A Bole Caterpillar
Hi Friends,
The Lazy one has come up with Part-1 covering the phase between her driving lessons till she got the DL. Here it is, with minimum edits from my side:
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Hello everyone,
I have been asked by my father to write on my driving experience so far. I shall however be providing not a detailed account but just a condensed version. Kindly bear with me if my point of view does not support yours; it’s a big world for a caterpillar.
I enrolled in a driving school at the start of my 6th semester (Engineering) hoping to get be license within 3 months (seemed like a miracle to me back then!). So I made a few confirmation calls to the Driving School enquiring about the classes in a Maruti Esteem.
So day 1, I'm behind the wheel of a a Blue Maruti Esteem, with no idea of how the foot pedals work, and my beautiful brain questioning my driving abilities. I basically had 2 tasks that day – (a) move the freaking car from rest, (b) try to process all that my instructor was saying. my instructor tells me that since it’s my first time, he would be handling the gears while I just learn to steer the car. The brake would be his department too; and he starts his drill. “clutch press madi ma.” (Please press the clutch). I follow. I observe him put it in 1st gear. Now he instructs me to release the hand break, and slowly but gently, lift my foot off the clutch. (I precisely remember him putting a number on it- 20% release. It worked on me in the beginning; now I just go zoooom).
I release the clutch 20%, and I felt the earth move under my feet. Beware atheists- Lord Hanuman had lifted the mountain I was sitting on. The car moves, and I undergo a series of alternate shock and surprise. “How’s the car moving? Is this really meee? woaw… girl power!!” I may seem like I'm over exaggerating here, but the heart feels certain things on a different level. And that’s how much driving impacted me. Born Driver!
I drove through for the next 600 metres, piling up the traffic behind me. As all the experienced maestro drivers overtook me from my right, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. But hey, that’s what the big dusty old DL board is for!!
Day 1 of driving class ended with a lot of honking sounds ringing in my ears. The fear that had seated itself in my mind had begun to lift off. Day 2 involved braking classes, emergency braking and the drill repeated. Day 3 had gear shift lessons infused, and I glided through that like rock through scissors.
Exactly, it was TOUGH!!! It seemed like a piece of cake when I wasn’t driving. But once I drove, I couldn’t synthesis the routine that had to be followed for changing the gear. I stalled like a pro. At every turn, every speed breaker, every old lady signalling me by hand to stop the car and let her pass, I would stall cuz I was at the wrong gear, or the clutch hadn’t been completely pressed. Gear problems > Girl problems. “Lowest speed for 2nd gear is 10 kmh.” It became my mantra and still is. On the 9th class, I was taught to drive in reverse gear.
Driving lessons were supposed to be a 22 days class, but I completed only 11 on the Esteem. 12th class, was in MY car - Verna. Talk about being promoted! But it came with a little bonus of its own - a yelling bossy dad. I mean, put together all the WWE wrestlers’ temper in a 5’11 male. You get my dad in the passenger seat!
But maybe I recount it as horrifying because we drove at around 10.30 at night. Scary times!! I’ll just tell you the mistakes I had made. While driving, I went too close to the divider. so much so, the gap between the car and the divider was less than a foot. My dad, knew his car too well that he asked me if I was too much on the right. I quickly checked the mirror, and swiftly pulled onto left. thank the Lord for not having scratched the car. Mistake rectified :D . Next fault was when I failed to spot one of the so many speed breakers. I just drove over it at speed. Henceforth, night driving without my glasses is a big NO-NO.
I had two more night driving sessions including one for making a 8 pattern in a huge open ground, with father guiding me from outside. then, few more day time drives in Bangalore came. the ease at which Verna moves helped a lot. specially after the forced stops on inclines at traffic signals. no need to juggle between the C-B-A pedals to move. just engage in first gear, slowly release the hand brake and let go off the clutch. the car glides forward. no need to touch the A pedal.
Few weeks later, I register for my driver’s test, and get the slot on 19th of April.
Fast forward to April 19th, 8.45 am, at Yelahanka RTO. People from various driving schools have assembled for the prized driver’s license. It was a classic “figure of 8” track-test, with a "straight lane reverse driving" in the end, all to be done in a Maruti 800 (No hate Maruti, you guys make cute cars ;P). I waited in line for my turn, observing others nail it or fail it. One of the ladies who went before me, stalled in 3rd gear (rookie mistake!). another lady left the tracks while turning.
Luckily, I was the last person for test and I didn’t have the entire nation staring right into the car. I jumped in - my first time in a Maruti800 - put it in 1st gear, and I released the clutch, just as I had been taught. Horror starts! No one told me the difference between Verna and Maruti800 in first gear. the Maruti800 wouldn’t move ! oh my gawd. And then it hit me - throttle a little more. Phew, the car moved. I, have successfully resurrected a non living thing.
I drove through the 8 track and stopped. it was the time for reverse gear test. Verna’s Reverse gear is "away from me" and there is a pull button on the gear knob. that pull button was missing and that Maruti800 did not have a reverse gear. panic panic panic.
A gentleman from Driving School was nearby just in case of emergencies, and he reached through the open window and pushed the gear level "towards me". Oh, reverse gear was in that position. Now I just let the car do its magic and it rolled back like a football. when I drove in a straight line and stopped, I knew I had passed the test.
The Driving School gentleman came towards me grinning widely, “Of all the ladies, you have driven perfectly.” My day was complete. No offence to all those who didn’t clear the first time, but I was one of the few people who was given an envelope asking me to write my addresses on it. My driver’s license would arrive home in it, I was told. I couldn’t wait. 28 days later, I received an SMS from the RTO, notifying me of my legal permit to drive.
And here I am, with a driver’s license valid till 2038. It’s basically my superhero identity. One day, I hope to drive “smooth and sassy” like the guy from the 2017 movie Baby Driver by Edgar Wright #WordsToLiveBy
I hope dad posts this without much edits…
~ caterpillar_on_the_tree
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