I have a drivers license and a SUV and am able to get myself to work on the weekends. I am able to drive around town and under extreme duress I will do my best to get to doctor's appointments out of town. But I won't drive in the city. Any appointments up there, I have to see if somebody can take me.
RI has the worst drivers in the US I swear. I've been cut off, tail-gated, passed on the inside and had the horn blown at me because I'm taking too long to pull out across traffic to get to the other side of the road. In fact, for years I have arranged my chores around town in such a way that I don't have to cross traffic unless there is a light to help me.
It's getting worse now. I have backed into and run into a couple of people, both incidents very minor but enough to make me nervous that the next time there might be worse damage.
I have gotten laughed at for several years because I am so cautious about driving, only going where I know and staying as far away from the next car as I can get. I have driven too many cars with questionable brakes to do otherwise. All these years DH has had a small auto insurance to pay because we have avoided accidents for years.
When he would say "you have a car and a license so what's your problem?" I have reminded him that because I know my driving limits and do my best to avoid contact with other cars, his auto insurance payments are $600/year for two old cars because we have been lucky enough to have an accident free record to keep the rates low.
Plus I am on a lot of medication and that worries me too. There was one anti-depressant I had to change because I found myself flying through a school zone without even thinking. Lucky it was on the weekend but I was so scared and shaking from what could have happened that I told my medical nurse I was dropping that pill. Now my medication is pretty well balanced but it's just one more thing to make me even more nervous.
Can you folks see what I am getting at here. I am not trying to be a nuisance or put people out because I want to be difficult. I just know my boundaries and they are getting smaller and smaller and my confidence is very low
Totally see your point! I also avoid making left turns across a busy road, or crossing multiple lanes and will take a longer route as long as I can get to the destination with a right turn.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the autopilot kicks in a lot. We will drive through a stop sign, a light, etc., and God is with us when we do something like that. We are so "hypnotized" by the same route, we do it on autopilot. I drove 25mi one way to work for five years, often not remembering a thing about the drive and praying that I didn't cause any accidents behind me or thankful that I arrived safe. It IS a scary feeling!
That's what happens when I go to work. It was the same way in my old job, I went on autopilot as you said. I had to get used to the new job and now after almost 3 years that is on auto-pilot and I won't go anywhere near that area of town because I feel anxious.
ReplyDeleteWhere I run into trouble is an unfamiliar route, such as a dr. appt where I don't know the way. I usually get there an hour late after making numerous calls to say I am lost!
I get anxious when I am in unfamiliar territory and I'm not sure what lane I am supposed to be in. I just hate interacting in a pile of traffic. I feel like I am surrounded by a mob. I also have a thing about crowds, crowds of people, crowds of cars etc. I sure am glad I'm not the only one who hates to go across traffic. I let a person in whenever I can but I am scared that as I am pulling across the lane my car will die and everyone will hit me. For the record I have had some real clunkers but when you are young you think you are invincible and you can go about your merry way!!!
As ever hun thanks for commenting on my blog, I didn't know who you were until you replied on my wall!!!