I have something to bitch about.
They sold our car.
I know. Poor little Spielerfrau. Such a tough life.
But here's the thing. It wasn't just any car. It was an automatic.
We now have a standard.
I don't know how to drive a standard. I have never needed to drive a standard. And to be perfectly honest, I don't know why they even exist. Who wants a third pedal to worry about? Two is plenty, thanks. And fuck off awkward shifter thing that refuses to go smoothly from second to third and instead forces me to go from second to first, have a small panic attack, go back to second and piss everyone behind me off. Fuck. Right. Off.
I have enough to think about while driving over here. The 9,837,273 different signs are enough to drive anyone mental (I won't lie, I just learned what the yellow diamond means two months ago). So really, I think it's in everyone's best interest that I drive an automatic.
I love walking and believe it or not, I am thankful to be in a city so small that almost everything we need is within walking distance. But that car gave me freedom. The freedom to visit Kim and the kiddos. The freedom to get my Starbucks fix. The freedom to skip the mile-long walk to kindergarten on rainy days. Hell, the freedom to do whatever, whenever.
It isn't the American in me, I swear. I know standards are, well, standard over here. And I'm more than willing to adapt. But sometimes adapting is easier said than done. Sometimes I've had it up to here with adapting.
During our brief stint in Germany last season, I tried to learn how to drive standard. In the short time that I spent behind the wheel of that stupid Roomster, I stalled more times than I could count, I managed to nearly kill us once, and I burned the clutch ... twice. It was no bueno.
 |
| Whoopsies. |
The dealership wasn't impressed either.
Two of the other wives got in minor fender benders the same week, making my little dent look like nothin'. But even so, I highly doubt they'll be bending over backward to ensure that the keys to the next available automatic land in my hands.
I know how it sounds, but honestly, I just don't feel like adapting this time.
So this should be good.
I wonder if I can talk the hubby into a new pair of running shoes ... ?
14 comments:
I can hear the frustration in your words. My husband and I went on vacation to Ireland. They have the steering wheel on the right side, which wouldn't be so bad... but the rental car place only had stick shift. Ugh! I was the "lucky" one who only knew how to drive stick. It was not fun to drive stick shift on the opposite side of what I was used to. Very scary for my passangers too!
um, you have every right to be angry and I can't understand why they would give you a vehicle you aren't comfortable driving. isn't that putting you and your family at risk? Isn't that a lawsuit waiting to happen. Shouldn't they be worried enough about their investment to get you a vehicle you CAN drive safely? PS: Curse back at hubby. Would he stop talking to you if he had a bad enough accident hospital??
Its not like the US, they don't sue of little things. Over here if it happens to you its your fault! Some of things over here would blow your mind, I just shake my head and go this would never be allowed to happen in the US!
I am with you on the adapting part. There are times that I just want to scream.
Standards are a serious pain and why haven't Euro's made the switch to automatics yet, seriously! Get with the times folks. Love the f bombs. Really, they make me chuckle :) Good luck with the fender bender and learning, it gets easier the more you do it!
I was terrified learning to drive our first year and I honestly could not imagine what it would be like if I never had. Those "freedoms" to take the car and get away when you need them most are so worth knowing how to drive a standard. You'll be great at it soon!!
And I totally agree with the millions of signs. That's why I love the round-a-bouts. Just circle them 100 times until you figure it out!
Wow, don't envy you. For me the gear shift was one of the main things that I had to learn. Not that I'm exactly impressive as a driver.
Guess you could try taking a few driving lessons, may end up cheaper ! Good luck...
Du Arme! :) I know everyone has probably said this, but once you learn you'll wonder how you never not knew. I hope something gets worked out. That, or the rest of the season flies by!
If it makes you feel any better, my dad has this one of a kind mini cooper that I destroyed because I didn't know how to drive a standard either. I mean, I obviously thought I did, but clearly didn't, I got the three pedals mixed up. And the thing is, we weren't even moving. I was in their garage (which I almost drove right through..and had I it probably would have collapsed on my best friend as well). Thankfully, I just kept running into my parent's snowblower which basically saved the garage and my friend's life. I'll never live that down:)
I feel your pain!! I had to learn standard when I was living in Austria this year and it did not come easy. I can't believe they went and sold your automatic car... I would be pissed too... this late in the season, what a pain in the ass! Good luck with your driving :)
It's not easy to learn a stick especially in a foreign country. So sorry that things aren't going well right now. You'll catch on soon! Hang in there!
Standards suck...big balls...really big ones.
When I married my husband the first thing he did was sell his standard and buy an automatic because he knew I would ruin it...that was back when he used to WANT to make big sacrifices for me ;) now he would probably just tell me to walk.
Oh, this made me laugh. I too do not see the point of the standard. My husband routinely makes me carsick when we ride around in his standard Mini--it's just way jerkier than a nice automatic, like my Volvo. From time to time, he gets the notion that I should learn to drive a standard, and most recently he employed his mother to teach me. I complied for one lesson, but. Not. Interested.
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