The Driving License that I possess since April 15, 1994 to be precise, more than fifteen years now, deserves a very prominent place on our drawing room wall enlarged in the largest possible size, laminated and framed of course! In fact, this is one of the many views of my hubby and I won’t dispute them either. The License is no less a Trophy for me at least, if you ask my opinion!!
When I arrived in Bahrain in 1990, the traffic, especially the roads weren’t in such a chaos or mess, the way they are today. Beautiful roundabouts with palm trees on the pavements, while different models of brand new cars whizzing past by me that too driven by women, were enough to stimulate my senses to pester my hubby to enroll me for the driving classes, which was not so difficult then. He was and is still such a sweet guy. First of all he did not want to say ‘no’ to his sweetheart of one and half year, who was away from him immediately after the marriage and who had just arrived in Bahrain. Perhaps, he also wanted to show off (!?) to his friends and dear and near ones, her driving skills? After enrolling myself for the theory classes at the Traffic Directorate, Isa Town and subsequent practical classes by no less than two of the driving instructors (first one was a real pain, I had to hunt for a second one after 18 classes), it was time at last for my driving test. ‘D’ Day.. changing gears in lanes, going up a hill, taking a right or left turn, most important of all reversing the car without the help of the instructor was not all that easy as I had thought. It was difficult to get past the experienced and smart Inspectors who took tests, and well, I flunked my first test, second and third one in succession. Ultimately, after 36 driving classes and the fourth test I got through. The thrill that I experienced in holding my driving license in my hands was far better than driving the car itself.
For the first two years, I did drive, initially almost daily from my office to home, which is only a five minutes drive! I know my driving used to send shivers down my beloved’s spine, but oh, what a thrill that was!! In my opinion, a woman driver like me could handle only a brand new car that too an automatic one but we had only a manual. All my requests for an automatic one fell on the deaf ears and it was not an easy task to convince my hubby. He wanted me to accelerate and brake only on a manual one.
A mention on my driving skills should be a must. The first memorable experience that I can recollect is while visiting my maternal uncle in Muharraq, upon reaching his house, swerving to the left gently (!!), I had somehow managed to crash the huge iron gate! Nothing happened to the gate however, we had to shell out around hundred Dinars to get the front portion of our car repaired in one of our friend’s garages, that too stealthily! No insurance, for we could not complain!
One more incident, a serious one, for no fault of mine though, literally put me off driving. My hubby had replaced new tyres for our car and had forgotten to check the air in the tyres, which was more than what it should have been. At a speed of 40, when my foot hit the accelerator gently, I felt there was something wrong. Again we were visiting my dear Uncle and my son was sitting behind, if I remember right he was around 2 years old. Before the Old Muharraq bridge, since it was a highway, I had increased my speed to 80 and bang.. next thing I knew was that I had hit the central barrier and the front tyre had burst! Thanks be to God, we were indeed very fortunate, none of us were hurt and there was hardly any vehicle plying. A little further, we could have been hurled straight into the sea! I could hear my son wailing at the back seat. The Traffic Patrol Police was on the site within minutes, who was kind and understanding, arranged to tow away our car. We had to summon my Uncle to drive us home!
If I have stopped driving these days, in my opinion it is not without reason. What I read in the dailies about the rules and regulations being flouted while driving, road rage, rash driving, so many young boys and girls losing their lives in accidents, pictures of mangled bodies and vehicles and most important of all the road works (a normal five minutes drive stretches upto half an hour with the traffic jams) that are being carried out are equally to blame and I cannot muster enough courage to drive on the Bahrain roads now!
But, I don’t want to quit yet, when all the road works are complete, I hope to buy a brand new automatic gear car and zoom on the Bahrain roads without any fear with my prized possession…my driving license!
When I arrived in Bahrain in 1990, the traffic, especially the roads weren’t in such a chaos or mess, the way they are today. Beautiful roundabouts with palm trees on the pavements, while different models of brand new cars whizzing past by me that too driven by women, were enough to stimulate my senses to pester my hubby to enroll me for the driving classes, which was not so difficult then. He was and is still such a sweet guy. First of all he did not want to say ‘no’ to his sweetheart of one and half year, who was away from him immediately after the marriage and who had just arrived in Bahrain. Perhaps, he also wanted to show off (!?) to his friends and dear and near ones, her driving skills? After enrolling myself for the theory classes at the Traffic Directorate, Isa Town and subsequent practical classes by no less than two of the driving instructors (first one was a real pain, I had to hunt for a second one after 18 classes), it was time at last for my driving test. ‘D’ Day.. changing gears in lanes, going up a hill, taking a right or left turn, most important of all reversing the car without the help of the instructor was not all that easy as I had thought. It was difficult to get past the experienced and smart Inspectors who took tests, and well, I flunked my first test, second and third one in succession. Ultimately, after 36 driving classes and the fourth test I got through. The thrill that I experienced in holding my driving license in my hands was far better than driving the car itself.
For the first two years, I did drive, initially almost daily from my office to home, which is only a five minutes drive! I know my driving used to send shivers down my beloved’s spine, but oh, what a thrill that was!! In my opinion, a woman driver like me could handle only a brand new car that too an automatic one but we had only a manual. All my requests for an automatic one fell on the deaf ears and it was not an easy task to convince my hubby. He wanted me to accelerate and brake only on a manual one.
A mention on my driving skills should be a must. The first memorable experience that I can recollect is while visiting my maternal uncle in Muharraq, upon reaching his house, swerving to the left gently (!!), I had somehow managed to crash the huge iron gate! Nothing happened to the gate however, we had to shell out around hundred Dinars to get the front portion of our car repaired in one of our friend’s garages, that too stealthily! No insurance, for we could not complain!
One more incident, a serious one, for no fault of mine though, literally put me off driving. My hubby had replaced new tyres for our car and had forgotten to check the air in the tyres, which was more than what it should have been. At a speed of 40, when my foot hit the accelerator gently, I felt there was something wrong. Again we were visiting my dear Uncle and my son was sitting behind, if I remember right he was around 2 years old. Before the Old Muharraq bridge, since it was a highway, I had increased my speed to 80 and bang.. next thing I knew was that I had hit the central barrier and the front tyre had burst! Thanks be to God, we were indeed very fortunate, none of us were hurt and there was hardly any vehicle plying. A little further, we could have been hurled straight into the sea! I could hear my son wailing at the back seat. The Traffic Patrol Police was on the site within minutes, who was kind and understanding, arranged to tow away our car. We had to summon my Uncle to drive us home!
If I have stopped driving these days, in my opinion it is not without reason. What I read in the dailies about the rules and regulations being flouted while driving, road rage, rash driving, so many young boys and girls losing their lives in accidents, pictures of mangled bodies and vehicles and most important of all the road works (a normal five minutes drive stretches upto half an hour with the traffic jams) that are being carried out are equally to blame and I cannot muster enough courage to drive on the Bahrain roads now!
But, I don’t want to quit yet, when all the road works are complete, I hope to buy a brand new automatic gear car and zoom on the Bahrain roads without any fear with my prized possession…my driving license!
Ha Ha Ha.....!
ReplyDeleteNice hillarious article.
May your dream come true very soon...
LOL...;-))) was chuckling all the way thru this
ReplyDeleteI am glad Kau..there are many like me, but wouldn't admit it..
ReplyDelete