What I Wish I’d Known Before…
A list of 7 things I would have liked to have known before I started driving.
- Learner drivers can ruin journeys.
Almost every driver has been there. Cheeks flushed. There's a line of six cars behind you at the junction. The car you're in is covered in little L's symbolising your inexperience but they're starting to lose their patience as you desperately try to safely restart the car and find that pesky "biting-point" again. The instructor tells you not to worry but you know deep down that at least a few people are going to be having conversations about timekeeping with their bosses because of you. I mean, we all have to learn to drive but why book your driving lessons at half past eight in the morning? I've got somewhere to be and the roads are crazy enough as it is.
2. Other drivers are the worst.
There are times where you will feel like every other driver on the road is just the worst. If you're in a rush they're in your way and if they're in a rush they're "driving like a wanker". It is polite to keep such comments to oneself but some road users will resort to animalistic displays of aggression. This is commonly known as "road rage" and can be both hilarious and concerning in equal measure.
3. Cyclists are adrenaline-fuelled thrill seekers.
Whilst at first glance cycling appears to be a healthy and active hobby, some cyclists seem to enjoy a rather more danger-filled outdoor adventure. It is quite a common sight to see groups of budding cyclists riding two abreast on country roads without a piece protective headgear between them. I'm no expert but the last time I checked cars were huge chunks of metal with the capacity to move at very high speeds, no match for a human head. If you want to risk your life, please don't do it on the roads.
4. Lorry drivers on motorways think they have "sports mode".
I appreciate that sitting in the cab of a truck for hours on end probably gets very boring but I don't appreciate it when a slow moving vehicle overtakes another slow moving vehicle, causing chaos in the process. They must know that their manoeuvre will disrupt drivers around them, right?
5. The white line separating the lanes means nothing.
Throughout learning to drive you will respect the broken line on the road. It is there to separate the road in to two lanes but I have found that many drivers are quick to forget all about this. I have had innumerable encounters with brainless folk meandering across the lanes, literally centimetres away from causing a crash. So don't think that you're safe just because you're driving carefully on the correct side of the road.
6. Going 70 mph (the speed limit) in the fast lane is sure to infuriate other drivers.
My first experience of motorway driving will stick with me forever. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping to the speed limit in the fast lane but this led to drivers behind me sounding their horns and flashing their lights. I now understand that some people don't want to abide by the laws of the road and I shall not stand in their way. Some people drive at insane speeds and being in their way is a bad idea.
7. You will become a taxi and your friends will become lazy.
Can I have a lift? Could you pick me up? I'm not walking, you have a car. Great, you can drive us there!
These are just a few of the lines you'll hear over the first year of driving. Your friends used to walk to meet up, not anymore, you will be expected to drive now. The novelty of the new found freedom wears off pretty quickly and it doesn't take long to realise how expensive fuel is.
Thanks to Elena Iodice
