Thursday, January 12, 2017
Fifty years of Car Driving !
Well, I was always fascinated by variety of Cars like a typical Rahalkar. Leave aside obsession for toy cars in childhood, I learnt driving a real car on my own just watching driving manures seated next to the driver on the front seat. Indeed my first adventure was at the age of twelve, when I drove my father’s office Jeep for almost two hundred meters ( of course without changing gears and duly encouraged by father who was standing that much distance ahead) .
My father owned a small Prefect Ford during the forties. ( it used to cost just five hundred rupees then ) . Later we had a huge Chevrolet that could accommodate not only the entire family with loads of luggage, our cousins numbering half a dozen could also easily squeeze in ! We enjoyed long overnight drives through thick jungles of Shivapuri and spotted live Tigers on occasion. My father used his office Jeep for touring on office work during the late fifties and the Chevy was jettisoned. However, a couple of years later my father purchased another hooded car, the V-8 Ford. I enjoyed driving the ‘phudphudiya’ for quite many years.
I had learnt tricks of fault-finding and minor repairs as well. (In fact I was more of a mechanic turned Doctor accidentally !)
That car was also sold in late sixties when my father retired from active service.
Well, it took me more than twenty years to acquire my own Premier Padmini. Indeed, I was the last one among my siblings to own a car of my own. Later on we owned a Maruti Omni, Scorpio, Zen and now a beautiful Vista. ( this beautiful white Indica Vista always reminds me of our small pet in London – by name ‘Joy’ ! Both are so cute and lovely !)
Well, my Driving pursuits ! I could confidently negotiate large variety of motor vehicles besides those mentioned above. Basically I never liked driving a vehicle during night times; but providence made me do so on umpteen occasions !
I have driven cars of my friends on occasion, such as the Ambassador, Maruti 800, Austin and Oldsmobile too ! I had to drive a Matador mini-bus overnight during a long journey to Puttaparthi ! Oh, I also drove a huge lorry-truck from Puttaparthi to Dharmavaram a distance of about forty five kilometres when original driver of the lorry had absconded !
I could also enjoy Car Driving in the UK. Shrish’s Nissan, Rav 4, Smart and Land Cruiser besides the hired cars in earlier years such as Mazda and Micra were indeed pleasurable.
I can proudly claim that not even a single mishap or accident ever occurred during those fifty years; no, not even a scratch!
I still remember my dear father’s injunctions. A good Driver must drive like a Gentleman ; minimum use of brakes or honking horns must follow traffic rules meticulously ; drive a car as if she is your baby ; hard boulders, gravel or sharp cracks on the road must be scrupulously avoided ; you should ‘feel’ pain to tyres while negotiating the above, and so on !
Indeed, I have learnt a great deal during fag-end of my driving pursuits while in London. I could understand basic tenets of good car driving while in London.
I feel really comfortable and at ease when Ravi and Shrish are driving a car. Indeed, most of the youngsters in our family are much better drivers ( than us !) these days. However, they should also keep in mind the injunctions of my father as mentioned above, for a smooth safe enjoyable drive !!
Jai Sairam !
10 January 2017
Pune
Well, I was always fascinated by variety of Cars like a typical Rahalkar. Leave aside obsession for toy cars in childhood, I learnt driving a real car on my own just watching driving manures seated next to the driver on the front seat. Indeed my first adventure was at the age of twelve, when I drove my father’s office Jeep for almost two hundred meters ( of course without changing gears and duly encouraged by father who was standing that much distance ahead) .
My father owned a small Prefect Ford during the forties. ( it used to cost just five hundred rupees then ) . Later we had a huge Chevrolet that could accommodate not only the entire family with loads of luggage, our cousins numbering half a dozen could also easily squeeze in ! We enjoyed long overnight drives through thick jungles of Shivapuri and spotted live Tigers on occasion. My father used his office Jeep for touring on office work during the late fifties and the Chevy was jettisoned. However, a couple of years later my father purchased another hooded car, the V-8 Ford. I enjoyed driving the ‘phudphudiya’ for quite many years.
I had learnt tricks of fault-finding and minor repairs as well. (In fact I was more of a mechanic turned Doctor accidentally !)
That car was also sold in late sixties when my father retired from active service.
Well, it took me more than twenty years to acquire my own Premier Padmini. Indeed, I was the last one among my siblings to own a car of my own. Later on we owned a Maruti Omni, Scorpio, Zen and now a beautiful Vista. ( this beautiful white Indica Vista always reminds me of our small pet in London – by name ‘Joy’ ! Both are so cute and lovely !)
Well, my Driving pursuits ! I could confidently negotiate large variety of motor vehicles besides those mentioned above. Basically I never liked driving a vehicle during night times; but providence made me do so on umpteen occasions !
I have driven cars of my friends on occasion, such as the Ambassador, Maruti 800, Austin and Oldsmobile too ! I had to drive a Matador mini-bus overnight during a long journey to Puttaparthi ! Oh, I also drove a huge lorry-truck from Puttaparthi to Dharmavaram a distance of about forty five kilometres when original driver of the lorry had absconded !
I could also enjoy Car Driving in the UK. Shrish’s Nissan, Rav 4, Smart and Land Cruiser besides the hired cars in earlier years such as Mazda and Micra were indeed pleasurable.
I can proudly claim that not even a single mishap or accident ever occurred during those fifty years; no, not even a scratch!
I still remember my dear father’s injunctions. A good Driver must drive like a Gentleman ; minimum use of brakes or honking horns must follow traffic rules meticulously ; drive a car as if she is your baby ; hard boulders, gravel or sharp cracks on the road must be scrupulously avoided ; you should ‘feel’ pain to tyres while negotiating the above, and so on !
Indeed, I have learnt a great deal during fag-end of my driving pursuits while in London. I could understand basic tenets of good car driving while in London.
I feel really comfortable and at ease when Ravi and Shrish are driving a car. Indeed, most of the youngsters in our family are much better drivers ( than us !) these days. However, they should also keep in mind the injunctions of my father as mentioned above, for a smooth safe enjoyable drive !!
Jai Sairam !
10 January 2017
Pune
