overdrive

it's friday again! although it is a friday the 13th, i still believe nothing can ruin my day. =)

and then there are the drivers from hell.

majority of US drivers are law abiding. so when one doesn't abide by the law, it's so easy to spot and condemn them. there's this fast sports car that suddenly cut my lane. then cuts the other lane where he's from, and then back to our lane. by now you can picture a snake-driving style. we're at around 55-60 mph. ok, mr. daredevil! kung sawa ka na sa buhay mo, wag mo kaming idamay! while i know i can brake in time to avoid hitting him, i was worried the one behind me cannot. drivers here are so confident that everybody else is driving defensively, that they are not alert for something out of the ordinary.

back home, it seems like everybody is driving offensively, so everybody is ready for action all the time. you can only secure a foot of space (or less, during heavy traffic) from your car as your territory. all the other space on the road is up for grabs. manila driving in particular, is like driving your car through the jungle. and thanks to this, i've learned how to use all senses possible while driving. it's still a mystery to me how i managed to text, put on socks and shoes, or eat chickenjoy while driving a stick-shift. it all seemed so normal to do that back home.

so this sports car driver who thinks he's so cool driving like that gave me a high blood pressure. ok, smarty pants, bring your fancy car to manila and let's see you drive like that. if you can make it through one block, i will give you my car! oh no, his driving will look like a Socialite-driving-school-student in edsa. i won't be surprised if he'd pee in his pants once those edsa buses come swooshing past his gleaming car just inches away from his side mirror. if i want to throw away my life the way he is doing, i will race him and show him how it's done, pinoy-style. driving back home is not for the weak of heart. or slow of foot, for that matter.

also, back home, i don't mind those drivers who tailgate me. because i know that once i hit the brakes, they will be able to brake in time too (save for some really stupid drivers). but here, they like doing that, while running at at least 50 mph. sometimes my evil self suggests that i hit the brakes and let that car behind me hit me. then he will know he doesn't have the "K" to tailgate me, because his foot is not fast enough. =P

i love driving and all the adventures that come with it. i hope that even after a year of exposure to auto-transmission cars and safe-driving, i didn't lose my driving style back home.

i have a reputation to protect. =P