Wednesday 20 April 2016

Driving

One of the most awesome things about not drinking is driving.

It took me a while after I quit to really get the driving thing. I wasn't used to using my car much. But now, I just love it.

Last night, for example, Mr SM and I were meeting some old friends in a restaurant in Covent Garden.

In the bad old days this would have meant either struggling with a long tube journey in rush hour, or a very expensive taxi ride.

Coming home would have been even more tricky, as with all the theatres emptying out, a black cab would have been hard to find, Uber would be on triple time, and the tube filled with (other) drunks.

But last night all I had to do was walk outside my front door and jump in my car. Stuck some good music on, set the SatNav, and off we went.

And I've discovered that as practically no-one drives into the West End, you can always find somewhere to park. For free.

Oh joy.

Then there's parties. Remember that awful moment when you realised that you just had to put the drink down and go home?

Often it would involve tracking down the host to find a mini cab number, waiting for said cab, trying to look sober(ish) so they won't refuse to take you, having to drive round and round to find a cashpoint while making inane conversation about the vagaries of the British climate, when all you want to do is go to sleep (pass out).

NO MORE! Now you can be your own personal night bus. Your own on demand chauffeur, ready to whisk yourself home as soon as you've had enough.

Plus, you become super popular with all your (drunk) friends as you can drive them back too.

You also have the joy of playing the go-on-please-stop-me-and-breathalyse-me game whenever you pass a police car. It gives me a frisson every time.

(See my post: Fear of Cashiers and Police Cars).

Out of town parties are even more smug making. While all your friends are spending fortunes on hotels, and taxis to and from said hotels to party venue, so long as you're not more than two hours away you can just drive there....and drive back.

Ok, you might not get huge amounts of sleep, but at least you wake up in your own (free) bed, without a hangover. What's not to like?

So, all in all, I'm totally in love with my car.

Until yesterday.

I took #2 and five of his friends to Kidzania at Westfield Shopping Centre to celebrate his birthday, and the last day of the school holidays.

The boys - aged ten - were all completely hyped up, and when we arrived they jumped out of the car in a flash, and headed off.

I chased after them, yelling, in a totally un-repsonsible-adult way, and only realised once I'd dropped them off at Kidzania that I had NO IDEA where I'd parked my car, in a car park with literally thousands of spaces.

Instead of having a couple of hours to shop while the boys went crazy in Kidzania, I spent the whole time wandering round the car park trying to find my vehicle.

Which just goes to show - even sober people can be total pillocks from time to time.

Love SM x

10 comments:

  1. Whilst I love driving myself home I am not so keen on the assumption I will be taxi driver for everyone. This is the downside to prolonged sobriety the expectation that I will detour around the county for everyone else!!

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  2. I drove home from NYC after our Gala last Friday night. It was awesome and we saved a lot of $$ on a car service! Since I'm not telling anyone I quit drinking I don't have to offer to drive them home!! Although, I have to drive Mr. Soberat53 home! He told me that one thing he doesn't like about me not drinking is that he was always the driver and had to monitor his drinking and now he doesn't have to so he drinks more knowing he doesn't have to drive!!!!!

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  3. LOL! I'm always doing things like that. It's part of being a woman of a certain age. I press unlock on the car key and hope I can see the car light up. Doesn't always work. I love your blog! Thank you. X

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    1. That's what I did! Hundreds of times! Eventually my car answered back!

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  4. Love your blog SoberMummy. I'm on Day 39. Tonight is my first sober night out with work friends ! Each week I've put money that I would have bought wine with into a jar ... so tonight is already paid for by my savings !!

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  5. I always drive now. Hubby likes it as he can now enjoy a few beers and not have to worry. When I drank he was always the driver as he could drink a bit more than me and still drive. I also love getting pulled over by the police for breath testing and am funnily disappointed if I'm waved past. Go figure! A x

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  6. Haha! This is an awesome post! I live in a driving world. My side of town does not have good public transportation. So I am ashamed to say that I have driven many times while intoxicated. I took horrible risks with my family. That ended a long time ago as I learned to moderate and reduce harm but now I can 100% say that I am a very safe and responsible driver! I may have to seek out a traffic stop just to get a random breathalyzer test! Woot! Enjoy your car SoberMummy!

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  7. What I love about your posts is that they make me smile! Sober looks so much better!! Thank you!!!

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  8. Losing a car doesn't make you a pillock, it makes you normal. I am, however LOVING you using the word "pillock". Amazing x

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  9. I once forgot where I'd parked my car at Glastonbury Festival..... And I was sober!

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