My Car Driving challenges _Part 2

 Driving or racing 

I often wonder why people can't wait on the road without honking.  I don't mind at all if someone passes me because everyone is in such a hurry.  I used to travel at my own pace, and occasionally I grow weary of those who frighten me by passing quickly, especially those who ride motorcycles.

Parking:-

It can be difficult to find appropriate parking in congested areas.  For me, parallel parking is challenging, but reverse parking is fairly simple.  I'm working hard to get the hang of it; I can do it when there are no cars in front of or behind me, but it's difficult on narrow, crowded lanes because there are no painted lines.  We must pay hourly parking fees when we visit shopping centers, temples, or other tourist destinations.

Regenerative Braking:-

As ours is an EV model, our car has this feature. It helps us to improve mileage of our car. It is nothing but Self braking System, if we remove out foot slightly from acceleration it brakes mildly and reduce our speed gradually no need to step on brake pedal unless you actually need. This help to charge our car when ever we release acceleration. But when our car is 100 percent charged regenerative braking will not work until our car battery becomes 95%. Those times are really tough as we are used up for this braking tough to bring to practice especially in heavy traffic times backside drivers starts honking....

Still I have not travelled more than 100 kms ...that is not tried traveling to native place in our car as we need to charge on way we need a proper plan to execute it.

Recently we encountered rat issue in our  car so I have installed a ultrasonic sound machine in engine. But still couldn't fix it.

One day, while returning home after attending a function, we were caught in a heavy downpour. The rain was so intense that we could barely see the road ahead. Instead of taking a chance, I carefully pulled over onto the service road, switched on the parking lights, and waited until the rain stopped . That day reminded me that reaching home safely is always more important than reaching quickly.

In the beginning, night driving felt a little tough.Today, I can drive at night with much more confidence.Although It's a small milestone, but one thing that i appreciate myself is how practice slowly replaces fear.

Before we bought our car, I used to imagine long drives with feel-good songs playing in the background. Reality, however, is a little different. With today's traffic, I find that music distracts me, so I prefer driving in silence. For me, staying focused and alert is far more enjoyable than any listening to playlist.

Driving has taught me that ,confidence doesn't come from speed or distance, it comes from patience, responsibility, and making safe choices every single time.

Happy Driving....😊

Where Two Wheels met Courage💪

Ten years back I started learning to drive two wheeler.

I learnt through a driving school instructor. She used to pick me from my home and teach me for an hour and drop me back to my home.

I never knew I would be able to ride myself until I tried initially I learnt to drive straight by putting both legs down' later days I learnt to drive in circles and rounding a park which has right and left turns. But I didn't have confidence had a on road fear what if someone missed to hold break and hit me from back, I had this fear as I met with an accident when I was driving cycle to my college and thankfully nothing major but that fear made me lot. 

But somehow learned to drive and later got our new bike. Even for test drive I couldn't drive just saw if my legs are reachable. I used to practice inside my apartment for turns I used to practice early morning and night when kids don't play. Then I finally got confidence. 

On day of driving test I started earlier, i used to avoid bridge road as I was less confident, so I take a long route to avoid that, the road to test location was on outer ring road that way I came across a three hump speed breaker that was very first time am riding like that so I was afraid somehow managed and went to test location. 

The real panic started from there, everyone was practicing to put eight by keeping two bricks with some distance

 I had no idea how the test would be, some how by seeing my tensed face a boy helped me by telling not to panic by seeing others akka you can actually take a big eight not this closer only thing is you should not put your legs down just do it as per your comfort like that. 

Somehow I passed my test and after test same boy accompanied me and gave confidence to ride over the bridge Nothing to fear somehow I gained confidence and ride over bridge first time , I was really thankful to that boy I never met him again but he supported me in most needed time.

I could never forget the day I picked my son back from his school after his sports day. That was my first night drive on my two wheeler, that too on a rainy day. From then on, my journey still continued…

The rain didn’t just fall that evening,it poured, as if the sky had been waiting all day to let go. The roads were unfamiliar in the dark, the streetlights flickering through sheets of water, and every passing vehicle felt like a test of my courage. My son sat quietly behind me, his tiny hands holding onto me-not tightly, not fearfully, but with a kind of trust that said, “You’ll get us home.”

And that trust changed everything.

Until that day, I had always hesitated,waiting for the right time, the right conditions, someone to accompany me, or simply a reason strong enough to push me forward. But that night, I didn’t have the luxury to wait. I had to move, to decide, to face the rain and the road.

The rain didn’t seem like an obstacle and night no longer meant uncertainty. Instead, they became reminders of what I was capable of ,how one moment, one responsibility, one small hand resting on my shoulder could change everything.

My journey still continues… but now, I ride not with fear, but with strength I discovered on that rainy night.

My Car Driving Challenges!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Let me start up with my Driving Test experience.

I learnt to drive a car five years back from a driving school............

  * It seemed to be easy as instructor used to cover up my mistakes........

  * Got only less time behind the wheel before i took a driving test.....

  * learned basic skills as it was manual car and also felt less confident.

 * I failed in my first driving test as car switched off during my turn. Got very much disappointed still gained some confidence and passed my test.

* Later after five years we got our own car. 

I did few test drive and felt Tata Tiago suited me well as it had seat height adjustment. Also I felt comfortable and got good view point and confidence while driving it. So we booked our car and waited for more than six months as it was an EV vehicle.

That was too special car as my DH bought it for my sake though he cannot drive. We did Pooja of our new car and got our car key, with help of a driver we drove it to our apartment.

My first challenge started when I tried started my car for taking it to do Pooja in our apartment Vinayagar temple. Just by inserting key car will not start we need to hold break n bring to N ready and it was ready to start. I drove for Pooja and parked it back with long struggle.

From then on every day morning by five to six (less traffic time) used to drive my car for practice. My elder son and DH would help me go for practice.

One day there was heavy rain so I took help from our apartment driver to guide me when I drive. Although I am confident bit nervous to drive. Day by day I improved my skills by following a stereotype driving pattern like I used to maintain same lane driving, start to school pickup half an hour early than usual to avoid heavy traffic on road and easy to park my vehicle in school as well. Somehow I got used up with day driving. Next is to practice night driving.

I used to take my vehicle whenever I get opportunity to pick up any guests late night from the bus stop or drop them at bus stop. Likewise I gained night driving skills and slowly started to take vehicle confidently during night time.

Of course learning to drive on city traffic in Chennai will help you master your driving skills for sure. Only thing we need to be patient and you need a trustable partner with you so you don't need to panic during tough times. My on road partner is my elder son who supports me, though my DH and younger son too support at times.

Driving is nothing but hand, foot and eye coordination at the right time according to me.

• I had a good steering control when i first started to drive and was less confident to judge my left and front side.  This skill can be mastered after repeated self-practising hours on your car. 
• Using indicators and horn was not that tough to master.
• On road fear and routes was not that difficult as i was a good two wheeler driver.
• Use of wipers during travel was initially tough and later got used to it.
• Initially i was mindful using brake and accelerator pedals i used to keep my foot raised with support so that i can easily apply brake when needed, this created leg pain after driving. due to anxiety i used to sweat as i was extra cautious when going with my kids , so i never raised my speed above 40, that was bit helpful maintaining mileage of my EV car.
•  When driving on high road if we brake and accelerate car may drift back little, i would be nervous to do so and feared i may hit vehicles behind me, but after a year i was able to manage that as well.
• Driving on road bumper to bumper was tough as i may give way to many moving vehicles as i stay safe distance leaving more gap in front. This fear too i overcame after many days of practising. 

Above are some inputs from my driving experience. Though many male drivers supports and be patient on road which was helpful in mastering the needed skills which i lagged few criticised and involved road rage for i was female. I learned to stay calm on those situations and stayed away from these people.

 

You may think i didn’t face any accidents....twice i hit my car on wall when i accelerated more during parking inside our apartment parking i couldn’t sleep thinking of that. Later we fixed that dent with insurance coverage. Henceforth i stayed extra careful. I feel so very proud for crossing 6000km behind wheel..............Of course learning continues...............challenges too awaiting in my journey...............will share more soon.................... :) 👩😃 

 

 

Birthday And Rideversary

 This blog is specially dedicated to my elder son. As we recently celebrated his 16th birthday Feb 19th last month and also Rideversary day of our Tata Tiago EV...this March 19th 2024.

A very "Happy Birthday to our Superman Sukarman "

16 th Birthday Special:-

As my elder son was writing his Igcse grade 10 exams we couldn't celebrate his important milestone in a grand manner. 

As he was running on his hectic schedule going to School attending special classes and preparing for board exams holiday was the only thing he missed as he had school even on Sundays ☺️.

As it was a preparatory holiday ( but still special classes were there)on his birthday he enjoyed staying at home ( I asked him to take off)and relaxing himself was really helpful for cheering himself.

So on his birthday I planned to plant 16 types of plant varieties in our home garden)as a surprise one(it was not that surprising for him though 😜).

Somehow he got convinced and did things, we planted below in our garden.

Vegetables,fruits,flowers that we planted.

Spinach,Ladys finger,brinjal,tomato,Chilly

tulasi,Jasmine, 

hibiscus- 3 varieties, Rose,lemon,pavazhamalli,nadhiavattai,mandharai, naval tree.

We almost planted all by the end of the day.

Earlier before two months we planted coconut trees...

We really enjoyed doing this both of my son's engaged doing garden work 

This is how our garden looked after planting. We planted vegetables in a grow bag on the other side of our garden but missed to take pics.

This birthday will definitely be a memorable one in my son's life...in the years to come....

Rideversary.....😎😍

This is the first year year celebration of our Ev car....This my DH gift for me.... doesn't mean this is our second car .....this is our first car...

We booked our ev as soon as it was launched..We got it delivered after 6 to 7 months of waiting....

In between waiting time we sometimes thought to cancel and go for second hand car until I test drived... I have previously drove Swift,Hyundai( learnt to drive in that car) and did test drive in Renault triber car but it was very big and tough to judge wheel turning.

When I did test drive in Tiago EV felt it was more comfortable to drive as that was the first model I have seen with seat height 😉 adjustment so was easy for me to drive.

Later on the day of our car arrival we all dressed up in teal blue colour to match our car did special pooja by placing Ganesha idol in our dashboard and also solar ring as an add on.

We got our key and took pics and I first drove my car smashing lemons was an unforgettable memory for me

We brought it to our home with the help of a driver. Later on that day we performed pooja in a nearby temple....really it was a big task to take a ride to entrance of our apartment where Ganesha temple located. 

Every time I ride a car it was a big task I have reached 4500kms as of now......will share my driving story in my upcoming blog.....

It has been an year until Our Tiago became a member of our family ,we would really like to thank our travel buddy for our safe journey with our family. Happy Rideversary to our Tiago Ev....🤩