Tag: Santa Paula

A near miss.

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GOD

Ok so I have nearly been driving for one month. Yes I know you can’t believe it, trust me I can’t either. After reading my previous driving blogs I’m sure many believed that I one: wouldn’t survive my lessons on the road and two: definitely wouldn’t make it through the test. I guess the gods had mercy and looked upon my small Ford Fiesta with pity and smiled at the Santa Paula DMV on September the 1st. Whatever the case, I miraculously past and now I have been unleashed on the roads of Ventura county. Watch Out.

Oxnard has already witnessed some of my skilled driving as I visited the local fish and chip shop and a supermarket known as Vons. Vons is a great supermarket but it’s car parks are a nightmare. Now I’m guessing you’re thinking “oh no what did she do?” No I did not run over anyone, or an animal or scratch a car. In fact a rather large red Chevy truck nearly hit me.

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Round 2: Stick Shift.

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Driving
So after my slightly traumatizing first driving lesson I was quite reluctant to once again get behind the wheel and drive.

I was convinced that I’d never be able to drive and that I’d be stuck with a pushbike for the rest of my life. Yes the environment would love that but my legs certainly would not.

So after much thought, a new car, a promised lunch out and some clothes shopping, I thought it was once again time to hit the road.

“Sorry” I cried as I once again stalled, “I’ll remember next time.”

“Don’t hit the curb, remember this is a new car.” Although these phrases were often repeated and may give the impression that it was another dramatic drive, in fact it was quite the opposite.

List of driving skills mastered:

Steering

3 point turns

Hill Starts

Missing cars

Windy Roads

Avoiding near death experiences

The clutch

Going into gears 1 and 2

Parking successfully

Yes, proudly I managed quite a few little skills on my second lesson and I even had a lot of fun. There’s still hope for me yet.

Although encountering numerous monster trucks, naked men (yes both me and my dad were quite shocked with that one), gangs and oh those dreaded potholes, we survived and luckily so did the people of Santa Paula. I could drive!! (Kind of).

As I waved goodbye to the future prospect of being immobile, (except for a pushbike and maybe a Zimmer frame, if I could get a license) I smiled gleefully.

Here’s a video that sums up how I was feeling after my second driving experience.
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