Singaporean drivers aren’t that bad

Anyone who drives invariably has something to complain about other drivers. Other drivers who do not signal as they change lane, other drivers who hog the roads, other drivers who cut your lane too suddenly, other drivers who do things you would never do in your life. It’s always something that some Other driver does that pisses you off. Road rage is a common thing, whether in a small or big way and even the nicest person on my livejournal circle can be prone to screaming and shouting in the confines of the car.

How often then do we notice those who are not bad drivers? The ones who do signal or give way when you’re trying to filter into their lane? A taxi driver actually gave way to me while I was trying to turn out into his lane and I waved him thanks. How often do you wave at someone in thanks coz they were courteous to you on the road? How often did someone wave to you coz you gave way to them?

Perhaps it’s because people expect these things that they take the small stuff for granted. We all talk about appreciating the small things in life, or the small things your loved one does for you. How about appreciating the small things that other drivers to for you? I think it will make the roads a better place to drive on.

Which leads me to what happened today. I was driving along CTE (central expressway) this morning stuck in peak hour semi-traffic when I hear the sirens of an ambulance. I glanced at all mirrors but didn’t see anything so I assumed that the ambulance was on the road going the other way. Suddenly, the huge Mercedes on my right started inching into my lane and I looked at him alarmed when I realised why, coz the ambulance was right next to him trying to  squeeze through the rightmost lane. now I don’t think they teach you in driving school what to do but the School of Life dictates that I try to give way to the Mercs so he could give way to the ambulance. the car in front wasn’t moving so I signaled left and tried to inch into the lane on my left. 2 cars went by before a huge ass lorry looming into my left view mirror started slowing down and gave way to me. The Mercs turned into my lane and the ambulance sped down the road that is now mostly cleared by the cars in front. I guess it was partially stuck because of me not reacting quick enough to the Mercs, as all this while I was thinking perhaps the ambulance siren was coming from the radio.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself and said I did that little bit by giving way to an ambulance in need, along with all the other drivers. I’ve heard some say that in Singapore, drivers don’t know how to give way to emergency vehicles the way they do in Western countries. well today proved them wrong. Others would say, this deed goes without saying! But I feel that every good deed shouldn’t go unmentioned.

This definitely made my day and I was smiling for the rest of my drive.

In the car: Driving me, myself & I

Driving alone is a really boring hobby. You’re on the roads surrounded by other drivers, just as alone as you are, but that makes you feel even more lonely. Every day on my drive to and from work, I sit in peak hour traffic watching other drivers as I keep myself entertained at their expense. I count the number of commercial trucks and vans that drive around with one brake light, you cannot imagine the number of times that Wallflowers song pops up in my head. One is amazed at the number of vehicles that drive around with one winking brake light but I guess the drivers aren’t necessarily the owners of the vans and they probably don’t give 2 hoots about its maintanence. Once I was stuck behind a truck with NO BRAKE LIGHTS in tailgate traffic. I drove with my eyes wide open as I gauge the distance between his slowing bumper and my not so slowing bumper. it was a harrowing experience.

Other times I sit there watching the driver in the car behind me. Sometimes it’s a couple on their way to work and talking about whatever household problems they have. sometimes it’s an old lady jabbering into her earpiece, looking like a patient of dementia talking to herself (or a little kid sitting at the back where I can’t see). Once I had a kotaku in the car behind, with 2 sexy manga figurines on his dashboard, straight out of a dannychoo.com website. or it could be a lone middle-aged man picking his nose. that was when I learnt that even though no one can really see me in the car, the driver in front could be watching his rear view mirror too. not that I’d ever pick my nose in public.  

Of course you have the occasional idiots who honk you out of the blue. like the bloody BMW who was tailgating me and even had the nerve to honk me when I hit the brakes coz the guy in front of me hit the brakes. Yes Mr BMW, I’m sorry I didn’t turn on my psychic brake detector so I could have done a Nic Cage and predicted 2 secs earlier what the car in front was going to do.

There are the random uncles who don’t give way, like the idiot in the mini bus who refused to slow down, even speeding up when he saw me signalling to enter the highway. like Dude! my lane is disappearing into yours! wtf is your problem! I was so pissed off with that man I started shouting at ranting at the backside of his bus until I turned out 2 exits later. At that moment I wished I had a claw attached to my Swift so I could scoop up his bus and throw it off the highway.

Other days I meet really nice drivers who would slow down and give way. Like this morning while trying to exit the petrol kiosk, I looked to the back of the jam and wondered at which point I could cut in when I noticed the van right in front of my car wasn’t moving. The uncle driver was waving at me to come out and I waved appreciatively at him before swinging my car into the main road.

In the end, my favourite activity to do is to dance in the car. Not necessary foot tapping coz my foot is responsibly kept between brake and accelerator. But when Katy Perry or David Guetta comes on the radio, I start shaking violently in the car in rhythm to the music, never thinking what I look like to other drivers until I caught the car on the right staring puzzedly at me. Dude, you haven’t seen anything yet until I break out my Bhangra moves.

Driving Miss Burbur

people have asked how goes driving?

well, at the start, driving was scary. I drove till both my arms cramped up from gripping the wheel so tightly. every time a big vehicle like a bus or truck squeeze by me, I try not to shy away from them. every time a motorbicycle roar past me, I cringe. I panic every time I get into the car and my legs are soft minutes after I get out of my car.

4 weeks later, I’m more confident about driving. I don’t cringe as much, I drive past big vehicles while still staying in my lane. When I’m stuck behind an uncle motorcycle (you know, those old motorcycles driven by Uncles going 50km/hr on the centre lane on the highway), I will shout outloud, not like he can hear me, “UNCLE AHHH!!!!” I once drove down all of BKE shouting that every other second. The other day, this uncle in a Mazda RX8 was doing god knows what so I drove around him and thought to myself, “wa lao! don’t know how to drive an RX!” Once a car cut into my lane suddenly and I calmly raise a middle finger at him.

But I’m not always calm. The other day, this old man cut into my lane suddenly before swerving out when he noticed me belatedly but I had already hit my brakes. As my brain was mentally screaming at him, he cut back in, across 2 lanes to the left, then realised that wasn’t the exit he wanted to take, then cut back into the original lane on the right. All this before I realised I forgot to honk at him. There are those who suggested that it’s never too late to honk, even so much as to follow him to his destination and park my car behind his and sitting on the horn.

Other than old people, everything has been pretty okay. I plan to earn as much car karma as possible by giving way to people coz it’s simply easier to do so. signal? I’ll let you in. so far, I’ve managed to filter lanes fine coz I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by nice drivers. either that or there’s a sign that I can’t see that says, “BEWARE! FEMALE DRIVER!”

Driving with Bryan in the passenger seat has been interesting. With 11 years experience on the road, it seemed like he was the one driving the car with voice commands while I’m just moving the wheel. We had our first argument when he suggested I filter into the fast lane and I did without checking properly, quickly swerving back into my lane when I saw a black car looming up too quickly. I was pissed at myself for not taking control. We rarely fight but the mood in the car exploded right after that incident.

But we soon we learnt to enjoy the ride with each other in thee car. I’m getting less tense when it comes to driving, Bryan learnt to be more patient. Soon, he was snoring in the car once the engine started and I’m smoothly turning around corners and cruising down highways. My parking is getting better. Once I reversed into the lot without having to adjust at all and I gave myself a round of applause.

So anyone reading this, GIVE WAY TO ME! coz I’m small and I can’t see anything.

Learning to drive all over again

We were all sitting around Paulaner celebrating Oktoberfest (again) when the driver declared that he couldn’t drive yet. My girlfriends happily volunteered my driving services to which I squeaked with much alarm because I couldn’t even remember the last time I drove. My driving license said 2003 but I’m pretty sure it’s been about 5 years since I decided to give up driving coz I couldn’t handle the stress of it. But with much encouragement, I climbed into the driver’s seat. I buckled in, adjusted the rear view mirror, and with much direction from Aaron (the car owner), I stepped on the brake (the brake is the one on the left?), released hand brake, move the car into Drive, released brake and OFF WE GO!

As the car inched forward painstakingly and I freaked out again, WHERE IS THE EXIT! WHERE IS THE EXIT! for we had just inched out of the lot. the people behind were tickled as Aaron said rather matter-of-factly, left. then right. then slow down. then exit infront of you. then we were inching out of Marina Square car park and OFF WE GO! except that I thought we had exited towards Singapore Flyer when I belatedly realised we were on the other side of the road and was headed north instead.

“OMG! THAT’S WESTIN! I KNOW WHERE WE ARE!” I shrieked excitedly. everyone in the car had this “uh..” moment of hesitation. it’s not too late to throw me out of the car I guess.

So we did 4 destinations today. Firstly Bukit Batok to drop Tiny off. I know my way to the expressway but behind the wheel, I turned into a total idiot. “Do I stay on this lane? Do I turn now? NOW? WHAT?” Someone was once amazed by the fact that for a person who didn’t drive, I knew my way around roads pretty okay. well not today! Aaron was there to calm me down coz as I drove, my voice got higher and higher. when I had to turn, he helped me flick the signal.

slowly I gained confidence. I learnt to change lane gradually and not the sharp hook turn noob drivers tend to do. after changing lane and turning about 10 times, they didn’t have to remind me to check blind spot. I moved from crawling at 40km/hr to going at 100km/hr along the near empty expressway. the conversation was peppered with my frequent outbursts of “AND THEN???” followed by calm instructions on my left. By the time I dropped Bryan off at Jurong West, I was pretty confident of what I was doing. I even overtook a weekend car. Who proceeded to overtake me a few metres later. Assholes.

Aaron turned on his mp3 player and he played the song Debbie Gibson didn’t sing. I started singing along and almost turned the wheel as I swayed to the music. Must. Learn. Not. To. Move. Wheel. While. Singing. I think they were amused coz I was concentrating on the road so hard that I wasn’t paying attention to my terrible singing. But it’s really fun cruising down the expressway while singing along to 80s music. we went from Debbie Gibson to Belinda Carlise to Wang Chun. then there was that heart breaking moment where the lights turned amber and instead of just shooting across the junction (I was 20 metres from it), I hit the brakes. Evonne’s face almost hit the back of the passenger seat despite being buckled in. I guess that definitely sobered everyone up in the car. (don’t worry, I was the most sober before I even got into the car).

When we reached Woodlands, both my arms were numb from gripping the wheel so tightly. I had to take a break at the foot of my friend’s apartment and have a stick. we squatted by the curb as she laughed at my excitement at having made it so far. I apologised for the brake slamming moment coz I saw the look of OMGWTFBBQ on her face right after it happened. she felt kinda sheepish but she was very encouraging. she said that I should practice more and it’s good i’m doing now since the roads were almost empty at 3am.

And then back into the car I climbed and we made our way back home. I slowed down as I turned into the driveway of my apartment. I stopped the car at security and hit the button which opened the passenger window instead of the driver’s. I was laughing so hard at my error that the security guard couldn’t hear me say “dropping off”. or perhaps he was confused that I said, “I’m dropping off” when it’s usually the passenger who gets off the car. I was still laughing when I got out of the car to let Aaron take over.

So all in all, we all made it home in one piece. I did EVERYTHING a noob driver did;

• signal left then right then left in quick succession coz I couldn’t get the stupid signal to stop.
• driving with hazard light on for a few metres before realising.
• turning like a female Daytona driver (thanks Bryan for pointing that out).
• turning on the windscreen wipers when I wanted to turn right.
• slamming brake for no reason.
• forgetting to check blind spot.
• veering off my lane into another while singing.
• filtering sharply.
• opening the wrong window.
• hitting my hand on the dashboard as I got out of the car.

I proudly proclaimed that driving was like sex! once you’ve done it, you don’t forget how to do it again! I must practice more! Gambatte!!