Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/80542
up front Road Smarts TEST YOUR Now with Less Plastic WILL PACKING YOUR WALLET with credit cards damage your credit rating? Not necessarily, says Scott Sanders of Bridgewater Bank, the AMA sub- sidiary that provides the CAA MasterCard. But it isn't a great idea, either. Every time you apply for a new card, credit-reporting agencies keep a record. And having multiple cards can create the impression that you rely too heavily on credit. However, it's how you manage your plastic that really affects your credit score. Avoid getting too close to your limit — healthy borrowers only use about 40 per cent of the credit available to them. Says Sanders: "Make sure you pay off your full balance each month, on time, on the cards you already have before you apply for more credit. Making late payments or missing them entirely is a quick way to damage your credit rating." —C.M. Q: Where should you stop your vehicle when approaching a stop sign? A: It depends on the intersection. If there's a stop line marked on the pavement, bring your vehicle to a complete halt before the line. Before advancing, give pedestrians and traffi c the right of way. If there is a crosswalk, but no stop line, stop before the crosswalk. If there is a marked line and a crosswalk, stop before the marked line. If there are no markings at all, you must stop within three metres of the intersecting roadway. Remember: Your vehicle must come to a complete stop at a stop sign. CLOSE TO THE VEST: AMA School Safety Patrol is celebrating its 75th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we dug through our archives and unearthed our favourite AMA School Safety Patrol images. But somebody forgot to take mom's advice, because there are no details noted on the backs of the photos. Oops! Are you one of the kids pictured here wear- ing polyester plaid pants and sporting a bowl cut? If so let us know. Email Westworld@ama. ab.ca or visit Facebook.com/ AMASchoolSafetyPatrol to view more photos and share your school patrol stories. (card, stop sign) Getty Images WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 2012 13