 By: The Reluctant Urbanite Official Guest Blogger |
With the Formula One (F1) Grand Prix taking place in our humble little island this weekend, it seems like an apt time to be contemplating on the subject of cars. And, naturally, the very mechanism that go behind getting these little live-like machines whizzing down roads—i.e the act of driving.
Now, when I was young, I used to gaze wondrously at scenes of Hollywood characters at the wheel; winding their way through country-roads whilst blasting music on the car radio in a carefree manner. And also, drool at the adrenaline-inducing scenes of Mafia characters speeding down night lanes with flashing lights as they try to escape their pursuers. Point in case: the act of driving simply seemed cool and suave to my young impressionable mind. I was fascinated with the idea of speed through a machine and using it to bring me to places.
So, when I finally reached the qualifying age to get a driver’s license, I enthusiastically ditched Daytona sessions and wholeheartedly went on a full-fledged course to fulfil my quest to become as cool as the characters I’ve seen on TV. Heart raring, determination-loaded, it was… clutch up, gear set.. Ready, Get Set, Go!
We shall skip the nitty-gritty stages of the learning process (and how it took two times to finally get that licence) and fast forward to 3 years on since the fateful day when I obtained the legal right to drive on the Singapore roads.
Forgoing the initial driving-high of night suppers and long trips to the airport on the other side of the island (I’m amazed at how I had managed to have completed those formidable tasks now), I’m sad to say that I really DO NOT LIKE DRIVING as much as I thought that I would. And I have been attempting to attribute that to the congested nature of the roads in our little cars-filled city. A recent attempt to drive back to school (after a perhaps, half a year hiatus from driving) left me cursing and swearing and miserable in a state of driving inferiority complex. There were incidences such as how a mini-van basically hogged the lane while travelling at a snail speed, while I had no chance whatsoever to change lanes when cars behind me were zooming past in a constant stream. And of how huge moving vehicles just somehow appeared beside me at the only moment where I could be weaving into a side lane. Red cars yellow cars green cars, big lorries, small vans, they are all around whizzing past at different speeds, making a simple 15-minutes drive journey an obstacles-filled one.
Come on, give me a straight, long road to drive down! No cars trying to squeeze past and cut lanes, no honking, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crossings—just plain straight road with lush greenery alongside and music to hum along to…
Well, I’m fully aware that all these complaints that I have of driving boils down to the fact that it’s the skills and confidence and practice that I’m lacking in being able to drive in a city. But until then, I’d still be hopelessly blaming the state of excessive cars that are flooding the roads of the tiny island here.
On a side note, it’s a pleasure to be seeing F1 cars zoom down the night streets of the light-studded glimmering Marina Sands and Esplanade area. Hi cars, welcome to Singapore.
We shall skip the nitty-gritty stages of the learning process (and how it took two times to finally get that licence) and fast forward to 3 years on since the fateful day when I obtained the legal right to drive on the Singapore roads.
Forgoing the initial driving-high of night suppers and long trips to the airport on the other side of the island (I’m amazed at how I had managed to have completed those formidable tasks now), I’m sad to say that I really DO NOT LIKE DRIVING as much as I thought that I would. And I have been attempting to attribute that to the congested nature of the roads in our little cars-filled city. A recent attempt to drive back to school (after a perhaps, half a year hiatus from driving) left me cursing and swearing and miserable in a state of driving inferiority complex. There were incidences such as how a mini-van basically hogged the lane while travelling at a snail speed, while I had no chance whatsoever to change lanes when cars behind me were zooming past in a constant stream. And of how huge moving vehicles just somehow appeared beside me at the only moment where I could be weaving into a side lane. Red cars yellow cars green cars, big lorries, small vans, they are all around whizzing past at different speeds, making a simple 15-minutes drive journey an obstacles-filled one.
Come on, give me a straight, long road to drive down! No cars trying to squeeze past and cut lanes, no honking, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crossings—just plain straight road with lush greenery alongside and music to hum along to…
Well, I’m fully aware that all these complaints that I have of driving boils down to the fact that it’s the skills and confidence and practice that I’m lacking in being able to drive in a city. But until then, I’d still be hopelessly blaming the state of excessive cars that are flooding the roads of the tiny island here.
On a side note, it’s a pleasure to be seeing F1 cars zoom down the night streets of the light-studded glimmering Marina Sands and Esplanade area. Hi cars, welcome to Singapore.
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