Holy cow...

[Robert]

kiddocabbusses said:

Having only taking a couple lessons, It seemed like I was gonna be in an accident-situation at least once every 15 minutes.

Arhg....

Relax. There's no way you can be confident in two lessons. It's a scary, dangerous practice. Get used to how to move the vehicle and align it to lanes first. Then you'll find a lot of it comes pretty naturally after that.

milo said:

Sounds like you guys have been in some pretty scary stuff. Luckily this is only my first accident so someone told me that my insurance rates won't go up too high. But still.. I think I'll be walking to work for a while.

Plus, now pulling out of any intersection has me scared. I had to drive the car back to my house (after the accident, party 2 and I pulled our respective vehicles into an intersecting street as to not block traffic) and I was so afraid to pull out of the intersection.

The trauma of the event always makes it difficult at first to even consider ever driving again. That's just how it is in life for most people -- things are fine for a long stretch of time, then suddenly, unexpectedly, you make this huge error which bursts your bubble and has you realize just how horrible things can go wrong.

But don't worry, you'll get back behind the wheel eventually, and, if nothing else, will find you are now wiser. Not saying you'll never forget; I always still cringe and apply extra braking when I go through my wreck intersection. But really it's better that way; remember what happened and don't repeat your mistake.

[A Notebook]

Is it wrong that I really don't want to learn how to drive?

One of the reasons why I wish I had some kind of public transportation around here.

[kyon]

Since it seems like stories of automotive horror are the catch of the day, let's go with a few days ago. The scene: my friend's car, driving around 80-something. This BMW shot out of an offramp at roughly our speed (I want that kind of acceleration...), and then sandwiched us (inches between us! yay.), with the help of a white van. My driver managed to slow down and swerve into another lane behind said BMW. I'm just amazed that no paint was scraped or blood lost.

On the original topic, Milo, was it in the truck or the car?

[Robert]

notebook said:

Is it wrong that I really don't want to learn how to drive?

One of the reasons why I wish I had some kind of public transportation around here.

Define "wrong."

In the US, it shifted from a more community-oriented system of having market streets with local shops that sell everything you need to people moving to suburbs and shopping centers being built. The fact is, in most areas, you pretty much have to drive to be able to get your necessities and basic goods. There are very few places left where you could stay local and/or be completely satisfied with local public transit. Back home in Pittsburgh, there used to be the local Brookline Blvd, which was one reason why my parents chose to move there. It had a grocery store, a drug store, a hardware store... everything you could really need for most of your general life. But now most of the stores are closed, and anything left is clinging to life. And even I really never, ever shopped there... I drove to the Foodland about 3 miles away, to the Best Buy a half hour away. And that's just the way the shift occured and we have to live at this point.

[♫Milø]

kyon said:

Since it seems like stories of automotive horror are the catch of the day, let's go with a few days ago. The scene: my friend's car, driving around 80-something. This BMW shot out of an offramp at roughly our speed (I want that kind of acceleration...), and then sandwiched us (inches between us! yay.), with the help of a white van. My driver managed to slow down and swerve into another lane behind said BMW. I'm just amazed that no paint was scraped or blood lost.

On the original topic, Milo, was it in the truck or the car?

It was the truck. That thing's a tank. Only the front end was screwed up a little.