Guess what? I'm driving again!
It's been over a year since I got my license, but exactly a year since I last drove - a year since our van was hit from behind by an out-of-control SUV. We got the van repaired, but it was never the same again and Mike didn't want me driving it.
I recently decided that I was ready to get my own wheels, so we started looking around for an old banger suitable for a first-time driver. That same week, the van finally gave up the ghost too...
So we're now the proud owners of a Maruti 800 - small, cute, and easy to handle. It looks a lot like this one:
Yesterday Mike took us to Ta' Qali and I drove it for the first time in the big parking lot, round and round. Mike had me doing maneuvers that felt very daring - driving at a fair speed in fourth gear, then decelerating quite fast and downshifting from fourth to second - while turning a corner! AND I did this while avoiding the other learner drivers, hahaha.
Then we went out on the Ta' Qali roads and I did several circuits, getting the hang of the car.
And finally, I drove us to Paceville, where we completely inappropriately watched Death Race.
I drove some more today, because I am determined to get to the point of soloing quite soon (never soloed before). It's not that I particularly like driving, because I don't, but I want to be able to get myself around instead of being dependent on unreliable buses and the patience of family and friends.
The Government wants to solve problems related to private vehicle use - environment-destroying pollution and traffic congestion - by discouraging people from using old cars. The best solution is to have reliable public transport. But since our current public transport depends on whether or not the driver feels like doing his route, no-one is going to willingly give up the reliability of their own vehicle.
So, if you see a Maruti being driven by a clearly inexperienced driver, it might be me - please keep your distance and forgive me if I don't release my white-knuckled grip long enough to wave.
