all, so he's not telling the truth.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
Real quick before you tell me why you call it? Wait? Wait, wait, wait, No,
I want to make sure I have the number right.
It's uh, seventeen hundred or seventeen fifty Alabama.

Speaker 8 (29:04):
Teen hundred and fifty dollars minus three and a.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
Half, minus three and a half. All right, got it? Now?
You called about what?

Speaker 6 (29:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (29:13):
Does your mother go through a lot of soup.

Speaker 1 (29:15):
A lot of soap?

Speaker 6 (29:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (29:17):
Well, you know I don't live with her, so I
don't really know.

Speaker 8 (29:22):
I was listening to Buford and he was talking about,
you know, they don't want the dial soap in Big
Creek late, but I was thinking, you know, as big
as your mother is, she probably goes to at least
one bar a day when you sick.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
Fricks, he's not that big, She's of normal size. Who's
paying you? Who's paying you?

Speaker 8 (29:39):
All day?

Speaker 1 (29:40):
This has got to be Look, he just retired. He's
he's feeling the pinch already because the money doesn't go
as far as it used to. He's just retired. Who's
paying you? Somebody's paying you. Don't want to know who?
All right, listener, I apologize for speaking harshly into the microphone.
I want you, the listener, to know that my angry

(30:03):
demand was not shouted at you. No, it was not me,
And I know it upsets you to hear this. You
want this show? I don't know what you want. Actually,
you probably who knows, you might not even be conscious
at this point. You might have drifted off. But if
you are still a conscious listening to this, it wasn't
meant at you. It was meant at that one caller LD,

(30:26):
who's obviously he's gambling away his money. And I guess
maybe he's maybe he's getting his gambling money by at
touching my family. But I'm not gonna yell about this.
I just want to know who's paying yell, d who's
paying you? All Right, I got a voicemail. I haven't.

(30:48):
I've got to get to this before it gets overly stale.
This was phoned in by sixty eight year old christ
of West Locksley. I think it was uh Wednesday, talking
about a little college football.

Speaker 9 (31:02):
Well, have a beautiful day here from the front porch
in west Locksley, Alabama, USA, eagerly anticipating in approximately two
hours the kicking off of the Uncle Henry program.

Speaker 1 (31:16):
Thank you, by the way.

Speaker 9 (31:17):
Speaking of kicking off, I heard on the radio a
little earlier day begins the first of forty nine consecutive
days of some type of football game on the television,
whether it be college, high school, professional, whatever. So that
means there's some college games on tonight.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
All right, I'm pausing there, just saying so a day
or two ago, forty nine consecutive days with some kind
of football on television. So that just shows that the
people that run ready, that run TV networks or TV stations,
they're not completely dumb. They're not as now a lot

(32:00):
of times we think, what are they on? Do they
hate our country? What's the matter? With them, these people
that run these TV stations, what's the matter with them?
But at least we know they're smart enough to put
the football on every night, because you'll get people to watch.
If you put the football on, people will watch. I'm
surprised there's not even more football. In fact, I'm surprised

(32:23):
that they haven't really perfected year round football of some kind.
And I'm sure that will eventually happen. But anyway, back
to the message, So that.

Speaker 9 (32:32):
Means there's some college games on tonight.

Speaker 3 (32:35):
How about that?

Speaker 9 (32:36):
Forty nine straight days and it'll be gone in the
flesh right. Hey, Uncle, by the way, too, kudos and
thanks to games we're doing the pod of the Lady
telling the story about being held hostage by the Rechster.

Speaker 1 (32:55):
Oh now sixty eight year old Chris talking about a
podcast I put up earlier this week, Uncle Henry show podcast.

Speaker 9 (33:03):
Hood of the Lady telling the Story about being held
hostage by the Rooster. I believe I've probably heard that,
if not almost, but I think I've heard that every
time you played that, and it just gets better each
than every time. I still laugh my rear end off, brother.

(33:24):
That's the good. Thanks and road.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Road Ted roll sixty eight year old Chris of Westlock
say thank you for the voicemail and thank you for
enjoying that. Yeah, that was a a phone call I
got on the Uncle Henry Show back in twenty fifteen,
and it's like a ten minute phone call about a rooster. Now,
most radio professionals would be fired for talking to a

(33:51):
caller for ten minutes, but she told a great story
about a rooster. You can find that podcast on the
iHeartRadio app. Look for the Uncle Henry Show podcast on
the iHeartRadio app. Back with more after the news break.

(34:26):
This is the Uncle Henry Show here on news radio
seventy WNTM. I am the host of the show Uncle Henry.
I didn't want you to get confused and think I
was somebody else hosting on behalf of Uncle Henry. No,
I am Uncle Henry. This is the Uncle Henry Show. Now,
in this half hour show, we've got Greek Fest coming

(34:49):
up in Mobile a week from today, and we're gonna
find out all about Greek Fest that is coming up
in the next segment of the show. Yes, we'll have
some good stuff coming up in the next segment of
the show. When we talk about Greek fest. But right now,
as you and I are here together, right now, in
this moment, there are a few news items that I

(35:12):
would like to learn about. I'd miss these things and
I want to learn about them, and maybe you can
learn about them with me as we both hear these
things for the first time together. Now, I understand that
al DOT has come out with some kind of report
Alabama Department of Transportation, a report on our driving habits
or something like that. The report is last year, the

(35:34):
twenty twenty four driving stats for the state of Alabama. Now,
I'm very interested in driving in the state of Alabama
because I've noticed that less and less people as each
day goes by, really, as each hour goes by, the
people around me seem to drive worser and worser. Have
you noticed this? People are just getting worser and worser

(35:55):
at this driving stuff. Now, let's listen. We've got this
report from WISC up in Birmingham. They're a stepsister station
of Fox ten. They got the report from al DON
and they're going to go over it for us. Now.
The reporter here is named Lauren Harkson. So let's listen
together and learn together.

Speaker 10 (36:17):
Crashes injury fatalities on Alabama roads all decreasing in twenty
twenty four, of course.

Speaker 1 (36:22):
Oh, decreasing crashes and stuff for decreasing.

Speaker 10 (36:26):
How about thattings to the Alabama Department of Transportation's latest
crash report just came out this week.

Speaker 11 (36:31):
That's right, and your reporter Lauren Harkson on your side
tonight looking deep.

Speaker 1 (36:35):
You know, Thank the Lord, somebody's on our side. I
didn't know it was her, but I'm glad somebody's on
our side.

Speaker 11 (36:41):
We're into that report, Lauren. What does it say is
behind the decline?

Speaker 12 (36:46):
Britney Steve, that's certainly the big question here. I spoke
with Drive Safe Alabama coordinator Amanda Deem, who says there
are three main factors, public education and awareness, law enforcement
on the road, and new car safety features. Even with
those improvements, though, hundreds of people are still dying from
crashes on Alabama roads. In twenty twenty four, there were

(37:07):
just over one hundred and forty thousand crashes.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
Two over one hundred forty thousand.

Speaker 12 (37:12):
Crashes or sent decrease, So that.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
Is a decrease from twenty twenty three one hundred forty
thousand crashes in Alabama. A decrease from twenty twenty three.

Speaker 12 (37:23):
Twenty twenty three, those crashes causing more than thirty six
thousand injuries and nearly one thousand fatalities now one hundred
and twenty.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
Now what now? She said one thousand fatalities in a
year roads? That just that sounds Could that number be right?
That sounds like a lot, doesn't it. I'm gonna have
to start doing some Googling or what if I'm not
going to Google? What would I be doing? Duck duck going?

(37:54):
What doesn't that sound silly? To search for things online?
And they create an interface that he has a silly
name like Google or Doug duck go.

Speaker 12 (38:03):
One thousand fatalities now one hundred and twenty of those
deaths involved pedestrians, nine involved a train, eight involved a bicycle.
And you always hear experts talk about seat belts. The
report shows almost ninety eight percent of people involved in
crashes but were not harmed were wearing their seat belt.

Speaker 1 (38:24):
And they're about to They're going to get a quote
from a lady here on seat belts. I'm a big
fan of seat belts, and I do know I've known
a couple of people in my life that lost their
lives in traffic accidents thrown from vehicles, and law enforcement
told us that they would be alive if they had

(38:45):
worn the seat belt. So I'm a big fan of
the seat belt.

Speaker 13 (38:48):
We know that buckling your seat belt saves lives, and
sixty percent of people who were killed in car accidents
in twenty twenty four weren't wearing seatbelts, and it's just
an easy thing to do, and it's proven. And we
know that by buckling up or putting your phone away,
the roads can be safer for everyone.

Speaker 12 (39:08):
Now, this report really dives deep into these crashes, like
the type of roadway they happened on, and how many
involved drugs and alcohol. So I'll have more coming up
at ten o'clock, right.

Speaker 1 (39:17):
All right, Well, I don't know, and I think I've
got her follow up report. Let's listen together. Here, I
think is the follow up report from this Lenny, she's
just telling us that drugs are involved or something like that.

Speaker 11 (39:32):
Ring our nine o'clock hour, we shared with you that crashes,
injuries and fatalities on Alabama roads we're all down in
twenty twenty four and encouraging statistic, but there's.

Speaker 10 (39:42):
Still a big problem. Your reporter, Lauren Harks and on
your site tonight with the dangers of impaired driving, Lauren.

Speaker 12 (39:47):
Yeah, Brittany Steve. While we are seeing some improvements out
on the roads, there are still challenge it. Strive Safe
Alabama coordinator Amanda Deem says people are still driving under
the influence. Now, the late report shows there were one
hundred and eighty seven people who died in about forty
six hundred crashes was suspected alcohol or drug impairment. Now,

(40:09):
most of those drivers were between the ages of twenty
and thirty four. As you can imagine, most of those.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
Between the ages, most between twenty and thirty four. Now again,
the young, you young people. Well, I don't know if
anybody under the age of sixty is hearing this, but
if you are, tighten up, it's time. Yeah, it's time
for you. You young people need to do a lot
better job behind the wheel.

Speaker 13 (40:34):
Thirty four.

Speaker 12 (40:35):
As you can imagine, most of those crashes happening between
eleven pm and three am.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
All right, these crashes are coming between eleven pm and
three am. Again, there is no unless unless you're on
the job in some way, there's no good reason for
you to be out and about around midnight. There's just
no good reason. Unless you're on a job of some
kind or doing a good deed, you don't need to
be out there on the road with all these impaired freaks.

Speaker 12 (41:04):
Distracted driving, though, is also an issue. At least sixty
five of those who died were associated with it. Deem says.
Distractions could be anything from texting, eating, or having your
eyes off of the road.

Speaker 13 (41:18):
You'd like to remind everyone that every number in this
report represents a person, and while the fatalities went down
last year, nearly one thousand lives for still loss. So
driving safe is something that we can all do and
that will protect us all, and we can make smarter
choices behind the wheel and it will save many more lives.

Speaker 12 (41:39):
Deem tells me. While numbers are not yet official, the
first half of this year compared to the first half
of last year, so yet another decrease in crashes. You
won't know anything official until next year, though.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
All right, Well, I'm glad there's a decrease in the crashes,
but there's still plenty of people, not me or you,
but other people, mainly people not listening to this, that
are driving terribly and they need to improve their driving.

Speaker 8 (42:06):
Now.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
When I talk about in distracted driving, I found the
most distracted that I've been driving was driving with a
two year old in a car seat, two year old grandchild.
I'm driving down the road and all of a sudden,
objects start getting thrown at me as I'm driving. It's

(42:30):
kind of distracting when you're driving down the road and
there's a coloring book that suddenly just lands on top
of your head and then falls onto the steering wheel.
That is very distracting. All right, coming up, let's learn
about Greek Fest. I love Greek Fest. Greek Fest is
coming up a week from today in Mobile and Midtown Mobile,

(42:53):
we're going to talk to a lady about Greek Fest
that is coming up next as the Uncle Henry Show
continues here on News Radio seventy ten w NT and
let us now please take the break.