Pre-pandemic, I labored in San Francisco and lived throughout the bay. There’s a steep toll to recover from the bridge into SF, however it’s diminished by about 2/3 or so in case you have 3 or extra folks in your automobile. And also you get to make use of the categorical lanes, so that you don’t have to attend within the toll traces like everybody else, and the metering lights prioritize you. Cue informal carpool. In the event you’re a driver, you go to at least one of some designated spots, choose up just a few passengers, drive quick throughout the bridge, and drop everybody in one other designated spot downtown. In the event you’re a passenger, you simply present up, get in line, and get in a automobile when it’s your flip. Sounds sketchy as hell, truly works very well. I obtained chauffeured to work in some *very good* automobiles.
In the event you trip as a passenger lengthy sufficient, there are some automobiles you be taught to acknowledge and determine to not get into. It’s totally different for everybody. You be taught which automobile house owners usually have again seats lined in canine fur, or which individuals play music you hate, or no matter.
For me, it was a white Honda Match. The primary time I encountered it, I obtained in behind the motive force. A girl, in all probability not more than 5 toes tall, she had the seat all the way in which pushed *again*, the seat again reclined thus far that she couldn’t attain the steering wheel. No matter, it’s a protracted wait in line. However the Match isn’t an enormous automobile, so she’d taken up all of the leg room within the again seat. After I obtained in behind her, I — additionally not a selected tall particular person — was so scrunched up that my knees dug into the again of the drivers’ seat, which she then had the nerve to complain about.
She was additionally consuming a bowl of cereal. An enormous bowl. Ramen sized at the least, white, manufactured from ceramic, stuffed with cereal and milk, steel spoon and every thing. Once more, one thing I assumed she’d handle earlier than setting off to deal with rush hour site visitors on the Bay Bridge.
BUT NO.
She put the bowl on her lap, did nothing by any means to the seat place, and proceeded to drive away. Now, I’d mentioned she couldn’t attain the steering wheel and this was true. So to be able to drive, she used the wheel to tug herself up and she or he clung to it the whole 30 minute drive into town.
At this level, I need to point out that I race automobiles. It seems like I’m being pretentious as hell, and I in all probability am, however the factor is if you learn to drive quick you spend a number of time speaking about driving posture. To drive a automobile, you need your physique to be as supported as attainable, as upright as attainable, and doubtless not more than about 12-24 inches from the steering wheel, relying on how lengthy your arms are. Your arms must be barely bent and so they shouldn’t be taking any of your weight. There are many causes for all of this however the one related for in the present day’s dialogue is that this places you in the very best place to see down the highway so far as attainable and see hazards and keep away from them. By supporting your self along with your seat, you allow your arms free to steer immediately and exactly ought to the necessity come up.
Additionally, the Bay Space is floor zero for distracted driving. Assholes texting, watching movies, making video calls, all whereas driving their automobiles at 80 mph.
So: this girl couldn’t see down the highway to anticipate accidents and couldn’t steer out of the way in which to keep away from them. And she or he wasn’t paying consideration.
Additionally, in racing, you safe completely every thing within the automobile as a result of in a crash, something not nailed down goes to turn out to be a missile. Ceramic cereal bowls as an example.
The drive objectively high-quality, however I spent it in bodily ache, making an attempt to maintain my knees out of her again — did I point out I’d had latest knee surgical procedure? I’d had latest knee surgical procedure — and psychological anguish imagining all of the methods I used to be going to finish up useless and lined in froot loops.
It was high-quality, I mentioned nothing, no hurt no foul and so forth, however I additionally determined it will be finest for each of us if I by no means obtained in that automobile once more, so I didn’t.