2786: I Can't Drive 55
The big bad driving rant!
So, I have been totally unable to work this week, because 1. Aibo was sick = no super = can't work >_< and 2. power outage when I finally got called in today =/ Granted, I am getting compensated for travel time [which ended up being over an hour, due to MASS EXODUS + getting lost trying to find an alternate route], but since I actually kind of enjoy doing what I do, it's just another kick in the face.
Here's what they don't emphasize to kids, which is how so many of them get killed in accidents because they're drag racing and all that because cars are meant to go fast, right? Or... out of fairness, I guess it's difficult to teach this unless you manage to teach them in a crowded city, but it's something that doesn't seem to be taught until entering the workforce and having to commute an hour one way every day.TRAFFIC SUCKS.
This is the main reason I no longer enjoy the freedom that is driving my own car. Do I prefer it to public transport? Certainly, but it's still not desirable anymore. There's no [normal] greater feeling of being trapped than being surrounded on all sides by bumper-to-bumper traffic, on the freeway, with no exits for several miles. Compound this with a great commuting distance [something I no longer have, thankfully] and the occasional "got lost, where the fuck am I" and driving becomes a chore, rather than a joy, especially when driving just to be driving costs more than it's worth--assuming, like me, you have to pay for your own gas, insurance, etc.
I recognize the exact point at which it no longer was pleasurable [well, not to the day, hour, minute, but general time period]: when where I wanted to be was also where I lived. Nowadays, though I do enjoy work, I'd sooner not go except to get paid, so anything beyond that is usually more out of necessity than desire [excepting stretches of unemployment, like this week's becoming]. Therefore, driving = going away from where I want to be, as opposed to driving = going to where I want to be. The days when I would... well, not GLADLY, but less than grudgingly drive several hours to get somewhere fun are over, as I generally have just as much fun at home doing nothing than going somewhere and increasing my carbon footprint. It's not even the cost of gas, to be honest, as it is the cost in time.
That became a red flag for me, when the people I was with wanted to spend all this time driving places, and all I could think of in response was how FUCKING BORED I would be.* I mean, my folks plan to get an RV and travel the country when they're both retired [at which point it will be worthwhile to get that GPS I'd been planning to get them as a present [otherwise, as it would be for me, it's spending--what?--over $300 to save a few minutes here and there? because how often do we stray out of known territory?]], and that's fine because they don't really have any other interests that would necessarily keep them bound to one place.
*I got sore once when I was asked if I would do Friend a favour and pick him up so he could go to AC, when Friend lived FIVE HOURS ONE WAY out of my way--adding almost a full day of driving to my already arduous travel time to pick him up and drop him off! Luckily, Friend realized this and said not to bother, but Suggester clearly didn't realize how much this asked of me.
I, on the other hand, can't draw in the car, in a plane, on a bus, etc., so throw THAT out the window, nor can I read, write, play games, or do much of anything else besides [if I'm not the one driving] sleep, talk, and listen to music. So getting an RV and travelling the country is a huge distaste for me, and something I would not look forward to doing in the slightest.
Here's the interesting thing, though: When I got lost today trying [and failing] to find an alternate route home, I came across some gorgeous scenery. I did, in fact, have my camera, but the problem was I couldn't justify stopping and taking pictures. I mean, I took some of what I could, but--for instance--stopping in a beautiful neighbourhood, I didn't feel comfy parking and taking pictures of people's homes. It feels stalkerish doing that, even if it's the best way to get worthwhile shots, as stealth in-car shots usually end up as garbage.
Problem is, I usually only get lost when I have some kind of time constraint on me--the best way to get these moments otherwise forever lost in time would be to deliberately seek them out on a day off, so best to do a good job of it. Ungh, I have better things to do than drive around Maryland looking for good pictures =/ especially when it's a pain getting myself to get them off the camera, sorted, and backed up.
I'm slowly moving my online art gallery to Side 7, not the least reason being that Gallery is misbehaving for me, and I'd sooner just move my stuff somewhere already optimized for it than futz with that anymore. [Mind, the "not mine" stuff will stay there, and I'll futz with it as I bother.]
So, I have been totally unable to work this week, because 1. Aibo was sick = no super = can't work >_< and 2. power outage when I finally got called in today =/ Granted, I am getting compensated for travel time [which ended up being over an hour, due to MASS EXODUS + getting lost trying to find an alternate route], but since I actually kind of enjoy doing what I do, it's just another kick in the face.
Here's what they don't emphasize to kids, which is how so many of them get killed in accidents because they're drag racing and all that because cars are meant to go fast, right? Or... out of fairness, I guess it's difficult to teach this unless you manage to teach them in a crowded city, but it's something that doesn't seem to be taught until entering the workforce and having to commute an hour one way every day.TRAFFIC SUCKS.
This is the main reason I no longer enjoy the freedom that is driving my own car. Do I prefer it to public transport? Certainly, but it's still not desirable anymore. There's no [normal] greater feeling of being trapped than being surrounded on all sides by bumper-to-bumper traffic, on the freeway, with no exits for several miles. Compound this with a great commuting distance [something I no longer have, thankfully] and the occasional "got lost, where the fuck am I" and driving becomes a chore, rather than a joy, especially when driving just to be driving costs more than it's worth--assuming, like me, you have to pay for your own gas, insurance, etc.
I recognize the exact point at which it no longer was pleasurable [well, not to the day, hour, minute, but general time period]: when where I wanted to be was also where I lived. Nowadays, though I do enjoy work, I'd sooner not go except to get paid, so anything beyond that is usually more out of necessity than desire [excepting stretches of unemployment, like this week's becoming]. Therefore, driving = going away from where I want to be, as opposed to driving = going to where I want to be. The days when I would... well, not GLADLY, but less than grudgingly drive several hours to get somewhere fun are over, as I generally have just as much fun at home doing nothing than going somewhere and increasing my carbon footprint. It's not even the cost of gas, to be honest, as it is the cost in time.
That became a red flag for me, when the people I was with wanted to spend all this time driving places, and all I could think of in response was how FUCKING BORED I would be.* I mean, my folks plan to get an RV and travel the country when they're both retired [at which point it will be worthwhile to get that GPS I'd been planning to get them as a present [otherwise, as it would be for me, it's spending--what?--over $300 to save a few minutes here and there? because how often do we stray out of known territory?]], and that's fine because they don't really have any other interests that would necessarily keep them bound to one place.
*I got sore once when I was asked if I would do Friend a favour and pick him up so he could go to AC, when Friend lived FIVE HOURS ONE WAY out of my way--adding almost a full day of driving to my already arduous travel time to pick him up and drop him off! Luckily, Friend realized this and said not to bother, but Suggester clearly didn't realize how much this asked of me.
I, on the other hand, can't draw in the car, in a plane, on a bus, etc., so throw THAT out the window, nor can I read, write, play games, or do much of anything else besides [if I'm not the one driving] sleep, talk, and listen to music. So getting an RV and travelling the country is a huge distaste for me, and something I would not look forward to doing in the slightest.
Here's the interesting thing, though: When I got lost today trying [and failing] to find an alternate route home, I came across some gorgeous scenery. I did, in fact, have my camera, but the problem was I couldn't justify stopping and taking pictures. I mean, I took some of what I could, but--for instance--stopping in a beautiful neighbourhood, I didn't feel comfy parking and taking pictures of people's homes. It feels stalkerish doing that, even if it's the best way to get worthwhile shots, as stealth in-car shots usually end up as garbage.
Problem is, I usually only get lost when I have some kind of time constraint on me--the best way to get these moments otherwise forever lost in time would be to deliberately seek them out on a day off, so best to do a good job of it. Ungh, I have better things to do than drive around Maryland looking for good pictures =/ especially when it's a pain getting myself to get them off the camera, sorted, and backed up.
I'm slowly moving my online art gallery to Side 7, not the least reason being that Gallery is misbehaving for me, and I'd sooner just move my stuff somewhere already optimized for it than futz with that anymore. [Mind, the "not mine" stuff will stay there, and I'll futz with it as I bother.]