Behind The Wheel

Every country has its own driving peculiarities. In India, it is the honking at the slightest thing - change of lanes, car approaching, honk to greet someone, honk at the change of gears and what not. In Malaysia, the horn is used far less often. What will strike someone most when they first drive in Malaysia is tailgating. At times it is quite unnerving. One minute the rear mirror reveals there is no car behind, the next the sight of a car, inches from your back bumper. Apparently, this is a way to tell you to move out of their way.

And sometimes if you indicate your intention to switch into another lane, the car, which is some way behind in that particular lane, will then inexplicably speed up so that you can’t get to its lane.

I heard in some countries the driving schools teach road courtesy as part of its course. Here they teach you the basic skills and if you pay extra, you are guaranteed a pass in your driving test. Hence, the frequency of road rage incidence.

I guess the older you get, or the longer you drive in Malaysia, you will learn the value of patience on the road and defensive driving. Or so I thought. This morning I was rushing to get my kids to the stadium for their school's annual sports day. There was, of course, a queue to get into the car park and into parking spaces. I saw an empty spot next to this car but was waiting for the man to get out of his car as his door was already half open. The man was taking his time coming out; and with the pressure of other cars behind me, I muttered, “can he come out any slower?”. Turned out my window happened to be opened as I had just paid for parking. My daughter admonished me later, saying that the man heard me and threw me a dirty look. “Well, he was dawdling and anyway, let’s rush and get you guys registered, eh?”, was my quick reply in an effort to silence her. In fact, I felt a bit embarrassed. I have just acted like one of those Malaysian drivers that I was writing about above. Just like I’m trying to practise some mindfulness in my yoga practice, perhaps I should also practise mindfulness in these everyday situations. What kind of an example am I giving my kids if I act rude to random strangers over small trivial situations? As I write this, it’s clear now I need to admit to my daughter later that I had acted badly this morning. Though it is not the easiest of task, it is a small step to righting some of my countless flaws. I hope she doesn’t rub my nose in it.

Anyway, here’s a clip of professional stunt drivers. Malaysian tailgaters have nothing on these guys!