A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose!

Things are as they are, not as they should be!

Driving??… Me??… Crazy!!

Everybody loves to Drive… may be a car or a scooty or may be somebody up the wall.
Well, in my case the last option may be is true but certainly not the first two.
There are reasons for that!! No, not for the first one but the latter one!! 😀

I mean, driving a vehicle and me are like n’er the twain shall meet!

Well, being the first child, you get a very protective environment. And on top of that, if you are shy, studious kinds and a bit introvert, driving never features in your list of things to learn. Or may be I knew my potential and capabilities (P&C) even when I was a kid!!

So, it was the bus from the Dad’s office which picked and dropped me (and my siblings among other kids of the colony) from school and then later in College. And at other times, it was either Dad or 2-3 friends who had Luna or Scooty, would take me around.

Some years later, it was my 2 younger sisters’ turn to do the needful. And they graduated from the bicycle to the Scooty to the car, very soon. While, the time stood still and it froze for me at the bicycle.

Mom and Dad used ‘Saam, Daam Dand Bhed’, regarding pushing convincing me to learn driving a car, well not literally but you know what I mean. (Parents are capable of a lot of things!….That’s experience!) And I was clear, driving is not my cup of tea. Somehow, I knew it without driving ever!

Dad believed that I could do it, so he enrolled me in a nearby driving school. That was the year 1995. I religiously sat behind the wheel for 15 days. I don’t remember, if I did anything other than holding the steering wheel, the Clutch and Brake being in the control of the instructor.

I finished my course and never even dreamt of driving our own car. And never ever sat behind it’s steering wheel. You see, I knew my P&C.
My parents gave up and passed the baton to KG.

KG, very soon understood it loud and clear that driving and me are like cheese and chalk.
How, you may ask. Well, he got ample number of trailers…
Like… Whenever the speed is over 40, I hold the handle on the side door so tight that the day is not far off when there would be cracks appearing on the handle.
Or… Whenever a vehicle passes our car a bit closely from the left, I involuntarily cringe and move to the right, as if that vehicle would not only brush past me but take parts of me along with it!!
And needless to tell how KG feels at all this!!

But, then I sat behind the wheel again in the year 2006, this time again to learn driving from yet another driving school. And the reason for doing so was very profound.
A transfer to a new city + loads of shopping – driver + a busy KG = No work done at home.
So, with determination and a strong resolve, I joined a D-school.

I guess, I learnt some things there.

So, after completing the course, I volunteered one day to drive our car. KG was very very skeptical but he gave me the car keys without a word.
I sat behind the wheel, and I don’t know what I did, but the car made a big, unusual, unheard of, loud Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr noise, which scared the hell out of me as well as our baby. A loud SHILPAAAAAAA from KG and I was out of the car in a second!

And never again I thought/dreamt/wished/ aspired to drive a car.
And drive up the wall?? …you know it!!

Till….

…To Be Continued!

35 Responses

  1. hahahahaha..I so wish i could see your expression when the car made that grrrrrrr noise 😀

    certain things we cannot do right? no matter what. I cannot dance; period.

    Loved the post Shilpa. loved the honesty and subtle humour in it 🙂

  2. it must’ve been fun to be scared like that when the car sounded a loud unusual grrrrrrrrr 😉

    Any ways,good hai..be driven 🙂 Nothings wrong in that too 🙂 Leisure 🙂

  3. hahahaha ROFL…. I can very well undertsand ur condition 😛 coz my driving lisence is used just as an identification card and nothing else 😛 waiting for next part…

  4. I know, what now feels and sounds like humor must have been some of the very frightening experiences for you. Loved the sweet innocent honesty with which you added all intricate details to this wonderful post.
    As far the speed,though I have been driving for a very long time, but I can still feel my heart beating loud in my ears whenever I hit the highway speed of 110.

    Can’t wait for the next part 🙂

  5. LOL 🙂 I too can’t drive a car…atleast you went to the school and learnt the course … I discontinued after the 2nd day 😀
    Waiting for next part 😀

  6. And I am one of those rare category, who doesnt understand how the things work with vehicles that have break, clutch and gear. My brain never learnt the multitasking of all these three basic tools of driving. And still, i cant ride a bike with gears. I tried once and our bajaj scooter jumped like a horse and the scars still warn me to stay away with geared driving. Only honda activa works for me.

    I feel wonder how people ride bikes and talk simultaneously ….

    Car???……… Oh my Dog.

    PS: Am elder one

  7. I hate driving cars because you gotta keep your eyes on everything the front mirror , the side mirror and the road. Multi tasking is not one off my forte.

    I enrolled myself got the license because of the same dad pressure x-( I prefer having back seat both in life and car 🙂

  8. I have heard a similar story from a cousin of mine but well shes driving now..she had no option when her husband had gone for a business trip she had to drive…I think KG will need to do something like that!!!

  9. heeheee the part that you hold the handle whenever car zooms beyond “super speed” of 40 made me GRIN 😀 to be continued????? What next ? when ? waiting …… Driving miss daisy ooops Shilpa 😛

  10. I too had a difficult start with learning driving but finally learnt the ropes the second time. But i still prefer that my hubby, daughters or drivers drives. I drive when it is absolutely necessary. But i have to admit it is an advantage if you suddenly have a whim to travel somewhere for a job or go visiting a friend. So, my suggestion is try try again till u master it 🙂

  11. hehehe.. absolutely humorous. Grrrrr sound?
    My parents were not ready to drive anything since I am the only child. But I still demanded and somehow learnt. Now they are scared to make me drive. Highways not allowed, long distances not allowed 🙁

  12. Oh My God!!! I cant believe it.. It felt like I was reading about myself here. The exact same things have happened to me as well. I went to driving school, even managed a license but haven’t sat behind the wheel after that. I’m too scared to drive. I was beginning to feel something was wrong with me, now I don’t anymore. Lovely post!!

  13. ha! ha! ha! loved your tale …. me too don’t know driving tried several times but gave up :D….loved the “D-School” idea …

  14. hehe

    The last few lines when your hubby screams has been repeated with me too..I felt as if I had killed the car when My hubs screamed…I let go of the wheel so fast that I have still not touched it..

    Waiting for your next part 🙂

    New post on my blog

  15. nicely tugged words. I liked the way the whole story floated and the humor involved. I too agree that driving is not everyone’s cup of tea and you learnt it a better way – no I am not telling about learning driving 😉
    personal experiences as such too excites fellow readers… as long as its interesting like this..
    ~ Keep the spark alive ~
    Cheers LIFE
    JD

  16. Wait till you hear my experience. The first time I drove my car on my own after getting my licence I put the gear at R, and you know the rest…Luckily not much damage was done. You are much better. Don’t lose heart.

  17. Hilarious! I think you gave the poor car (and KG) a shock when to treid to restart the started car! [the GRRRRR] 😀

    Somehow I so looove cars and speed-driving so I have to fight against my fear of reversing the car! 😛 😀

  18. lol one of my friends is going through d same thing. but in his case he is driving or you can say trying to drive for the past 1 yr but still not able to!!common car is not that hard to learn but yea it can be kind of a phobia or something like me and swimming,whenever my frnds force me to go deeper den 5ft i start shouting hehe even though i’m 6’5 so no way i can drown in 5ft water!!ohh nice blog and keep writing!!ohh keep driving hehe!!

  19. Loved the post..You know all about my driving escapades! Since there is a continuation, I believe the twain did finally merge !!! Put it up fast 🙂

  20. Hi Shilpa, first time here and quite a lovely post.
    And to think, the first thing I did when I turned 18 was get my four wheeler driver’s license!! Like I couldnt wait three more seconds, LOL.

  21. Well with me…. I finished a course in driving! I got a license too!! After I gave a test for driving I haven’t even touched a car 😐 forget driving it… and my confidence level is so super down..

  22. If it makes you feel any better…I almost killed someone[not my fault-scout’s honour] and then our trainer fled with me.I’m trouble *waggles finger*

    *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEG GRIN* 😉

  23. LOL! You sure are allergic to driving 🙂

    I love driving, but I too hold on tight and even press imaginary brakes and clutch when husband is driving 🙂 You see, he thinks the speed limits are ‘minimum speed limits’ and feels it is against his ethics to drive at the speed limits 🙂

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