Revving Engines and Learning Curves

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(Edited)

Cars have always fascinated me. The revving of the engines and the feeling of speed through one's body as the vehicle moves fast is such an exhilarating feeling for me. As a kid, the sight of racing cars was always such a delight for me, particularly Formula 1 cars. It was then not surprising to me that I found driving to be a therapeutic experience when I finally learned to drive.

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I mean, when I did start driving my parents' car all around and across town, that was when I started to understand how not-so-fun it is to drive every now and then, as fatigue tends to set in at some point when one drives for so long. Notwithstanding, I loved the experience of being behind the wheel and always looked forward to the next time I would drive.

With at least seven years of driving experience, I know with certainty that it is something that I love to do. Learning how to, however, was such an experience.

I had just graduated from secondary school, and I was going to have a lot of free time until I gained admission to the university. My parents thought to enrol me in a driving school to use the free time to learn how to drive, and that's how it all started.

What I had expected was to spend at least six months learning how to drive, but I was surprised to learn at the driving school that I would only be taught for two weeks during the weekdays. I wasn't sure how that was going to work, but I knew nothing after all and hoped to actually learn how to do it by the end of the programme.

I started with a manual-transmission car. I didn't even know how such a car really worked because my parents' cars have always had automatic transmissions. That was the beginning of my war with the clutch on manual cars.

Truly, a manual car should be called manual because there is such a long sequence of actions to drive it. Starting a manual car and getting it to move was always such a problematic thing, so much so that I had to piss my teacher off to eventually get the hang of it—because the vehicle kept going off in my hands.

Moving on, I would then complete the driving lessons and begin to drive my parents' car to continue learning—because that was really just the beginning of my learning. It was when my mother started to teach me how to drive a car in reverse that I knew that this mastery of driving was a whole lot more than I imagined, and six months was just child's play to become proficient.

Driving a car in reverse is not even the same thing as driving forward. They are like two parallel worlds that do not coincide and are opposite in direction. What I knew as left became right, and vice versa when driving in reverse. Thank God for the very large compound that I was privileged to spend a lot of days and weeks getting the hang of. Otherwise, I would have either landed the vehicle at the repair shop so many times or put so many cows in vet hospitals.

Eventually, and like any other thing that takes time to learn, I got the hang of driving in reverse soon enough. It's still not like driving forward, as it is done less frequently, but yeah, not that hard like the first few times.

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Practice makes perfect, and the way I learned how to drive so quickly was because there was a reason for me to use the car every day. We lacked water in our house for a very long time, and so my brother and I had to take our empty kegs to fetch water somewhere a little far from home. We needed water every day, so I had to drive every day, and that was how I could improve each time I drove.

Fast forward to many years now, and I would rather take my own car and drive to wherever I need to than take public transport, and that is because I have come to love it—although my parents tell me that I would lean towards preferring public transport as I grow older.

I have only been in accidents twice. The first time was entirely not my fault, and the second time was also entirely not my fault. Yes, and for real, the two different commercial bike men were at fault on these two occasions. The first time was alright, as there were no casualties. The second time, however, was traumatic and left me with PTSD for a few days and weeks, and I couldn't hold the wheels to drive.

I have shared how the accident happened in two parts: From Guitar Shopping to Hospital Bills: A Journey Gone Awry and A Journey Gone Awry: Getting Arrested for Being in a Road Accident. But the general picture is that I was changing lanes, and then the careless bike man who wasn't supposed to be in any lane other than the first oversped and bumped into me. A woman was terribly injured, and I landed myself at a police station.

After the accident that scarred me for a few days, I recovered and was back on my feet again. Or should I say that I was back on my wheels again? Nah, I shouldn't, because I don't own a car yet.

I should own my own car, but then if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, and I would be driving a Tesla Plaid and bombarding this page with photos of it. Either way, I love to drive, and today's just about that. What's driving like for you?


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26 comments
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Wow, this is so beautiful to read bro. Sorry about the accident back then, it must have really made you troubled.

You started driving very early and having a car to practice from time to time helps a lot. I admire your confidence because driving isn't just about moving a car, there is a huge difference between practising and doing the real deal on Nigerian roads.

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Man, driving does require some level of confidence, especially on Nigerian roads. There's a lot of insanity to deal with often, and one needs the right mindset to manage through it. It can be a thrilling experience sometimes.

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I have only been in accidents twice.

What! Two times already. Do you know I have never faced an accident while driving a car in my lifetime? It's because I never tried to drive a car🤣🤣. !LOL

Learning driving in two weeks is not easy although I think it's just basic. I think driving is like an art and you learn how to do art in the first two weeks. Later it depends on the artist how to improve his skills with time which takes a good amount of time and the same thing applies to driving also.

By the way, are you thinking I am talking philosophical? If you are thinking it then stop thinking🤣.

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Oh, wow! I really wonder how it is that you managed to never face any accidents without ever trying to drive a car. 😅😂 That's hilarious!

I think there are many people that learn to drive in a couple of days or weeks and then never know how to over time because they didn't get to practice. It's important to improve by driving regularly.

I'm way ahead of you thinking that you're philosophical. There's no stopping me now. 😅

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Congratulations 🥳

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Firstly feeling good to selected as the Dreemport’s Comment of the Day. Thanks to olujay for the nomination 🙂.
You again reminded me about promoting about the comment in dreemport. I used to forget and from today I will try to submit a comment each day.

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You cannot submit a comment each day. Only once a week.

And I was wondering why you weren't submittingba nomination. You used to be quite expert in the task

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My forgetting nature is in it's peak 😅.. now I will set a reminder for it😅.

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My heart pounded like a talking drum the first time I stayed behind a wheel. I chat can. You make it sound so magical but as for me, I rather be on the passenger seat.

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Just say you'd rather be the madam and be driven around in your limo. 😅

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Driving for me is scary...blame it on the crazy drivers out there on the roads. I heard from a driving instructor that for you to drive in Lagos, the you need to he mad like the rest of the motorists. That alone spoilt my mind.

Sorry about the accidents you encountered..... twice. Just be more careful when in the wheels.

#dreemerforlife

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Actually, that's partly true. 😁
You have to have so much confidence and be brave on the streets of Lagos, or else na you go last.

I am more careful on the wheels now, trust me.

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Lol. I haven't learnt how to drive yet. I'm hoping that since you're a master ln the wheels, you can show me guidance when I'm eventually ready. But I like that you talk about how practising helped you to specialize in it. It's a little scary. But it's electrifying when you get the hang of it.

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Of course, I'll be privileged to show Her Royal Fanginess around on the wheels. That's my job description after all.

It's a little scary

I never would have imagined that anything could scare the daunting Fangy. Oh well...

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Driving sure is so what fun and not so much fun as it requires lots of concentration, someone once said when you drive you assume you're the only sane person in the road cause many people are so impatient., I remember when I was learning to drive I once went into the gutter and that left me with a fobia for awhile but I got over it after sometime and driving authomatic cars is less hectic than the manual once but then I have seen people who prefer the manual cars

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Yes, people mostly think that they are the "right ones" on the roads. That's people being humans.😂

I have a similar experience. It was raining one time and the gutter was flooded and I didn't see it. That's how got our car stuck in it. So I do get the feeling.

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I had a job in a driving school for couple of years and I can tell that learning how to drive is not an easy task. You are a confident person and I love you brave self. I really enjoyed reading this story 💯

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I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.

What was your favourite thing about your job in your driving school?

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I have never learned to drive but I know it's something I would really love to do.

It's actually one of the things in my to-do list and I will soon be checking that box.

So sorry you were in an accident. If only many motorists can drive while obeying road signs, there will be little to no accident. Imagine changing lanes as if they own the road.

Thank you for sharing. #dreemerforlife

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I hope you get to check that box soon. You should enjoy it.

From what I have learned so far, motorists don't know anything called traffic rules. They just do their thing anyhow and cause problems on the streets.

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I remember the second day of my learning when I hit a pole because I was hitting on the accelerator instead of the break.

How time flies, nowadays it's hard to find people driving manual cars because of the stress involved. I also learned with a manual ancient tortoise car that had a very hard steering, brake, and accelerator. Even staying on the clutch was harder, I was sweating all through my drive. Thank God I didn't continue with it, else I would have given up on driving.

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manual ancient tortoise car

I am not sure that I am familiar with this car. Is it that Peugeot car? Notwithstanding, I cannot imagine how hard it would have been to drive such a difficult car.

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