Yup. Today I felt like I was 15 all over again by strapping in on the right side (but the wrong side) of a car and then driving down the left side of the street. Oh buddy, did all those anxious nerves and excitement come flooding back with the fear and freedom of driving.
Now, I've been in training for this occasion from the very moment I set foot in this town and constantly found myself on the wrong side of the crowds on the sidewalk. And that led to the very difficult effort of looking to the right before the left (the urge to "just glance" still lingers) when crossing the street. The next phase was biking: I was on the road with traffic, navigating turns etc. and admittedly felt pretty confident about my adjustment. But getting behind the wheel was a whole different story! And it came about a lot sooner than I was anticipating. It was definitely for good reason- I got a place to live- so getting my luggage, surfboard, bike, and a bed (from Australia's craigslist= gumtree) was NOT an option for the train and ferry combo required on public transport.
So my plan was to go down to the Hertz and hire-aka rent-an SUV by the hour and count on my American Express extra-insurance-coverage-for-rentals if things went bad :S Then my gracious host, Eric, offered his green machine (a Mitsubishi wagon) AND a short training ride-along. So I'm grateful, but also nervous (no amex cushion). We took off on a short 10 minute trip and more than once did I hear Eric say "whoa" under his breath. So what if I was hugging the curb a bit (and all the parked cars there) isn't that still better than charging over the centerline into oncoming traffic!?!?! Ha.
and apparently the Aussies are even relaxed in their driving, because as I pulled up behind a car at a red light in an appropriate San Diego fashion/distance Eric gave another "whoa: that's too close!" All in all, I did fine until he expected me to parallel park at our destination. that was a mess!! I didn't even know which mirrors to use or how to crank the wheel or anything- it was quite ridiculous and I abandoned the effort when the car was still only halfway in the spot, about 1.5m from the curb.
After that Eric set me up with TomTom and sent me off on my merry (and tense way) It was about an hour drive with busier roads, tolls, tunnels, freeway, bridges, construction zones: the whole bit. I think it was also a drive with some scenic views but because of the aforementioned items I didn't really get to take much notice. I arrived safely, with a slightly stiff neck and am proud to report that I did it (and the return trip) without anyone honking, flipping the bird, or having to slam on their brakes. (Well, truth be told- that last point may be false, I only had a glance in the rearview mirror so I can't be sure but I didn't hear the brakes or see smoke so let's just say it didn't happen)
So now I'm in my new room at my new place with a bed frame and nothing else. I once again considered hiring a car for my furniture and mattress pick-ups. When I called the local ute place (aussies term short for utility vehicle) she informed me it's a manual transmission truck. And I thought, I'm not yet ready to drink from that fountain again....
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| Old school pumps. $60 for half a tank ($/liter) EVERYTHINGS different |
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