BACK SEAT DRIVER

I think there is a ‘Mrs Bucket’ (pronounced Bouquet!) in all of us. Even the non-drivers have an opinion on how the road trip should be managed and can be quite vocal about the whole thing.

‘Watch that cyclist’, move to the other lane’, ‘slow down’, is quietly muttered whilst giving the driver a steely eye from across the gear shift although sometimes these mutterings can reach a mild crescendo at times. The driver obviously doesn’t know what the heck they are doing but the passenger plainly does so a quiet war is often fought for the drive, be it long or short, home, to the shops or a day trip out.

Myself, I find I am becoming more and more guilty of this phenomenon. I find that not only do I mutter but I ‘hang on’ to whatever I can wrap my fingers around tightly. Increasingly avoiding being a passenger rather than the driver. Preferring to call ‘see you later’ and ‘have a safe trip’ and wait for the return rather than engage in a war of the highway. Am I a control freak, needing to be in charge of that steering wheel or am I just wary of what drivers see and don’t see and react too? Do they see what I see? Highways are becoming longer, faster, wider with more lanes to negotiate and drivers that seem to be ‘self-taught’ as they seem oblivious to others around them!’ not only sparking backseat driver comments but road rage from other road users who so obviously know better than the said drivers!!

And, being driven by offspring who are obviously indispensable or is that, indestructible, well that is a conversation in itself?!!  “For goodness sake mum, let me drive”!

I often wonder how they actually managed to be dropped off at footy training, swimming lessons, school camps and still live to tell the tale the way they carry on now, now that they have their own driving skills and find themselves having to get from A to B in the fastest, shortest, change lanes, down back streets, avoid the school zones time!!

Having recently upgraded the domestic vehicle to brand new, I find that short of packing the picnic lunch, the car more or less does the thinking and driving for me. Now I find I am becoming a ‘back seat driver’ to the car itself!!  “Let me decide to change lanes please car, let me park in the spot I choose please car, stop making that damn noise car when you think I’m too close to anything you don’t like”. CAR!!!

My walking shoes are getting a good work out.

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