Red lights & crosswalks

A little update on #1 and the driver's license.

He still hasn't got it. You know, the one where he doesn't need to be chauferred here, there and everywhere. Hasn't even made an attempt since the last time he made an attempt and well, didn't succeed.

And as such, every week I get to drive him into the city on the weekend (which, by the way, I'm not fond of. Who am I kidding, I don't like it...I'm in the city five days a week, why would I want to go to the city on the weekend?) so he can play water polo. Yes, he's on the water polo team at school. Which is a fabulous thing. But it means every Sunday in the city. At the pool.

Because he doesn't have his driver's license. I mean, I'd probably go anyway to watch, but that's not the point. The point is, I have no choice, I have to go!

So anyway, I let him drive the last time. Which for me, is a big thing. We're talking the highway here. At speeds of 100 km/hour. For a fairly long distance. And then, the city! I've never been in the car with him while he drove in the city. SG has... or so I thought.

The highway was fairly uneventful. He did good. I mean, he's been driving for well over a year and is a pretty good driver. And as we approached the city, I was calm. Relaxed. Hell, I was even texting while he navigated his way to the city centre. Not that there was much to navigate. Straight ahead, no turns, just drive.

Then we started getting into the thick of things. Traffic got a little heavier. There were more signal lights to take notice of. Not to mention the pedestrian crosswalks and red light cameras. And as we approached the famous intersection of Portage and Main, he was getting a little edgy.

"You're making me go through downtown? Do I have to take this way? Isn't there a side street or something I can go down instead?"

"No. This is the best way to go. Just be careful, pay attention, you'll do fine. It's not like it's your first time driving, you're doing good."

"Mom... it is my first time. I've never driven in the city before.... I can't believe you're making me drive downtown."

"What??? You've driven in the city before...with your dad...haven't you?"

"Nope. And here I am, right smack in the middle of it, with all this traffic and people and stuff."

Apparently I needed to put the text messaging on hold and pay a little more attention... my kid had never driven in the city before!!

"You're doing great." I said and really tried to mean it. I looked over at him and he had a little worry action going on in his face. "This really is nothing. This is just church traffic. Can you imagine driving through here in the thick of the morning rush? I do it everyday. You're doing great. Really, you are. You're just fine...whoops...that was a crosswalk, you need to watch for those so you can stop to let the people...hey, don't follow so close to that car, you need to leave stopping..."

"MOM! Can you quit talking? I'm trying to pay attention to the driving here...."

"Okay, I'll be quiet. But make sure you watch all around, just not straight ahead. There's lots going on with the side streets, and the crosswalks, and the traffic lights... not to mention the red light cameras that the city has..."

"MOM!!!!!"

Okay, I get it. I shut up. And let him drive.

We made it to the pool in one piece, without any incidents. Well, other than my stress level having been raised up through the roof. And #1 was pleased. He was very proud with what he had just accomplished. And I was very proud with what I accomplished. I didn't freak out... well, at least he didn't see me having a small freakout in my head. Which is good. For him. Not me.

When the game was over, I asked him if he wanted to drive home. I mean, he'd just come through the city for the first time and I couldn't very well not let him drive through it again. This was going to happen every week and I best just be getting used to it I thought.

"No, you can. I'm heading for lunch with the rest of the team and I'll catch a ride home with Bill."

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Ciao!