This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The other day when I was getting off 1-80 at State Street, I got the hell sacred out of me. I was in the inside lane about the eighth vehicle back in a 4x4 truck, and the gal in front of me was in a small Kia. Now this ramp is a downgrade, I would guess 3 to 4 percent.

The light turned green and we started off, but there was a young woman off to the side holding a sign that said "Homeless Single Mom, could you please help, broke and from out of town." I would guess we were doing 15 to 20 mph to make a left turn when this woman in the Kia makes a sudden decision to slam on her brakes with no warning, which made me slam on my brakes.

I came inches from hitting her. There was no emergency, and if the street would have been the least bit icy I would have nailed this woman good, possibly hurting her and the beggar.

This woman isn't a homeless single mom. Not only that, her partner or husband works the other side of the street, and they trade off working both sides of State Street. people have got to stop giving them money! An act of kindness or stupidity, depending on your point of view, is no excuse to get someone hurt or maybe even killed.

Jim and Beth Sloan

West Valley City