I’ve been in the wars recently. One of the incidents involved a gentleman (said through gritted teeth) sailing merrily through a stop street straight into the side of my car. There we sat eyeballing one another, him in his little ‘skorra skorra’ and me in my modern tin can. Needless to say my car took the brunt of the damage with his having next to none. Which brings me to South African cars and their drivers.
We are all familiar with those sardine cans on wheels that are a law unto themselves on our roads. I am of course referring to taxis that turn our highways and byways into championship slalom events with their passengers sat bolt upright, rigid with fear. Then you have the little old dearies chugging along at 40 kilometres per hour, holding onto the steering wheel for grim death and leaving chaos in their wake. Ever notice they don’t look left or right….I’m convinced it’s sheer determination that gets them to their final destination.
ALSO READ: Bad drivers: SA Taxi Edition
Next up are the poppies in those 4×4 metal beasts which should come standard with a bolster-type child seat for them as they peer over the steering wheel. Can they park these lumps of lead…nine times out of 10 the answer is no. You are in for a loooooong wait as they arm wrestle the vehicle into a 120 point turn. Next up is the SUV drivers in vehicles that just lack that intimidating factor, although it is not for lack of trying. With mud spattered vehicles from a weekend off-roading on the Midlands Meander, the cars come standard with coy stickers plastered on the back of stick figure family members and pets. The Washington monthly summed them up as being insecure and vain and often lacking confidence in their driving skills…their words not mine.
Up next are the low slung, sleek sports cars designed to impress, the occupants not so much. From youngsters barely of shaving age, ban buns atop their heads and designer glasses who screech from traffic light to traffic light inflicting their dodgy taste in music on all to men with receding hairlines, relaxed middriffs and a questionable taste in clothing. Cliché maybe – but more times than not on the money.
As for my category it would go something like this. Semi-modern car bought on the lower end of the monetary spectrum that all models and makes somehow just end up looking the same with a middle aged driver, who when she puts on her designer knock-off shades (bought from a dodgy dealer at a set of traffic lights in Gauteng) thinks she’s hot stuff as she tries to take on the categories above. Lord help me if I have to retake my driving licence….I feel I might fail!
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
