Shifting Gears

Fasten your seatbelt. I'm going to drive. I've had two driving classes so far. My starting point was SM Manila and the farthest I've been to was U.N. Avenue. Somewhere near the plant of Coca Cola. I am finally driving at a safe speed of 20 kph. This pace is even slower than how a pedicab driver would get his bike up and running. Two days into my lesson and I've got a lot of stories I should have taken on video.

1. Being the vertically challenged person that I am (I'm just 5' tall), I had to move my seat really close to the steering wheel. Proper distance to the wheel should be observed at all times. How? Stretch your arms and make sure that your wrists rest on top of the wheel.

him: Mam, paki check lang po ang distance sa steering wheel.

I was stretching my arms to see the distance. Perfect!

him: Mam, paki tapak lang po ang clutch all the way down to the floor.

So I stretched my left leg and tried to press down the clutch.

him: Mam, parang di pa nakadiin ang clutch. Paki lapit lang po ang upuan.

At this point I moved the chair a few inches.

him: Ok Mam, paki tapak po uli.

So, I stepped on the clutch again.

him: Mam, konting usog pa. Parang nahihirapan kayong tumapak.

After the nth time, I figured the right distance to the clutch and not the steering wheel. What am I to do with the steering wheel if my leg could hardly step on the clutch right?

2. Pedestrians have the right of way. This holds true most especially if you are near the cross walk but for me, even when they are walking towards the car from a far distance, I feel that I'm headed for a collision. One instance was when I was heading towards the car park and I saw an old lady walking on the right side of the car. She was at a good distance and quite far I would say. I was panicking alright.

me: Kuya!!! Si Lola!!! Naglalakad papunta dito!!! Baka mabangga tayo!!!
him: Mam, malayo pa tayo kay Lola. Hayaan mo sya. Ang delikado yung naglalakad na ang likod ang nasa harap natin.

Sigh. Lola, why did you even have to go to SM in the first place. Maybe she had an eyeball. Yeehee Lola.

3. Forward, backward. These were the basic movements taught to me during the first day. We were somewhere near Adamson University where the traffic was bearable. Step on the clutch, release the handbrake, shift to gear 1 and press gas. The car was moving. Good girl. To move backward, I had to do the same steps but this time, I had to shift the gear to reverse. The car was moving. So on and on it went. Forward, backward.

him: Ok Mam forward na po tayo.

Ok I was able to move the car forward.

him: Ok Mam backward naman.

Again, I moved the car backward then out of nowhere I saw students crossing the street.

me: Kuya!!! May tao sa kalye!!! Baka makasagasa tayo!!!

him: Mam, pag ang kotse nasa 20 kph lang, kayang kaya to.

At this point, I figured out that my instructor had a brake of his own on the passenger side. Whew, ok. I guess it never hurts to drive faster.

The past two days, my heart has never beated this fast. I haven't been to the gym for almost two months and driving I suppose is good for the heart. Better than Omega 3 and it's some sort of exercise. I've been palpitating like anything and driving is also good for the vocal chords. I've been doing a lot of screaming the past two days too. My instructor had a piece of advice "Mam, ang kaba, iniiwan dapat sa bahay." Opo Kuya.