January 07, 2007

driving my miss daisy

maybe not daisy. more like the big spiky iron stinging nettle flower.

i think : if you can drive in kl, you can drive anywhere.
qualifier : ok, maybe not anywhere. definitely not in saigon. driving in saigon would be suicidal.
so.
since getting my license last may, i can now say im a somewhat competent driver. no accidents (yet. gawd, touch wood), only one ticket (parking, so it doesnt count) and great drivers run in the family (driving skills are hereditary, its true).
so.
drivers, i think, are all natural cursers. we curse. at other drivers, people, inanimate objects, animate objects, the weather etc. being behind the steering wheels just brings out the best (or worst, you pick) verbal abusers characteristic we have, regardless. i know for a fact that my cousin who cant say 'fart' without blushing can curse a blue (almost black) streak the instant she gets behind the wheel.
so.
while driving my mom to a hotel for a wedding reception earlier this evening, we encountered a stalled car in the middle of the road. it was basically causing slow traffic up to 1km behind it. so, as i was passing the car, i casually yelled (or rather, exclaimed, it was a very mild yell), "oi, put on your hazard light la oi," because his hazard light wasn't switched on and cars from behind keep swerving dangerously close to avoid the stalled car, ergo causing the slow moving traffic in the next 2 lanes.
i have to explain.
most of the time i yell at other drivers from within the comfort (and safety) of inside my car. i don't even wind down the screen. i just yell for the sake of, yelling. to accentuate the situation and the other people's fault. but not to worsen it by letting them actually hear the yelling. most of the time, its just makes me feel better.
so.
when my mom got pissy and started to earnestly lecture me on my unladylike conduct, i get sniffy myself. she pulled out exhibit A which was my aforementioned cousin and her infamous unladylike conduct while driving, labeling it "unnecessary, vulgar and i seriously don't see the whole point of cursing at other people"
ok.
i stated my argument of the merit of cursing in relation of making oneself feel better. i threw in the minor premises of 1)its fun. 2)you do stupid things when you get mad 3)the other wrong people should know when they're wrong. its serious business driving mum, people get killed everyday because stupid people don't get yelled at enough.
she rejected all.
kept going on and on and on that regardless the polite and civilised (her word, not mine) upbringing she gave me, apparently because i curse when i drive, im a heathen and, gasp, a rude driver. like those inconsiderate road bullies.
my mom.
you explain, why does it feel so right and easy to curse around while driving?

2 comments:

ultimatecass said...

true nell. driving brings out the horrible curser in u. i started cursing madly when i started driving. it's like a disease. it's good to curse so u can let out the frustration, and u wont end up driving like a maniac because u were so frustrated. that is why cursing is simply awesome. even my totally soft-spoken mom calls everyone monkey, bastard, and badigol (i think this is too funny a word) when she drives. nobody says anything when i curse anymore cos they gave up hope on me ever quitting.

disputed lamb said...

my mom could never recognize a lost cause when she sees one. sigh.
so now im a)cursing in silence, or b)avoiding driving with mom, or need be c)close eyes and grit teeth if curse bubble emerges. should note that closing one's eyes is never good during driving. but consider the alternative of offending my mom. see?