Driving lessons

My hubby is a good teacher. From PC to cars …it was he who painstakingly led me through. Electronic gadgets and automobiles were a strict no-no to me.

After three years of our marriage when I landed a job of Pediatrician in a hospital he decided it was time I drove a car. I was reluctant to leave the ease of driving my beloved Scooty. Three falls and a scarred chin was not to deter my love for the beauty which still was able to bring a twinkle in my eyes.

But my hubby decided otherwise.

The first class went in explaining the responsibility of driving a car. He stressed why a car was not like a two wheeler where you put a pedestrian at a considerably major risk if you are careless.

The second dealt with the safety issues. What would happen if you pressed an accelerator in place of the break? What would be the results of leaving your windows open (theft!! I knew that!). What can happen if you lock the car with the keys inside (you have to wait for an eternity till the key are located in some vague place which you have forgotten and brought to you. Man hours wasted not to be mentioned. I practically discovered that. ) What could happen if you let the AC on without the engine on. What could happen if you left the headlights on (Jump start!!)

The third class dealt with the mechanics involved. I was introduced to the concept of how gears work.
“Motors have low torque and high speed. Usually we need high torque and low speed. Gears are used:
To convert the motion from a fast electric motor that has low torque, to a slow motion with high torque (which is useful to push a robot).
To transfer motion from one shaft to another while keeping the shafts synchronized
If you turn the small gear, the big gear goes slower.
If you turn the big gear, the small gear goes faster.
The slow one has more torque (it can push harder). This is good for moving robots, arms, etc.
The fast one has less torque, but more speed. This is good for fans and automobiles and anything where you need speed but not much torque.
By using a series of gears, called a "gear train," you can get speed reductions or speed increases of 1 to several hundred.”
“I hope that it is clear what gear 1 to gear 4 means.” I nodded. “That should be reason enough for you to shift your gears gradually unless otherwise is warranted.
The fourth class was about how to save fuel and how to avoid unnecessary wear and tear of the vehicle. “Don’t press brakes when you anticipate you need to slow down. Just leave the accelerator.” “Don’t use AC if the climate is pleasant and your speed less”. “Always press the clutch to the fullest to make the gear shift smooth”. “Don’t drive with handbrakes on “.
The fifth day I was enrolled for driving classes. My trainer was extremely happy to have me as a student. “Natural reflexes!! You are not scared. You are doing very well!!” I would beam after each class and tell him. He would say “That’s all nice. Keep your head above your shoulders.”
I got the license and the car was due to arrive any day. Hyundai Santro….what a pleasure it was to have it then.
What happened next deserves another post. But all I learnt about driving I owe to my hubby. All that I refused to learn to my overconfidence.