My car driving experience as a Learner has been quite an interesting one. After 20 hours of driving lessons in a driving school, I got a Learner’s permit and have continued the task of getting better at the skill of driving. So, with a letter L on the front and back sides of the car, I set off at any little opportunity to drive the family car.
This reminds me of a story book one of my elder sisters once bought for me when I was a little girl who had just begun reading, titled, “My Father’s Car”. The image on the front cover of that book with the family pushing their precious car has never left my mind. I don’t plan to push our car oh! Rather, I pray to drive a sweet and comfortable car.
What does L stand for? A friend of mine saw my car with the L sign and shouted out, “You Lunatic!” Gosh! I was shocked! I never thought that letter L would be used on a driver as a “Lunatic”. I thought it was too strong a word to use on a Learner. Surely, this forced me to give it more thought. I began to think, “What does the word “Lunatic” Mean? Without checking up the word, it began to make some sense to me.
Come to think of it, a learner in her or his first few weeks on the road, is often like a child learning how to walk. And you say to the child, “Just take a step. Can’t you see that it is easy?” But even as you keep talking, the child might still be full of fear or will keep falling in the attempt to walk. For driving, it is even worse. One can really behave like a lunatic in the sense that since the learner has not mastered the rules of driving, s/he may handle the car like someone who does not have it all together.
The Learner is often trying to understand the driving road dynamics and must pay attention to many things at the same time. The Learner may make moves that could make an impatient Driving Instructor scream out, “Are you insane?” Howbeit, a professional and well-groomed instructor will not resort to that. I always plead with my husband to ensure that his blood pressure does not go up as a result of my driving practice. It has been good so far.
Since I began my driving lessons, I have become more attentive and sensitive to how motorists handle their cars and how they conduct themselves on the road. One often sees how motorists clearly disregard traffic rules and other driving rules. Most of the time public transport motorists do not scream at one another. They all seem to have agreed that certain rules can be broken and they will understand one another when it happens. I also enjoy watching just how drivers maneuver what looks to me like a challenging situation, especially to a Learner.
However, I noticed that when a vehicle has the L sign, as you drive that car as a learner, you get very diverse and interesting reactions. Some motorists would keep a respectful distance. Some would wait patiently to let you pass. Some will suddenly get very impatient and zoom past you like you were simply an obstacle. Funny enough, sometime they zoom past so fast only to stop again right in front of you, and you wonder, so, “What was that show of strength for?” Some will use any least opportunity to haul insults at you or at your driving instructor. Even a policeman did throw some rough words at me at some point, but that’s life! Everyone uses their freedom as they please.
Even though lots of motorists exhibit their already existing impatience with Learners, I really do appreciate those who smile at you and are patient to let you do your thing and get past them. A Learner battling to understand several dynamics, all at the same time, surely needs any encouragement and support fellow motorists can offer.
As these weeks of hands-on learning roll by, I am beginning to realize that there are more Learners on the road than we care to think about. I told my husband that from what I see, I think more vehicles should be carrying the L sign in front and behind them as they drive. I thought so because of the way I now notice how people drive. This will certainly sound like an insult for someone who has driven for years or even for decades. Nonetheless, the grand point I want to make is this: that “Learning never really ends”, or better put in the pidgin English language, “Person no dey sabi finish”.
Something happened that confirmed my thinking that more persons other than myself are also Learners.
Let me share this story.
One morning, my husband took me for a driving practice. I moved through the distance and glided back home safely. Later that morning, we were told that after I drove past a certain road, another Learner came along that road. Since the road was quite narrow and full of bends, the learner tried to maneuver his way through. In the meantime, a Keke driver saw the sign L of this other Learner and tried very hard to avoid the Learner. In the process of doing this, the Keke driver knocked down a man who fell into the gutter. We were told that the man was not hurt much.
A ‘good Samaritan’ who tried to assist asked the man if there was anybody who could be called upon on his behalf, a relative, friend or so. The man said he had only his pastor to call. The pastor’s number was dialed on the man’s phone but the said pastor declined getting involved in the matter. The point of this incident is that someone who was trying to avoid a Learner went on to knock down a pedestrian. The question is, “Who else is a Learner here?”
Like every other skill, I see that with more driving practice, one gets better at it and the confidence gradually grows.
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The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
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