It is not often you get to do something you have never done before. That is an argument made by a close friend, who has been urging me to take on everything uncomfortable and difficult during what is a personal transition. He often reminds me that being uncomfortable is what has kept me moving forward, evolving, and perhaps improving. So, after some misgivings, internal anxiety, and lots of fears, I embarked on a new adventure today.

I took my first driving lesson today. (In a somewhat ironic turn of events, someone else took their first driverless robotaxi ride in San Francisco.)

Driving hasn’t been a priority for me. I grew up in Delhi and learned how to ride a scooter and motorcycle. It was enough to get around, and more importantly, that was all my family could afford at that time. My parents taught me to live within our means. It is a lesson that isn’t easily forgotten even after all these years. 

Even though I had friends with cars who would have readily obliged, I didn’t feel comfortable asking them to teach me. Nevertheless, I could remember roads and quickly navigate, which landed me some navigator gigs in car rallies. I still never drove myself. Later, when I moved to New York, I found no need to drive. MTA was a godsend. Even in San Francisco, I found myself taking public transportation and later taxicabs. Uber solved many of my mobility problems.

Owning a car, the carbon footprint (Read more...)