Driving Miss Daisy

I had a nightmare last night that I was driving on the wrong side of the road trying frantically not to get killed. Fortunately despite the panic of recognizing I was on the left, cars seemed to compensate for my error and pass me courteously with a smile and a wave.

Of course this is actually my everyday reality.

I love driving, and I love driving in the States. The roads are big, the cars are big and air conditioning and cruise control are standard. I also love the digital compass and temperature readings especially since I can set it to celsius.

I am getting American driving down to a fine art. I look natural cruising down the road in the work pickup with my extra large soda in my oversized cup holder. Balancing the extraction of a packet of dill flavoured sunflower seeds with the necessary occasional friendly wave. I probably need a cowboy hat to really make the picture perfect but I cant bring myself to buy one, that right of passage needs to be bestowed not usurped.

There are still the annoyances of a lifetime of driving on the opposite side of the road though. In a hurry I often jump into a vehicle set to drive, only to find there is no steering wheel in front of me. When I am backing I always twist my body the wrong way to see. The worst is when I am in the passenger seat and constantly looking at the rear view mirror expecting to see something.

So far I have managed to avoid a major mishap. I check my position on the road constantly, look for vehicles in front of me for cues on speed and courtesy, and if in doubt move really really slowly. I may drive like a Nana, but at least I am alive.

Friends Corvette outside our place.