Comments on: You’ve got a fast car, fast enough that I could hyperventilate

By: Aimee Greeblemonkey

Aimee Greeblemonkey — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:47:46 +0000

I have had several major accidents and I am very gunshy sometimes. I have been planning a post about a few of the accidents actually, because they are interesting stories.

Hugs.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:37:56 +0000

As a former terrified flier (and I do mean terrified – picture the most comical, stereotypical image of a fearful flier and that was me. I had full on aerophobia), I know how much it sucks to fear something so badly and not be able to control the fear and not feel like people understood. But the key word in that sentence is “former”. While I’m not absolutely comfortable with flying now, I am pretty dadgum normal and ok with it considering where I used to be. So facing fear can be done – - and from everything I’ve seen of your spirit based soley on your writing, you seem like just the type of woman to kick this thing in the arse. You can do it! (oh, and sorry…but I did laugh a little during the car crash description. )

By: NS

NS — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:29:13 +0000

*Thanks BC, I appreciate your encouragement. I will definitely tell my instructor when I start lessons and hope they can give me a little extra TLC and training.
*Becky, I hadn’t thought about it going both ways before. I always hear people say it’s so much easier to drive in the US because the rules aren’t as rigid (not a good thing, IMO) and the lanes and spaces so much wider. But I’ve always thought that there are way more bad drivers in the US than the UK. I suppose with such a strict standard for testing, not many complete morons fall through the cracks. Whereas in America it seems they will give anyone with two brain cells and a pickup truck a license to drive.
*Mom101 –ooh, sorry to bring back a bad memory for you! Glad you’re okay, that must’ve been scary being hit by a drunk driver.

By: Mom101

Mom101 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:55:02 +0000

Oh my God I’m now hyperventilating with the recollection of my own hit by a drunk driver back in the day. And here I was just coming by to say yo, thanks for the blogroll mention, mama.

By: Becky

Becky — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:11:40 +0000

For some reason, when I moved to the US from England, all my nervousness about the move became focused on driving. I had driven in England for years, in Italy on holiday, and in the US on business trips. But when I moved here I was extremely nervous, terrified of the whole turn right on red thing, and damn sure I was never, ever driving on I-95. Within months of moving I had my first ever car accident (nothing serious). It probably took a year for me to get comfortable over here and I still won’t drive into Manhattan.
I think it’s easier driving in England, and a bit safer. I think driving manual cars means you engage with the car more and it means you can’t have one hand free to eat/read a newspaper/send a text message, so I think drivers pay at least slightly more attention to what they are doing.
But I do understand a little of why you are so scared, and how the fear builds when you are actually in the car.