Its ok, rather you drive.

I love the show, Top Gear. At the same time, I'm not the biggest fan of cars. I like them. I like my car. I wouldn't mind a nice new car. Do I buy the latest issues of the various car magazines every month? No, I don't.

Back to Top Gear. This show may be all about cars and subjects related to cars but that isn't the source of the shows entertainment value for me. It's the blend of the show's presenters, activities and humour that give it its pulse, in my opinion. A key characteristic possessed by most of the Top Gear viewers, I presume, is that they can actually drive a car and enjoy driving. I don't particularly fit this mold.

I can drive. I've been legally driving for almost 4 years now. But if ever there are more than two people with a driver's license present in a car, you're most likely to find me sitting in the passenger seat. This was not always the case, however.

In the beginning of my new found, car driven independence, I was besotted with driving. I had just passed my license test and was ready to take full advantage of all the perks that little signed piece of paper had to offer me. If anyone ever needed to be lifted somewhere, I would drive them. If the parental units forgot to buy something from the shops and wanted to go back and get it, I would run, no, drive that errand for them. If anyone ever needed a "designated dave" come "sober cobra" come "Mr responsible" to lift everyone home after a night out, I would...not necessarily do that.

But you get the picture.
You can finally drive on the open roads secure in the knowledge that you're not breaking any laws and don't require a big "L" on the back window and mum in the passenger seat. This is what people term: "the honeymoon phase". Its new, fun and exciting but pretty soon it'll pass. Then sets in the reality that driving is not all its cracked up to be.


Once the novelty has worn off, driving is exposed as the tedious task it is. Traffic is a complete nightmare. The continuous stop-start motion you experience amoung a see of seemingly stationary cars can be nauseating. This would be the perfect time to drift off and hang out in dream land for a bit but alas that is not an option. God forbid the person in front of you moves a few inches forward and you don't reciprocate by covering newly available ground. Road rage is also a reality amoungst drivers. Every driver on the road has the mindset that they're the best and if ever something were to go wrong, it would be on the other drivers behalf. The hooter is a road-rage-driver's best friend. They also feel the need to prove this sentiment over and over again.

Back to my point. I'm a competent driver. I just don't enjoy being in the driver's seat clasping the steering wheel. If I need to get from A to B and someone other than myself is willing to make that happen, then by all means, take my car keys. I'll be content to sit back in the passenger seat, play around with the stereo and watch the outside world fly by while you deal with traffic lights, road rules, pedestrians, other vehicles and the clutch.If we really all enjoyed driving that much - it would be a lot easier to get a cab.