| Enjoy the Ride! | The Toronto Star Wheels - 08/03/02 | |
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"There is a privacy I love in this snowy night.
Driving around, I will waste more time." Those two lines are from a poem by Robert Bly that tells of a late night drive into town; a quiet trip through deserted streets amidst swirling snow. A drive the poet obviously enjoyed. Given that cars have become such an integral part of our lives, it is not surprising that poets have felt the need to pen verse about the pleasure of driving. Whether we’re traveling down roads covered in snowflakes, washed by a spring rain, baked by the summer sun, or littered with autumn foliage, each season seems to bring with it another way to entice us out for a drive. For as much as we all grouse about having to drive endless miles en route to far too many errands (guilty as charged), it’s actually only the multiple stops that are the problem. The physical act of driving is usually quite enjoyable. In fact, the time spent driving from one destination to another is often a welcome respite from an otherwise hectic day. When traffic is at its very worst you can even momentarily forget the problems of the day by concentrating instead on the task of driving. Of course there are people who consider driving, under any circumstances, a loathsome daily necessity. But for many other motorists driving a car is quite enjoyable. Maybe it’s the feeling of familiarity they get when they slip behind the wheel and settle in. Or perhaps it’s the physical sensations that connect machine to driver, after all the rhythm of a car can be quite comforting. Just ask any parent who in desperation has relied on the car’s soothing motion to quiet the incessant cries of a colicky baby. One short drive and the little angel is gently lulled to sleep. Some car owners however prefer a less phlegmatic ride. Deriving their pleasure from the car’s mechanical performance, these drivers relish the growl of a powerful engine, the sensation of sifting gears, and the rush of putting a car through its paces. Roll down the windows or strip away the roof, (in some cases even the doors) and the thrill of the open-air wind-in-your-face ride makes the experience all the better. Other sights and sounds encountered along the way simply add to the pleasure. While traffic congestion, bickering kids and rude motorists can put a damper on anyone’s day, driving into a beautiful sunset, passing a soaring hawk, or just being blissfully alone on an open stretch of road, can all multiply a driver’s pleasure. Even the smell of freshly mown grass wafting through an open car window is all the more pleasurable because you’re not the one pushing the mower. You’re just driving by, at your leisure. Quite a few driving enthusiasts like nothing better than to head out with no specific destination in mind. They’re just out to enjoy the ride. Many a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive down unfamiliar roads has led to fortuitous discoveries, such as the perfect impromptu picnic spot or a treasure trove of antiques bought at a shop off the beaten path. Even traveling down familiar highways on a route traced hundreds of time before can be fun. Driver and passengers get a rare chance to spend hours together, happily anticipating their arrival at a favourite destination. The ritual of the drive, watching for familiar landmarks and pausing at favourite pit stops, is in itself enjoyable. Granted, the car isn’t always such an idyllic setting. Disagreements do occasionally erupt between occupants forced to share such close quarters. Conversely though, the car has also become a rather clichéd escape route. Arguments invariably end with one person making the classic Hollywood exit: snatching up the car keys and storming out of the house then slamming the car into gear and heading out for a long, head-clearing drive. Given all that can happen when one climbs behind the wheel of a car it’s quite obvious that driving is much more than just the perfunctory act of steering a vehicle down the road. Perhaps French sociologist Jean Baudrillard best summed up the allure of driving when he said: “Driving is a spectacular form of amnesia. Everything is to be discovered, everything is to be obliterated”. |