Driving Pet Peeves

Driving has been one of my favorite freedoms/privileges to gain as a teenager. I saved up for almost a year with a job at Lion’s Choice(which I have some not-so-fun but funny stories from) and purchased my prized possession: a cream-colored 2005 Volkswagen Beetle convertible, which I named Lilo. The roof and windows need(ed) repair, so I got a great deal for her on the Facebook Marketplace, you know, the safest place to purchase a car. Fun fact about Lilo, the old owner is Dr. Hankins’s brother’s daughter, so I met his brother who looks a lot like him when I test-drove and purchased the car. As much as I love to drive, there are many things that I find aggravating while taking on the roads, although I wouldn’t consider myself an angry driver or anything. I’d never engage in any sort of argument or exchange of hand gestures with anyone else, but some things just make me curse aloud to myself. This seems to be a decent trend most anywhere, but I’ve noticed in Chesterfield especially that whatever the speed limit is, most people go at least 10 over it, except for a few select roads that are known to have cops patrolling frequently. I try to not speed, but I’ll go around 5 over occasionally, just to keep up with the general flow of traffic. When some very important person with very important places to be decides to tail me until they finally have an opportunity to pass me as fast as their 2002 Honda Civic will allow them to, I get very annoyed! Sometimes to the extent where I will actually speed up a little just to delay their passing. I also enjoy jamming out in my car, dancing and singing along to whatever comes on the radio, and I do not appreciate when people stare judgmentally at a stoplight. Sometimes I’ll just stare back and feel the connection until the light goes green and we go our separate ways forever. When I first started driving, if someone would make the same turn or two as me right behind my car, I would get very paranoid that they were following me to my destination. I’ve taken some fun detours just to “get them off my trail.” I also am thoroughly disappointed in my gas mileage, I really thought when purchasing a car as small as mine that I would only need to fill the tank once every 3 to 4 weeks, but with my regular schedule it ends up being once every 2. My car also has a lot wrong with it. I’ve got super dim headlights, and only one comes on unless I a) hit the other one repeatedly, b) have my brights on, or c) get very lucky. The only time I’ve ever been pulled over was for my headlight being out. I’ve also already had to get my taillight replaced, one of my four windows is off the track and won’t move up or down(leaving an inch-wide gap for precipitation of any sort), I had to get the radio replaced(sounds like a personal preference thing, but some short caused by it killed the battery if I left the car off for around 24 hours), the list goes on. But I wouldn’t trade my car(yet anyway), and it still has overall been a great experience having and driving it.