Current Events > Dude, I need FULL concentration when I drive.

(+) Yeah! (+)

No extensive talking. No music. Windows up. Just me locked on the road and taking the occasional glances at the mirrors and speed gauge.

I even panic a little when my phone starts ringing. I hate driving...

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My maid is a good driver. She can insult me the whole drive without losing focus.

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so i should stop rubbing your thigh or...

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Wow. I can turn my brain off and drive perfectly. I can drive to work and remember nothing outside of pulling out my driveway. Complete autopilot

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As an adult on my commutes and whatnot I've gotten to the point where I basically have to have cd's at the ready to listen to music on the go so I can stay completely off my phone.

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With practice it becomes a bit easier. I'm a Crisis youth care worker and a lot of my time it taken up by taking youth for long drives as we discuss what is going on in their life and how we can safety plan and help them to succeed.

I have to both drive safely and actively listen to our conversation. It isn't "easy" and can be mentally taxing but you get better at it.

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BloodMoon7 posted...

My maid is a good driver. She can insult me the whole drive without losing focus.

Whenever my mom is in the passenger seat, she's always freaking out over every little thing I do like I'm going to crash. That certainly doesn't help lol

The Trent posted...

so i should stop rubbing your thigh or...

I don't understand how people can goof around like that while they're driving. This shit is NOT second nature to me.

DepreceV2 posted...

Wow. I can turn my brain off and drive perfectly. I can drive to work and remember nothing outside of pulling out my driveway. Complete autopilot

It's going to be a while before I can do that. I didn't really have a lot of practice growing up...

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I wish. Sometimes Ill be driving and Im like, Wait. Where am I? How did I get here? Did I get to my turn yet or did I blow past it an hour ago?

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Kitt posted...

It's going to be a while before I can do that. I didn't really have a lot of practice growing up...

That sucks. I did get a ton of driving in early on. I was constantly driving 4 hours one way twice a week for about a full year early on

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Well at least you'll be in the best position to prepare for any crazy shit that happens on the road.

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on the highway I go nuts. in a city I need full focus.

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When I lived in DC I didn't have a car. You don't need one. But one time me and my then girlfriend and one of her girlfriends went to some concert somewhere in Maryland I think.

My girlfriends friend had a car and she offered to drive.

She was such a fucking nervous wreck behind the wheel I'd rather walked. No talking. No radio. No laughter. She held the wheel with an MMA death grip chokehold at 10 and 2. You could see veins on her neck and forehead.

Of all the people in he world, she was the last one that needed to be driving a car. She was offended when I offered to drive back.

She'd last 3 seconds on L.A. freeways.

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As long as you are 25 miles away from where you live you should be okay.

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cuh posted...

Are you just starting off? I turn off the volume and hyper focus only when Im looking for parking (or if I hit a curb / did a close-call and feel guilty )

For the most part, yes. I got my license last year and my crappy little car a handful of months ago. And even then, I don't drive very often. Most places I need to go atm is within walking distance. I bust out the car here and there when I need to get somewhere a bit further than usual (like my mom/or a friend's house) or if I need to take someone somewhere/helping someone out.

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DepreceV2 posted...

That sucks. I did get a ton of driving in early on. I was constantly driving 4 hours one way twice a week for about a full year early on

Yeah, the quantity and quality of practice makes a big difference.

My dad insisted on more practice because of some near death experiences he had during his biker days, so his teaching was... thorough, to say the least.

Examples being the times where we went into an in-progress development (houses and streets still being put together) and he made ice patches for me to practice driving on ice. He also had me drink and drive with him in the truck in that same empty development so that I understood how much was too much for me.

Questionable, yes. Stupid, probably. But I think I certainly became a better driver for it.

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RetsuZaiZen posted...

Well at least you'll be in the best position to prepare for any crazy shit that happens on the road.

I've been told I drive like a grandma and you know what? I'm perfectly fine with that.

I'm extra cautious and try to go the speed limit exactly. I get the occasional angry honks and mean mugs from other drivers when they pass by lol.

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Driving anxious and tensed like that will make you more prone to making a mistake. Turn the music on and play one of your favorite songs. It will probably help calm you down.

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brestugo posted...

When I lived in DC I didn't have a car. You don't need one. But one time me and my then girlfriend and one of her girlfriends went to some concert somewhere in Maryland I think.

My girlfriends friend had a car and she offered to drive.

She was such a fucking nervous wreck behind the wheel I'd rather walked. No talking. No radio. No laughter. She held the wheel with an MMA death grip chokehold at 10 and 2. You could see veins on her neck and forehead.

Of all the people in he world, she was the last one that needed to be driving a car. She was offended when I offered to drive back.

She'd last 3 seconds on L.A. freeways.

Yep. This is me.

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smoke_break posted...

Driving anxious and tensed like that will make you more prone to making a mistake. Turn the music on and play one of your favorite songs. It will probably help calm you down.

I agree with this (see post 13). That was a fucking hellride. Defensive driving is one thing, fearful driving is another.

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Kitt posted...

Yep. This is me.

Find some soothing music or hell NPR just for the soothing voices. Maybe find some open road somewhere to get the miles in and your confidence up.

I'm biased because I love to drive - L.A. native, 4 solo cross country round trips (coast to coast). I realize not everyone loves to drive, but it shouldn't be a source of stress,

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cuh posted...

lol that is really interesting as long as he was keeping you safe I guess thats good

I mean there wasn't anything else on those streets other than a few light poles. There was a time he pulled the emergency brake, but that was for a lone raccoon who decided then was an optimal time to cross the road.

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Kitt posted...

For the most part, yes. I got my license last year and my crappy little car a handful of months ago. And even then, I don't drive very often. Most places I need to go atm is within walking distance. I bust out the car here and there when I need to get somewhere a bit further than usual (like my mom/or a friend's house) or if I need to take someone somewhere/helping someone out.

Ah, that explains a lot. You'll get over that nervousness as you spend more time behind the wheel. I live in LA, so my commute home after work is about 50-60 minutes. I couldn't imagine doing that in complete silence.

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NoxObscuras posted...

Ah, that explains a lot. You'll get over that nervousness as you spend more time behind the wheel. I live in LA, so my commute home after work is about 50-60 minutes. I couldn't imagine doing that in complete silence.

I can't even fathom driving for an hour+. I'm still kind of scared of getting on the highway too.

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Driving is like 80% muscle memory to me these days. Sometimes I dont even remember anything about my drive to work

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I used to be kinda the same. TC. When I first started driving, every so often I'd realize how tense I was. My left leg would be super stiff and straight and I'd have to remind myself to relax.

It really is one of those things where the more you do it, the more comfortable you'll feel doing it.

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brestugo posted...

I agree with this (see post 13). That was a fucking hellride.

That experience does sound like it was pretty crazy. I would've called an Uber if she didn't take me up on my offer to drive back. I'd hate to criticize someone's driving since it's a sensitive topic but hey, it is what it is.

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smoke_break posted...

That experience does sound like it was pretty crazy. I would've called an Uber if she didn't take me up on my offer to drive back. I'd hate to criticize someone's driving since it's a sensitive topic but hey, it is what it is.

Unfortunately it was pre-Uber. Should have taken the train.

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