Driving in the US of A

Oh what bliss !!, no potholes, no traffic jams, no blaring horns. I enjoy driving in the US.

Of course, there are both differences and similarities to the way we drive back home in India. For example, they drive on the right side of the road here. But that is where the similarity ends.

Now for the differences, firstly apart from the right side, we also drive on the left and every which way in between. Secondly, most cars here have auto transmission which in English means “we forgot to put that stick thingy inside”. So all you have to do is press the gas pedal (that’s the accelerator for the folks in India). If, like me, you are used to driving a stick shift, then you will feel completely clueless as to what to do with your left leg, it is simply there, not doing anything. I am so used to using both my feet that the first day I got into the car here; I had my right foot on the gas pedal and the left on the brakes. The first 60 seconds were terrifying. Well, not to me but to everybody else on the road.

At least, I have never had problems with driving on the right side of the road. Americans with their penchant for doing everything just the opposite of what the British did, thankfully left the gas and brake pedals in the same order. It is scary to imagine what would have happened if they had decided to swap the two.

Vroom...screech...screech...vrrooom......vrooooooo screeeee...BANG..

That was an Aussie, a Brit and an Indian at an American intersection.

Secondly, unlike Bangalore traffic where if you want to be someplace on time, your best shot would be to start walking (sometimes I start on Saturday to get to work on Monday), here the traffic actually moves and very often I get to go beyond 30kmph.

The only problem is I cannot look around and enjoy the sights and sounds of the surroundings. I have to keep my eye on the road all the time where as back home, that is everybody else’s problem.

So as lovely as driving here may be, I cannot wait to get back to my little stick shift and be amid the incorrigible mess of Bangalore traffic.

In the meantime, you better watch out because I think I have my foot on the wrong pedal again.

vrrrrooooommmmm.....