Driving & Insanity - Can You Relate?

     There is a definition (a loose one anyways - it’s not in the dictionary) of insanity; doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Each week, I sit down at my laptop and think, “I’ll just bang out the blog in one shot”. Why I think this, I have no idea - because I know, somewhere in the back of my mind, this is not going to happen… ever. Case in point (again) this week.

     I was reviewing what was written last week as well as some emails. The “you have no idea what you’re talking about” emails were practically non-existent. There were numerous ones containing kudos as well as some great topics to discuss in future blurbs. I’m a strong believer that hate-mail does not exist; simply because it’s either written by people who never leave their name, comes from a somewhat bogus (read:

extremely generic) and not their personal or work email or just goes to the spam folder anyhow because of the junk it contains. So - if you’ve written an email that fits on of these categories & I haven’t replied, it’s your own fault. Tough shit.

     One email I received from Carl out in California thought the section on automotive electronics I can’t stand was rather humorous. He also stated that more cars than not are equipped with those options where he lives and warned me about the perils of driving in his state if I were ever to visit. In his opinion, he feels that many people simply do not know how to drive - never mind the distractions of cell phones, GPS, or whatnot. That got me to thinking about several other comments I’ve heard over the years from family, friends, and other emails. While most were related to city driving - be it Atlanta, the DC area, Boston, or LA - the bottom line was, no matter where you are, people do not drive as well as they used to.

     Those memories reconnected me to a story I read about a group of car enthusiasts who embarked on a trek (a mission in my book) of traveling through India via antique and performance car. While this may not seem like a big deal to most, travel experts will flat out tell anyone not to drive in that country if you are visiting. There are too many people, the roads are “useable” in the city (and horrible in the country), and modern amenities such as traffic lights, marked lanes, speed limits, and road signs are just suggestions and often ignored. Author Rob Kinnan, who not only survived the journey, as did his vintage Shelby Mustang, was noted as saying that driving was actually exhilarating… once you adjust to the initial shock and start going with the flow of things;“Passing a slow moving truck requires a decision making process. There’s more to just “driving” on a highway in India. This is because the marked lanes and the general direction of traffic are merely suggestions. The highways do not have barriers or median strips, and breakdown lanes are few. Half the time, traffic flows in both directions using two lanes apiece. However, at any given moment, as many as all four lanes are used for one direction of driving and vise-versa. It all depends on what is happening at that point in time. You move into an open lane to pass the truck, only to find that another vehicle is coming at you… in your lane… at 50 mph.”

     Rob went on to write that it took him about 30 minutes to get used to this phenomenon, but then was actually able to get into a comfortable groove. He also stated that while cars & trucks are nowhere near as numerous as they are here in the states, you have to mind other things such as rickshaws, mopeds (with as many as 3 people on them) and cows. Apparently the cows are everywhere.

     If you’re a visual person, go onto You Tube and type in “India traffic jam”. While the short film has been sped up a little, it gives you a rough idea of what Mr. Kinnan is referring to. The interesting thing is, is while there are millions of people, and just as many near misses, there are extremely few incidents of actual contact. Why? Because it seems the drivers in India know their limits and boundaries. There are also no distractions - the drivers are focused on one thing - driving! Kinnan noted that if people in his home state of California were subject to the same driving conditions as in the cities of India, about 85% of them would be involved in an accident within 5 minutes. He also commented it may be a decent way to alleviate the traffic gridlock out there as well.

     I can relate somewhat to what the author is referring to; when I drive my antique hot rod I actually become more aware of my surroundings. While the only creature comfort in the Mustang is a radio / CD player, it’s only on half the time. I find myself listening to the motor, the roar of the exhaust, glancing at the

gauges, and checking my surroundings. Even though the deck is equipped with a jack for my MP3 player, I leave that at home. Most of the time I have one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the 5 speed shifter. There isn’t much time to be fiddling with other things, ‘cause the last time I checked, I didn’t have three arms and hands.

     My intention is never to preach (at least directly). I’m never one to say what someone should do or not do. Everyone has a 16 pound computer in their head… it’s called a brain. We just need to use it. Vehicles are wonderful things. Modern performance and technology have come a long way. Let’s not take it for granted.

     Until next time - peace out,
     Dave