Just a rather negative rant, since I can hardly talk about this to anyone outside TFLF...
Seriously, f*ck driving.
f*ck those (coaches, friends and sadly, parents) who 'kindly' offer to help you practice driving, and then start backseat-driving, screaming and giving real shitty driving tips like:
SHITTY TIP 1: "Just drive more! You keep being scared, you won't progress."
Half-truth. Sure, I can get used to f*cked-up Asian traffic with more driving, but if I keep driving using stupid f*cked-up practices handed down by coaches who are only into it for the salary...what good will that do?
That is like asking me to practice sales copy by 'doing it more'...instead of showing main principles on how to improve my research, the right leads to use for different audience sophistication, how to write with a humanly-weak brain.
If I practice doing shitty copy or driving, guess what? I'll keep doing shitty copy and driving!!!
And if I ain't scared, your asses won't be coming home after I smash the car into a truck because I'm not afraid of danger. Do you know how many young people end up in coffins after they just DGAF to fear and road risks?
So what kind of driving teaching am I expecting?
Examples:
SHITTY TIP 2: "You can never go wrong if you keep checking the mirror"
Yup, I can stare all day at the mirrors until I go dumb...no, WHAT THE f*ck DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE THE MIRROR? WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU? HOW DO YOU LOOK AT IT?
Even the driving school coaches just crammed shit up my a$$ during the sessions...they NEVER discussed common situations or stuff like that. How on earth am I going to learn from experience if I don't have a baseline to branch out from?!
Better advice:
(check out Conduite Facile's YouTube channel. Great place to re-learn driving and parking)
When checking the mirror, if you can still see the WHOLE of the vehicle on the other lane, you still have good vehicle distance if you want to cut lanes.
If you only see partial part of the vehicle behind, he's too close.
For parking (if there are other lanes around with incoming cars), it can be helpful to use surrounding cars or lines as markers, and physically turn your head to see the windows.
SHITTY TIP 3: "Drive faster if there's no one around/when the chance presents itself!"
Yeah maybe, if lane cutting or overtaking a slow vehicle is in order...
But other than that, there's no need.
Why?
-Most cars are power vehicles. Press too much of the oil and even good drivers lose control.
(and that's how kids end up 9-feet underground)
-Most drivers are idiots.
I've heard MORE fatal accidents resulting from fast drivers than slow drivers.
Of course you can't be slow in making decisions, but if your speed is slow enough to halt or turn quickly to save yourself from the f*ckers, why not stay at a lower speed?
But if you (especially my parents) want me to drive faster because I eventually have bosses to rush for in deadlines, then probably I should rethink why do I have to rush so recklessly. And why my life's plans are that f*cked up...
Better advice:
Does your car run on a turbo engine? Or diesel (diesel cars tend to take more time to build up speed or fully brake)? If turbo, then you might want to go easy on the speed. But if diesel, you can afford to push the pedals with more effort.
Also, what is the environment? If everywhere on the road is a clusterfuck, with cars only centimetres close to you, then there's NO room to speed, even if you think your control is excellent. Just press and release brake...what's the big deal...?
SHITTY TIP 4: "You are TOO CLOSE TO THE CURB!!!"
Look...there's a truck on the right lane. You want me to directly smash into him?
Better advice:
Unless you are driving right on the side white line, you are OK.
Use the middle dotted line as a marker.
To avoid getting too close to curbs at turning-points, it can help to start braking a lot earlier (maybe a few seconds right after you start seeing the turn sign or turning route) so you can slow down and have more control.
It's very, very disappointing that driving is taught really shittily.
My opinion is that not everyone should be driving...go look at places like Singapore who have super-efficient public transport. But of course, most governments worry about other things instead of that.
If you get your transportation and driving education RIGHT, guess what? Business can go a lot faster and better, fewer workers and kids get stressed and killed in needless accidents, and you get more money (from better biz).
But since governments and society (who builds the roads and advises the gov on road planning) hate money and love mediocrity, I guess it'll take WW3 to destroy the shitty infrastructure we have now so that the remnants can build better ones.
One of my most bitter fights with my parents was on actually buying a car. I didn't want to get a car I could never afford or manage on my own. We ended up not getting any new car, but the compromise is that I have to go on those awful driving sessions in their vehicles...
I actually don't mind taking buses or even cycling to work (I even LEARNED cycling on my own years ago as my parents just kept nagging on it and taught zero actionable tips)...but to most people, it's shameful.
Another reason why I should move out (damn the COVID restrictions), and another reason why one of the first few things I do with Fastlane money is to hire a chauffeur, get me one of those self-driving vehicles or migrate to another country with much better driving conditions.
TLDR: f*ck driving, f*ck how people 'teach' driving, hail Singapore and good YouTube driving tutorials
EDIT: My mum just tried talking to me on why I said to her "Doing more of the same stupid thing won't help me progress". I meant that doing the same inefficient driving techniques over and over wouldn't lead me anywhere...but she took it rather offensively.
Even after I explained it to her, it turned into a few hours of tears and arguments.
Very sadly, this is a sign that it's less of a problem with driving, and more of a family problem.
Even sadder is that my parents can only 'teach' driving the way they were taught...full of trial-and-error, full of confusion and blunderings. I guess the adage that 'if you can't teach it, you aren't skilled enough in the subject' is true.
Maybe eventually I'll have to open up a training school to help kids learn life skills without their parents' failures or mishaps. I try to respect parents and their difficulties, but if the current generation of parents keeps failing...
Driving looks pretty crappy in the city (just watched some random Youtube Malysia video)
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