The Oh Shit Bar!

When I first came to Chile, I remember thinking I really felt safe in the car. The longer I live here, the more and more I hate being in the car!

Months ago, now, Ana told me she wasn´t a very good drive. I refrained from being too critical of her driving because I knew she only learned to drive a few years ago. For me, I have been driving for more than half my life and I like to drive. I just told her, well you get us from A to B, that is what matters, right? Then, I reached up grabbed the handle above the passenger side door and said, do you know what we call this handle? We call this handle the ¨Oh Shit Bar¨. Oh really, she says, why?. Because when you grab in you are usually thinking ¨oh shit¨. She laughed and we continued on.

Now, for someone who knows she isn´t a good driver, she sure doesn´t hold back on speed when she is driving. Some mornings we are running late...when I say late, I am talking about 3 minutes, maybe 5. Chileans are on time when they need to punch their card. Ha! Chileans also have no problem driving 60 kph on city streets. I guess that is only about 35-40 mph, but if it wasn´t for the fact that there are many obstacles along the way like children walking to school, people riding their bikes, other cars and buses, don´t forget about all dogs in the street too....it just doesn´t feel safe.

One morning, I grabbed the ¨oh shit¨ bar and Ana just laughed. Another morning, we picked up a student that was walking to school, just to give him a ride. Ana slammed on the brakes as she nearly missed the corner...I grabbed the oh shit bar and told the student maybe he will wish he had just kept walking instead of getting in the car. Finally, yesterday, as we were running late, I said, you know, we really don´t get there that much faster by speeding through theses cities streets because you speed, then you stop, you speed, then you stop...what is the point? When we arrived, she says, we are here! I say, thank God! I lived again! I really think she thinks I am just joking, but I am just waiting for us to hit a small child or a dog.

When I got in the car with her brother he crossed himself before he started driving. I was worried he might be trying to tell me something about his driving. Now, I am thinking it might be good to cross myself before we start driving any where. Aye!