How I graduated to the Maruti 800! Will I graduate further?

SSC · Nov 28, 2011

Well, like the title goes, the story is about how I got to drive a car. Since childhood, I was the rough girl, who loved to be outdoors. So I learnt to ride a bicycle… Enjoyed my childhood by pedaling my way through… Well then, one fine day, when I was 9 years old, I rode the good old Kinetic Honda..! I was too small then, that I could not reach the ground when I brake! So I had a backseat rider, who would balance the vehicle by putting his feet down, when I brake! Haha!!

That was the start and after that, I rode any vehicle and every vehicle – at times my parents knew and some times they didn’t! :hide: When I got good scores in my board exams, they finally decided to gift me something, and that day, my most awaited gift came home – yes a super cool blue color sunny (yes, I hear you guys saying, “Oh the motor attached to the cycle?!” :bonk).. All my dreams came true with my sunny… I felt I had wings, Oh I cant even explain the feeling!! I used to race guys (yes my sunny could go at a speed of 60-70kmph) on city roads… The vehicle did vibrate, giving the driver a feeling of the engine bursting into fumes, but then it rode pretty well. At this point, I have to explain the petrol tank of a sunny. For those unlucky few, who didn’t get to see it, it was nothing but a 2-liter plastic can :rotfl!!! And the seat used to get stuck every time, I tried to open it, so I had a standard gas station, where I would walk up to one nice “Anna” (who rather looked like my “Thambi”), and he would patiently screw it open, and fill up gas!

When I was enjoying my newly found freedom by taking my friends around (doubles as well as triples – yes I used to almost stand up and ride when I took 2 people along with me :crazy) for almost a year, the horror-filled day came.. The day where I parked my sunny underneath a huge lorry!! I cant describe the day, I met with that accident, right in front of a police station (And, mind you, I did not have a license yet!! :hide Somehow, I did not even have a scratch on my body, and I just picked up the left over plastics of the vehicle and rode home. The week that followed were the darkest days of my life, with no sun(ny), my wings of freedom were gone!

So my parents, could not see me like that anymore, and they graduated me to a Scooty! :clapSomehow this vehicle did not give me the thrills that my cute little sunny gave.. And I found out after a few days, that my father got its engine tuned with a mechanic, so that I cannot speed beyond 45kmph :rant! I could not believe that.. So then, I finally graduated myself to an Activa (read it as could no longer ride on a tuned-engine Scooty :tongue).. What a smooth and fulfilling ride it gave! By this time, I turned 18, and my dad finally decided he could not put up with my illegal riding anymore and asked me to take driving lessons, to graduate me to a car!

Immediately, I took it up, and started driving.. Was a pathetic driver during those times. Banged on a few lamp posts, scratched the car left, right and center, and the bumper was broken to pieces. Got into one “Rajathi ammal street”, where the car had to fit itself between the gutters on both sides and I had to back up all the way to get out of the street without falling into the ditch, because it was a dead-end Witsend!! But, man, I was good at this stuff! The nice stick shift, the compact car, and its sleekness replaced the loss of my Sunny in my life. Soon, I graduated to be the official chauffeur of the house!

Driving is/was so much fun, and I love to be behind the wheel. It brings out a side of me that hardly comes out during the busy work days. So without doubt, the best part of my day is driving to and from work. After a stressful day, driving cheers me up, and after a looooong weekend, it does wonders to get my focus back! So whats my next target? – To drive an Indian truck (or rather lorry)!! I guess that will happen too, one day, with a few lamp posts breaking, and a few scooties parked underneath the truck :drowning. What say?!

Do you guys love to drive? Please share all the wonderful two-wheeler experiences you had in your teenage years, and the wild side that it brought out in you..

mansimahi · Nov 29, 2011

I am a motor school drop out - didnt go beyond bicycle I was always accident prone... I couldnt WALK two steps without bumping into something prompting my school friends to name me "walking talking disaster area" - I had a cycle though....which i would zip all around town. But i broke my leg once in an accident which brought the end of my cycling days.

after marriage my dh wanted me to learn driving ..poor guy..he was totally unaware that i skipped the line when God was handing over the "cells " that were required to learn driving a car - ....my eyes would glaze when my dh would explain the basics....exasperated with me...he gave up. I started going for driving lessons, but i dont know whether it was me that made the instructors nervous or they made me nervous...this time i gave up. Certain things are not meant to be in ones life.....and driving is not meant to be in mine.

Srama · Nov 29, 2011

Oh my SSC you are adventorous. So many of those 'poor' vehicles have passed through your hands even before you turned 18 :hide: Well well well. I am one for adventure too - I remember those days when a family friend helped me learn ride a cycle when I was in 4th I think and I failed miserably and till date have not ridden a bicycle yet. But that has not stopped me from driving almost all two wheelers, my fav being my red TVS Champ - now, now don't gauge my age Just like you I remember the thrill of seeing that needle point and shiver in the 'red zone' - add to that a NCC uniform....mmmm good old days! Now neither the roads nor that TVS will let me ride like that!!

Thank you for taking back in time and share!

satchitananda · Nov 29, 2011

Dear SSC, feel I have found a kindred soul in terms of the adventurous spirit in you :-D Enjoyed reading about your adventures. I learned to ride a bike at the age of 8, then progressed to a TVS at 21, got a licence to drive a car around 38 (I am what can be termed a late developer :hide: :bonk) and tried to drive on my own with a few disastrous results which are documented here. Driven to drive - Blogs - IndusLadies
So I thought in the interests of the greater good I would keep myself away from the driver's seat. :-( Wish you all the best with your driving and hope you will fly very soon. :thumbsup

SSC · Nov 29, 2011

satchitananda said: ↑

Dear SSC, feel I have found a kindred soul in terms of the adventurous spirit in you :-D Enjoyed reading about your adventures. I learned to ride a bike at the age of 8, then progressed to a TVS at 21, got a licence to drive a car around 38 (I am what can be termed a late developer :hide: :bonk) and tried to drive on my own with a few disastrous results which are documented here. Driven to drive - Blogs - IndusLadies
So I thought in the interests of the greater good I would keep myself away from the driver's seat. :-( Wish you all the best with your driving and hope you will fly very soon. :thumbsup
Click to expand...

Thanks for wishes Satchi!! The only way I can fly is by trying to sky dive!! haha!!

Adventurous spirit in driving!! Sure yes, I can be your partner in crime! Now and then I torture my friends here, by turning off the GPS, and navigating on my own... Well how are my navigation skills? Well, thats another story for another day!!!

Edit : Left you a reply at your blog post!! Loved it totally!

Arunarc · Nov 29, 2011

Hello SSC

Looks like both of us are the same I just love to drive never had many bad experiences but yes learnt before 18. But even today driving is always exciting for me I just love to drive. I have driven all possible vehicles the latest one was Audi A4

One bad experience that I had when 15 or 16 can't exactly remember the age I quitely took one of my cousin's TVS and went for my classes and unfortunately had wore a new long skirt that mom had stitched for me. I had tied it well but don't know when a part came out and got stuck into the wheel Oh I really had it from mom.:bonk

This time when I went to India I had a chance to drive a truck(as my chacha had brought a new one) I went on the drivers seat and was about to drive my dad from noway came and took me out of it. If he had not come around I would have fulfilled my long lasting wish. But i am sure next time to my native place I will surely drive the truck, that is one of my wish:biggrin2:

Cheeniya · Nov 29, 2011

Dear SSC
After going through your thread, I am led to think that when man invented the wheel, he had only people like you in his mind. You say you rode a Kinetic Honda when you were just 9 and used a ‘manual’ brake instead of a mechanical one. When I was 9, I was pushing an old cycle rim through the streets of Triplicane where it was the popular sport in the late 1940’s! We pushed the wheel with an iron rod bent like a hook in one end. The boy who went the farthest in the least possible time was declared a winner and as a prize we would get a globular toffee made of coconut and boiled jiggery called ‘Kammarkut’!

I graduated to a bicycle when I was about 14 but soon gave it up since I could never master the art of stepping on to the peddle and swinging my other leg over to the other side of the cycle. I always needed a platform from which I would perch myself on the seat and start peddling. It would be a sight watching me wobble for the first 100 meters like a drunk snake until I got the rhythm of peddling in order!

I had never tried a motorized two wheeler of any kind and I avoided as much as possible riding on a pillion. I had a friend who had a two wheeler with a side car like the one used by Amitab and Dharmendra in the film ‘Sholay’. I had travelled by it for a couple of times and liked it in a way. One morning just before waking up, I dreamt that the side car got detached from the bike and I was on my own for about half a kilometer until it dashed against hostile looking buffalo and stopped!

I bought my first car, a Fiat, when I joined the Bank in 1965. The rest is history, as they say when they have to narrate long boring stuff! But I must give it to you that I am no match to your adventurous spirit. Your history of mobility is as entertaining as a Walt Disney movie. You make our jaws drop and, of course, close again. Nice to hear that you are an expert driver now and the official chauffeur of your family. Your ambition is laudable, I mean the one about wanting to drive a heavy truck. I have seen a few Maruti 800 cars in Chennai bearing a plaque at the back proclaiming “When I grow old, I’ll be a BMW”. You will be the first one to aim even bigger! All the best to you!
Sri

SSC · Nov 29, 2011

Cheeniya Sir,
That was a wonderful FB! Aah, the art of stepping on the pedal and swinging the other leg, that was so picturesque!! While I grew up kammarkattu was almost on the verge of extinction, and was replaced by milk pepsi! They were the one rupee tubes of something like a milkshake!! We have had many a contests for those milk pepsis!! haha!! I have read that driving is a reflection of one's personality. From what I read here in your posts, there are definitely not boring stories behind the rest is history! Thanks, for your FB!!

SSC · Nov 29, 2011

Arunarc said: ↑

Hello SSC

Looks like both of us are the same I just love to drive never had many bad experiences but yes learnt before 18. But even today driving is always exciting for me I just love to drive. I have driven all possible vehicles the latest one was Audi A4

One bad experience that I had when 15 or 16 can't exactly remember the age I quitely took one of my cousin's TVS and went for my classes and unfortunately had wore a new long skirt that mom had stitched for me. I had tied it well but don't know when a part came out and got stuck into the wheel Oh I really had it from mom.:bonk

This time when I went to India I had a chance to drive a truck(as my chacha had brought a new one) I went on the drivers seat and was about to drive my dad from noway came and took me out of it. If he had not come around I would have fulfilled my long lasting wish. But i am sure next time to my native place I will surely drive the truck, that is one of my wish:biggrin2:
Click to expand...

Aruna,

Gosh, you almost lived my dream, almost!! Aah, would have loved to read, "I drove the truck"!! Man, there is always a slip between the cup and the lip.... Oh, I love the Audi series.. They seem to have very nice cars.. Thats in my wish list along with lexus 350, BMW X6, VW jetta manual, and a mustang (thats the latest addition)!!!

Hmm, skirt and TVS 50, yeah thats pretty bad... heard of a few cases, with their dupattas/chunnis getting attached to the wheel!

PS: Please do come and post in this thread, when you drive a lorry! Would love to hear that from you..

SSC · Nov 29, 2011

Srama said: ↑

Oh my SSC you are adventorous. So many of those 'poor' vehicles have passed through your hands even before you turned 18 :hide: Well well well. I am one for adventure too - I remember those days when a family friend helped me learn ride a cycle when I was in 4th I think and I failed miserably and till date have not ridden a bicycle yet. But that has not stopped me from driving almost all two wheelers, my fav being my red TVS Champ - now, now don't gauge my age Just like you I remember the thrill of seeing that needle point and shiver in the 'red zone' - add to that a NCC uniform....mmmm good old days! Now neither the roads nor that TVS will let me ride like that!!

Thank you for taking back in time and share!
Click to expand...

Sorry for the late reply. Srama!! First off, thanks for your lovely FB! So you have been the hot girl, with her scouts uniform speeding on a TVS Champ?? Hmm.. sounds interesting!!

Sadly, yes, no roads in India are sans cable connection, telephone wires, internet connection, manhole laying dig up!! Nor are the good old TVS Champs available these days!! The shiver when I hit the "red zone", has been replaced by the "fear of cop car flashing lights" when I'm speeding at 90mph on the interstate!!