Words like “steer” and “drive” suggest being in control and rightly so, because whoever takes the wheel or owns the car calls the shots.
IS it just me, or do many of us find ourselves still behaving like a driver even when we are in the passenger seat?
When my husband is driving, I routinely check the blind spot when he changes lanes. If I spot any obstructions ahead, I alert him so that he has ample time to change lanes in order to avoid the road works or accident. I remind him if he’s in a right-turn only lane even though he is going straight.
When travelling along a road that I am very familiar with, to the extent of knowing when the traffic lights are about to turn amber or red, I caution him so that he can either slow down to stop comfortably when the light changes, or speed up to make it past the light in time.
I warn him if I catch a glimpse of the Traffic Police within our vicinity. When all the lanes are slow-moving with the exception of the bus lane, I let him know if the bus lane hours are over or still in operation so that he can take or avoid the bus lane accordingly.
Sat-nav systems are smart, but Lynn feels they still can’t beat an experienced co-driver.
Mind you, my behaviour is not a reaction to my husband’s driving abilities or a compensation for his lack of.
In fact, I consider him to be an excellent driver (I would not have married him otherwise). But, we are creatures of habit and subconsciously, my driving instincts still prevail even when I am a passenger in my husband’s or somebody else’s car.
I have asked if he finds it annoying, but he reassured me that every car should be equipped with such an “Early Warning System”. I told him it already exists and it is better known as a “co-driver”.
Nevertheless, I draw the line at telling him how he should drive and which route he should take.
I think we have all felt this as passengers, especially when you are stuck behind a road hog and wishing that your driver would just overtake already, but he remains nonchalant and patiently follows behind. Or when the driver takes a longer route that’s also prone to heavy traffic.
In such instances, I hold my tongue after imagining how irritated I would feel if I was driving and my husband or passenger started dictating how I should drive or which route I should take.
We should concede that whoever takes the wheel is in command.
Even when the person-in- charge decides to relinquish the wheel and take the back seat, like in the case of a chauffeured arrangement.
LIKE ALL DRIVING ENTHUSIASTS, LYNN WILL ONLY BE HAPPY TO RELINQUISH THE WHEEL TO SOMEHOW WHO IS AS SKILLFUL (OR AN EVEN BETTER DRIVER) THAN HER.
MY DRIVING INSTINCTS STILL PREVAIL EVEN WHEN I AM A PASSENGER IN SOMEBODY ELSE’S CAR.
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