On the road again

I should say before I go any further that I am a very bad driver. During the "behind the wheel" portion of my driving test that I took when I was 18, I made at least two mistakes that should have been automatic failures under Oregon law, but the guy administering the test thought that once I actually got my license, my driving would improve dramatically with practice. Those who have ever driven with me since then can testify to the fact that it hasn't. At all. Getting behind the wheel with me is like drinking too much and deciding to decorate your roof with more Christmas lights. You may get away with it and it'll probably be a little fun but it's still not a good idea.

THAT SAID, over the course of the past four months, it's become clear to me that I'm not a bad driver, just that I was driving in the wrong country. I would fit right in over here. The wacky driving, combined with roads that usually make you feel like you're riding in a paint shaker and very little enforcement of the few traffic laws that exist make for just being NEAR a road that cars could potentially be on an adventure. For example, many enterprising motorists have found a loop-hole to the crater-sized potholes that dominate the roads by simply driving on sidewalks for miles at a time. Others double-park on sidewalks, too, and make U-turns at four-way stops. I will say this--it's very, very entertaining to me, but no one else here seems even a little taken-aback by these developments.