Learning to drive at 28 - An introduction

avec_city · 19th April 2023, 15:40

Hi there fellow gearheads!
My name is Abhik, and although I hail from lower Assam originally, I've spent my childhood in Mumbai and a considerable amount of time in Kozhikode, Kerala (from where I completed my MBA.) I am currently based out of Bangalore and my tiny family here consists of me, my wife and my recently purchased pre-owned baby - a 2015 Carnelian Red Pearl Honda City V MT, affectionately nicknamed (and for lack of creativity) Ruby.

I shall try to keep this introduction short, as I am working on a purchase and ownership review of Ruby, but in the meantime lets refer to the title of the thread - Yes! I turn 29 in June and learnt driving just last year, from a neighborhood unlicensed driving school, in a 15+ year old Alto, where the instructor basically just showed me the basics of how to operate the car over a period of 2 weeks for half an hour each day. Why you ask? I honestly do not have an answer to that, being the sort of car afficionado that I am, you'd think I'd have learnt to drive wayyy sooner, but alas, the opportunity evaded me thus far. However, better late than never right?

My family did own a couple of cars over the years, namely a navy blue Fiat Uno and a white Maruti Alto, but all this was pre-2007 and I was too young to drive back then. But I still had that glint in my eyes whenever I used to gaze at cars on the TV or the streets. I grew up playing the NFS games and watching Top Gear (on my 6th rerun currently I believe) and religiously reading up on the Indian and global automotive scene in general.

Up until now, I've mostly been a lurker, since I had nothing of value to contribute, but oh boy how times change! Really glad to be a part of the community, and expect a pretty detailed (albeit boring, nothing you haven't seen or read before) review in the next couple of days.

Before I sign off, a highly edited picture of Ruby -

Learning to drive at 28 - An introduction-img_20230325_0045163270101.jpeg

Have a great day!

Roy.S · 19th April 2023, 17:50

Welcome to TBhp! Bangalore roads are going to be your baptism by fire. Keep a cool head and enjoy your car.

avec_city · 20th April 2023, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy.S

Welcome to TBhp! Bangalore roads are going to be your baptism by fire. Keep a cool head and enjoy your car.

Thank you! And you're quite right, there is no dearth of bikers thinking that the rules don't apply to them, openly running red lights post 10pm, suidical auto drivers and almost zero lane discipline among the cabbies and even private car owners. A harsh reality check when you see the stringent driving laws in western countries.

Just the other day a bike rear ended me while I was STOPPED at a traffic light at Koramangala! Thankfully there was only a tiny scratch which went away after a quick brush off.

Another incident occurred when I was exiting Phoenix mall during peak traffic and a biker overtook me with inches to spare and stopped right in front. I was going about 3-4km/H and even though I slammed the brakes, it touched the bike. Dude was ready to go ballistic on me but due to the extreme traffic, simply made some rude gestures and rode off.

Hopefully will learn to deal better as time goes on, but for now, I'm still in the honeymoon phase of just owning my own car and driving around, so I'm just considering these minor incidents as part and parcel of the driving experience in India 😁

19th April 2023, 15:40	#1
avec_city Newbie Join Date: Apr 2023 Location: Bangalore Posts: 0 Thanked: 10 Times	Learning to drive at 28 - An introduction Hi there fellow gearheads! My name is Abhik, and although I hail from lower Assam originally, I've spent my childhood in Mumbai and a considerable amount of time in Kozhikode, Kerala (from where I completed my MBA.) I am currently based out of Bangalore and my tiny family here consists of me, my wife and my recently purchased pre-owned baby - a 2015 Carnelian Red Pearl Honda City V MT, affectionately nicknamed (and for lack of creativity) Ruby. I shall try to keep this introduction short, as I am working on a purchase and ownership review of Ruby, but in the meantime lets refer to the title of the thread - Yes! I turn 29 in June and learnt driving just last year, from a neighborhood unlicensed driving school, in a 15+ year old Alto, where the instructor basically just showed me the basics of how to operate the car over a period of 2 weeks for half an hour each day. Why you ask? I honestly do not have an answer to that, being the sort of car afficionado that I am, you'd think I'd have learnt to drive wayyy sooner, but alas, the opportunity evaded me thus far. However, better late than never right? My family did own a couple of cars over the years, namely a navy blue Fiat Uno and a white Maruti Alto, but all this was pre-2007 and I was too young to drive back then. But I still had that glint in my eyes whenever I used to gaze at cars on the TV or the streets. I grew up playing the NFS games and watching Top Gear (on my 6th rerun currently I believe) and religiously reading up on the Indian and global automotive scene in general. Up until now, I've mostly been a lurker, since I had nothing of value to contribute, but oh boy how times change! Really glad to be a part of the community, and expect a pretty detailed (albeit boring, nothing you haven't seen or read before) review in the next couple of days. Before I sign off, a highly edited picture of Ruby - Have a great day!
	(9) Thanks

19th April 2023, 17:50	#2
Roy.S BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 749 Thanked: 1,143 Times	re: Learning to drive at 28 - An introduction Welcome to TBhp! Bangalore roads are going to be your baptism by fire. Keep a cool head and enjoy your car.
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