The Geek’s Chronicle part 2

The Geek’s Chronicle

Part 2: Car Driving Lessons

Six steps to learn how to drive in a geek way:

1. Dreams about it. Imagine you get in the car, feel the seat, the steering wheel, the gear, the clutch, the throttle… until you comfortable with it
2. Observe… watch the steps when you are in a car with someone… memorize the steps…
3. Get comfortable with the car… sit in the driver’s seat, feel the steering wheel, adjust the seat… do it for days until you have the feel… until you can reach, change and do anything even with you eyes close.
4. Start the engine, feel the sound, the power. Play with the throttle, the clutch and the brake…
5. Hit something… make your moves… hit a ‘rambutan’ tree until you broke the bumper, got stuck in the holes, make someone shout and honk you….
6. And just drive the car like you already have the skills… good luck.

Back there in the early 90’s, Eddy’s family is among the few which own a car. It was a 15 year old Peugeot 204. Dark red, big car, all manual and loose parts. Having the driving lesson all by himself, Eddy learn it through hard way, learning from the mistake.

First try, he scratched his father’s car. That happened when he is learning his first lesson. To move forward and backward. His father didn’t say a word about it.

Second try, he hit the ‘rambutan’ tree. That happened during the turning and reverse lesson. The rear bumper got wrecked. Still, his father didn’t say a word.

Third try, he almost hit an old man. The man shouted and curses him until he lost from his sight.

In the last try, the car ran out of gas. Eddy had to push that heavy big car on his own to the parking lot in the middle of the night. The car won’t start when his dad need to use it in the next morning. Since that, Eddy thought that he didn’t have the chemistry with the car. Every time he try to drive it, something happen. He gives enough trouble to his father. So Eddy stop the driving lesson with half skilled.

……

It took three years for Eddy to continue the driving lessons. And this time, he just drives the car like he already can drive. And this time, he did it without committing any mistake. However, Eddy became an illegal once in a while driver for about another five years before he got his driving license.