I'd admit, it was a dumb idea, one which I wholeheartedly regret.If I could turn back time, this would be something that I'd erase from the fabric of my being.
It was the day before yesterday when I foolishly decided to drive across to Blaine. I considered it to be practice for that class 5 road test. You know, high ways, mergers, and the like. No big deal. Save for the fact that I hadn't driven for a year, it was snowy and icy, and I was driving a friend's car without snow tires. What's more?...I was up for the adventure. I just had to drive slowly.
On the highway, I was going about 10-20 km/h below the speed limit--in the less-icy fast lane. The inner lane, however, was covered in ice and snow. The cars in this lane were moving slower than I was. Off the road, I saw a car spun out and stuck in a ditch. Then the car behind honking at me for going to slowly. I was below the speed limit but didn't he know that I was doing my best in these conditions? I maintained my speed so he passed me in the other lane at 100. But he didn't slow down for the ensuing windy turn; he underturned and screeched to a stop off the road. Needless to say, I passed him slowly and surely and not without a grin.
Of course, more incidences came. Minutes after, I drove off the highway (my mistake) and had to pull off my first U-turn to get back on. I understand that such a maneuver is both illegal and commonplace. Soon after that I was in the inner lane, wanting to switch into the outer. However, I was taking too long in shoulder checking, and lost sight of the road ahead. Peter (in the passenger seat) yelled, "Watch out!" Eyes shot forward--the car in front slammed on its brakes and attempted to steer off the road but still had a part of its rear in my lane. Thankfully, my reflexes kicked in and I quickly steered to the left (partly into the outer lane, avoiding collision) and promptly back into my lane (avoiding getting rear-ended by the car split seconds behind in the outer lane). Phew! We looked at each other with sighs of relief, a feeling that I hoped we wouldn't need to have again today.
We arrived at the border expecting a 10 min wait but I counted 25 cars ahead of us in the queue. No big deal: just a 30-40 min wait. Oh, and by this time the gas pilot light was on (I'm such an idiot). We had begun our journey with half a tank full and my friend had said that it would be enough to get me across the border where there was a gas station a block away. I knew that this meant I had 30 min before the car would die. The cars in front of me weren't moving so I turned off the engine, heart racing in disbelief.
Jason Tu
