The Ultimate Driving Experience

I am not talking here about Ferraris & Lamborghinis, Maybachs & Phantoms or about silky smooth infinite stretch roads clad on both sides by breathtaking landscapes!!......

Wat i am talking here concerns only to those,

• who get that peculiar adrenaline rush whenever they get their hands on the keys of a car (whichever car may it be!!)
• to those who are born with a chromosomal anomaly which makes the person have unquenchable thirst for the "sheer pleasure of driving"
• to those who have the microprocessor chip in their brains which read "intelligent driving" &
• finally to those who do not have in their dictionary the word "enough" when it comes to driving!!!.......

If u r one such person,...my friend i have lots of lessons and experiences to share with u......

I'll talk to u "The Ultimate Driving Experience" under the following headings

1. The 'Tarmac' → the roads
2. The 'Beasts' → the cars
3. The 'Niche' → the (world) 'minus' (tarmac + beast)

The 'Tarmac'

You cant expect to get the Ultimate Driving Experience" from all parts of the world. For that u need the most challenging roads...And without doubt i know the most challenging roads on planet earth. I call it the most challenging because if u have mastered these roads, u r a pro..., u can drive with ease anywhere in the world.....

You'll find these roads in ..............INDIA.!!!!!!!

In India u'll have to travel south till u reach the state of Kerala....

The roads of Kerala can test your driving skills like no other road. There are no speed trackers, no multiple lanes.There are smooth roads, narrow roads, roads of non uniform width, of non uniform surface, craters of varying size.depth, and corners around which visibility is zero..!!!

When u are driving on a smooth road, simply out of the blue, any of the above mentioned road types can pop up!. Decisions will have to be taken in fractions of a second & these decisions are crucial to the extend that its consequences can range from discomfort in travelling pleasure for passengers to minor or major accidents on the road.

I'll give you a situation:- You are driving at 80 km/hr. Suddenly u spot a big crater of great depth within 5 meter distance.

• If u break suddenly the car/motorcycle right behind u (if there is one) can collide onto your car
• If u steer the car suddenly to left/right, it can hit a speeding motorcycle/car trying to overtake you
• If u drive straight into the hole, the chassis may get damaged, along with a vertebral column fracture for the rear passenger!!!!!

When u drive in these roads, your driving skills are tested to the max.

The 'Beasts'

It is up to the individual as to which car should be driven. But there is something... The more the car gets better, the less the driver will have to put effort in making the journey comfortable. He will have the top notch engineering to his service. But at the other end of the spectrum is where all the fun is. Its like taming a beast.

The car does not comply to your taste but instead u will have to study the car, how it handles, the brakes, suspensions, lights n everything about it. The more u can bring the car to its knees, the better the driver u are!!!

If you give a luxury car to 2 drivers, one mediocre and the other one talented, the passenger sitting behind may not be able to figure out which drive is the better one. But if it is a rickety car, the drive will definitely stand out!!! What i mean to say is that,...only a beast can can show or bring out the true driver that you are!!!!!!

The 'Niche'

You are not the only person driving on the road! Here in the roads of kerala, you will be able to say the attitude of a driver from the way he handles the car.His drive will reflect the personality he is or rather the state of mind of the driver. You can say whether he is an expert or a moron, whether he is angry, drunk or careless....

More than 95% of the roads are single lane roads, which means for the vehicles travelling either directions ( from cycles to trucks, from 10km/hr vehicles to >100km/hr vehicles ) there is only a single narrow stretch of unpredictable road.!!! Now imagine that!!!!!

The rule is keep to the left half of the road. But here many find pleasure in tailoring the rules to their size.

Here's a situation:- You may be driving at a very slow speed along the left side, when u suddenly spot a truck speeding head on to you at a very high speed. You may not have done any mistakes but mistake others make can cost u your life. And so it is up to the driver to take the most intelligent decision. Decision the driver can take vary across a spectrum. The 2 extremes will be like this

1. Move straight ahead with the principle-" Am travelling on the correct side of the road, done no mistakes, why should i stop and move off the track. Let him clear the way"
2. Slow down the car, moving off the track if needed giving primary importance to the passengers in the car and to the pedestrians and other vehicles.

The decision will have to be taken in a flash. And the more u get exposed to various drivers on the road, the more u become an expert driver. Each day on these road will teach u a new lesson.

Conclusion

In this article i have only mentioned only the ingredients and scenarios that can make the ultimate, intelligent driver.

U may not be a person who has access to these kind of roads, but if u get anything closer to this, don't hesitate..., go for it!!! The conditions in these road may seem frightening to some, but believe me guys its fun and pure adrenaline stuff... U r living an adventure each time....

One thing i can say for sure is that if u have mastered this tarmac,niche and the toughest beasts, I can say that you'll find any other road in this world.......... 'piece of cake' :)

Drive safely guys...........