"Karin's Komments" on Driving in Melbourne

By April, I had begun to drive the car sporadically in Melbourne under Rick’s tutelage. After Rick had gone to Canada, I decided to take advantage of the car at home, to learn to drive independently on the “wrong” side of the road! My dad always used to pray for “journeying mercies”, and that is exactly what I needed as I began driving to and from school right through the heart of a city with millions of drivers, all seemingly on the road with me at the same time! With the trusty GPS employed I usually manage to make it to school okay. Although it is a long route, right through the heart of the city, it is going the opposite way from the busy incoming traffic to the central business district.

After school, however is a different story, because I merge right with all the business traffic going home. Because it is winter out here, it is usually dark when I venture home from school, and that makes the drive even more daunting! What a terror at first, driving on a road that changes from four lanes to five lanes to three lanes seemingly at will, with hundreds of cars to the immediate right and left of me! “Karin, just keep the car in the middle of your lane with the steering wheel and tyres (as they spell them in the Australia) on the right lane markers”, I would say continually to myself. One day I drove in the far right lane, just to find that it changed into a right turn only lane, while I wanted to go straight ahead! How to change lanes with cars in all lanes whizzing past? I put my blinkers on, and just sat there with drivers behind me honking, until some kind soul slowed and let me merge into the needed lane! The next day I resolved to avoid that hassle again by staying in the left lanes instead. Imagine my horror when the GPS called out “Recalculating, recalculating, make a U-turn whenever possible!” I had actually exited onto a bridge which took me miles away from my destination. I didn't have a clue where I was nor where I was going! Now I know that we are to have ultimate reliance on God, and I did say a prayer or two, but I thought that in this instance I should rely upon my trusty GPS, and she didn't let me down! I was actually shaking when I finally arrived home in the dark after 1 ½ hours – it was a two-glasses-of-wine night to calm the nerves!

My most terrifying situation was my first venture out alone on a different route, driving home from orchestra practice late on a Tuesday night. My very first turn from the parking lot was left onto a big street. I maneuvered the corner just fine, only to discover a huge tram bearing ever closer down on me. Now, my brain worked overtime in realizing that something was wrong with this picture. The tram was on tracks that could not move – I must be in the wrong! Sure enough, I had turned onto the far side of the road as in Canada, but in Australia, it was onto the wrong side of the road, right into the path of an oncoming tram! In record time I veered back left into the correct lane! God was indeed gracious!

Gradually I began to improve in my driving, until I could feel comfortable enough to listen to music and put on my makeup in the car, as I do in Canada! Nowadays, I evaluate my driving skills by the number of honks I get from the impatient Melbourne drivers on each journey. I have gone from an average of 7 honks per trip to 0 these days, so I think I have improved! I still have a ways to go. I am quite terrified on big highways in the dark. I also have not yet figured out the correct way to parallel park without driving over a curb! I think I am going to put a big Canadian maple leaf on the back window, in an effort to tell the Melbournians to be kind to me, a crazy Canadian driver!