jack_babalon (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jack_babalon) wrote2007-01-26 03:18 pm
jack_babalon) wrote2007-01-26 03:18 pm
Entry tags:
Of faith and driving in Atlanta!
Tonight's my second driving lesson!
I did alright during the first session, that is despite my instructor having spent a full twenty minutes on his cell phone screaming at his kid not to 'buy that piece of shit of car!'. While Junior there got a loud lesson in the art of the deal, I dodged suicidal commuters down the length of Lawrenceville Highway. Luckily thanks to years of video games i've got the steering-braking thing down pat. Now parkings a bitch, especially the parallel parking routine needs a little practice.
The 'Big Problem' I have is faith.
For example last Thursady i'm going down Dekalb smooth. Everythings going fine. I'm not jerking the wheel or lead footing the brake. Suddenly I catch this car coming up a side street at us. The speed with which this car is going looks a bit too fast for my liking. Instinct takes over. I veer into the left lane quick. My instructor scolds me for this. This was the wrong move. First off I reacted and shifted lanes without looking. I avoided one potential accident for another. Worst off the car I was worried about stopped just fine at the sign.
"Relax Rob" my instructor says in that velvet smooth Shaft voice of his "if that car hits you it's his own damn fault!"
"If that car hits me one of us could get killed!" I point out.
"Not necessarily. I know it's hard but you gotta have a little faith in them."
"I don't do the 'faith' thing."
"Well you'd better. What've there'd been a car in the next lane over, huh? When you turned suddenly you didn't look and you didn't signal. That can seriously mess up anyones day... especially yours! Now when you get a little better you'll learn to evaluate these things. You'll learn to look and then react by instinct. For now just take it easy."
He looks down at his cell phone. Junior texts him something bad. My instructor just shakes his head to himself. "Boys a damn fool! Anyway, you worry too much! They don't look like much but these cars can take some damage."
"Alright" I say with resignation.
The Instructor leans over, turns on the radio. The station is doing a block of James Brown. "It's a mans world" comes on. He turns up the volume, leans back in the chair, fingers resting on the auxiliary steering wheel.
"Alright you're doing just fine." he says and I take the road slowly. Cautiously. I'm not a man of faith but I am a man of patience and that will have to do for now.
I did alright during the first session, that is despite my instructor having spent a full twenty minutes on his cell phone screaming at his kid not to 'buy that piece of shit of car!'. While Junior there got a loud lesson in the art of the deal, I dodged suicidal commuters down the length of Lawrenceville Highway. Luckily thanks to years of video games i've got the steering-braking thing down pat. Now parkings a bitch, especially the parallel parking routine needs a little practice.
The 'Big Problem' I have is faith.
For example last Thursady i'm going down Dekalb smooth. Everythings going fine. I'm not jerking the wheel or lead footing the brake. Suddenly I catch this car coming up a side street at us. The speed with which this car is going looks a bit too fast for my liking. Instinct takes over. I veer into the left lane quick. My instructor scolds me for this. This was the wrong move. First off I reacted and shifted lanes without looking. I avoided one potential accident for another. Worst off the car I was worried about stopped just fine at the sign.
"Relax Rob" my instructor says in that velvet smooth Shaft voice of his "if that car hits you it's his own damn fault!"
"If that car hits me one of us could get killed!" I point out.
"Not necessarily. I know it's hard but you gotta have a little faith in them."
"I don't do the 'faith' thing."
"Well you'd better. What've there'd been a car in the next lane over, huh? When you turned suddenly you didn't look and you didn't signal. That can seriously mess up anyones day... especially yours! Now when you get a little better you'll learn to evaluate these things. You'll learn to look and then react by instinct. For now just take it easy."
He looks down at his cell phone. Junior texts him something bad. My instructor just shakes his head to himself. "Boys a damn fool! Anyway, you worry too much! They don't look like much but these cars can take some damage."
"Alright" I say with resignation.
The Instructor leans over, turns on the radio. The station is doing a block of James Brown. "It's a mans world" comes on. He turns up the volume, leans back in the chair, fingers resting on the auxiliary steering wheel.
"Alright you're doing just fine." he says and I take the road slowly. Cautiously. I'm not a man of faith but I am a man of patience and that will have to do for now.