“For a driver to be driven by somebody else is always an ordeal, for there are only three types of drivers; the too fast, the timid and oneself.” ―
I was driving to lunch the other day with a colleague from work. After hearing the comment “I’ve never taken this route before,” I immediately thought about living life now with no co-pilot sitting next to me on most of my driving adventures.
During my marriage, the co-pilot sitting next to me really did know it all when it came to where we ought to be turning. She was never hesitant to express her very strong opinions. And of course, I was so hard-headed that even when uncertain, as I usually was, I’d go ahead and take the wrong turn just to prove my ignorant point. I’m left wondering, how did we ever get anywhere?
The running joke is always that the other person in the car with you is a constant source of frustration. Since males do almost all of the driving here in our society, the co-pilot is usually female. The war between the sexes continues in our car rides. She is forever giving him directions or commenting on his choices about the turn he didn’t take. He is defending his masculine need to know what he’s doing. Were they doing this while riding around in chariots so long ago?
“There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.” ―
Recent surveys report that people prefer driving directions provided on their phone to what is built into their vehicle. People also report that they believe using technologies in their vehicle will reduce backseat driving interference – informing the driver of blind spot dangers or missing potential collisions. I think there’s still much debate about the accuracy of internet provided directions. It seems that directions can change depending on which service one uses.
I remember using Uber to go back and forth to work while my vehicle was being repaired after a collision. It was a very short trip each day. The drivers were using navigation technology from their phones. The directions provided for this simple trip were different each day. Before you say it, traffic had nothing to do with it.
“In a relationship, people may be inhabited by discordant personalities. For that reason, it might be convenient for partners if one of both could sometimes be a little hard of hearing, or the other a bit shortsighted. ” ―
All of this to say, despite our technology, there’s still probably a very interesting and sometimes heated conversation taking place in the cockpit of most two partner vehicle rides. Back to my lunch trip the other day…
I told my friend how much different my own solitary driving had become. Mostly it’s an adventure filled with wrong turns, overly concentrated attention and puzzled exclamations – “didn’t I already pass that big tree?” Having that taken-for-granted co-pilot was worth every second of frustration I thought I was feeling. Balanced against the wasted miles driving in circles trying to communicate with that automated voice coming out of my dashboard.
In my opinion, despite the feelings of frustration (maybe this is just a script for males?) and pre-arrival arguing, having a co-pilot is worth it. Haven’t you always heard that we never appreciate the value of anything until it’s gone? When the AC goes out in summer, the internet is down while taking an online quiz, that vehicle is out of gas (halfway to your destination). Humans just seem to take too much for granted. I know I do.
“Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use. ” ―
There are people in your life who aren’t here anymore, aren’t there to give you driving directions, even when you think you don’t need them. But there are people who are sitting right there next to you (or who are a phone call away). Why not take advantage and ask for a little advice. The whole point isn’t so much getting where you need to go (or getting advice) as much as it is getting somewhere together.
“Love’s value is not dependent on the person receiving it, but on the person giving it.” ―
The Invisible Man 