I love driving. I like to think of myself as a good driver. Knock on wood, I’ve never been in an accident before, never totaled a car, and I don’t get speeding tickets. I don’t say this because I think I’m a superior being…rather I just don’t want anyone to hit my car, even if it’s a rental. I don’t want to deal with the aftermath of an accident, the cost of tickets, and the effects of whiplash.
I learned how to drive in Southern California: land of freeways, aggressive drivers, and expensive cars.
I learned to drive in the snow in Eastern Idaho: land of ice, potholes, and tractors.
I like to think that it takes a lot to throw me off-guard while I’m in the driver’s seat. I’ve had deer run out in front of my car on the freeway, I experience Utah drivers on a daily basis, had accidents occur right in front of me, and carpooled little kids for years. It wasn’t until my trip to the US Virgin Islands that I experienced my first real panic behind the wheel…
After the WORST day of travel I’ve had to date (it’s totally worth the read, I promise), I finally arrived in St. Thomas and made it to the car rental agency. After a quick renegotiation of my rental rates, I walked outside to get my car, feeling like something has finally gone right. The gentleman that brought my car around was super nice and we made the customary circuit around the car, checking out the damage (there was a lot of damage to the vehicle already, and I ended up having to take a video instead of just pictures). He loaded up my suitcase in the trunk and helped me into the driver’s seat. I thanked him as I shut the door, put on my seat belt, and then looked up and saw a HUGE sticker that said “STAY TO THE LEFT.”
My heart stopped.
Enter: wide-eyed moment. Apparently you’re supposed to drive on the left-hand side in the USVI. Not only that, the cars still have the driver on the left-hand side of the vehicle. In all of my research of the USVI and St. Thomas, why had I neglected to check if they drive on the left? I made the assumption (ugh, that word) that since St. Thomas was a US territory, it would follow standard US driving rules/laws. Big fat NOPE.
“His palms are sweaty; knees weak, arms are heavy…”
Thank you Eminem for describing how I felt when I saw the sticker in the car, indicating that I’m supposed to drive on the left. The kind gentleman who had helped me with the car was now signaling to me that I was clear to pull out of the driveway. Oh, yeah right! I rolled down my window in a panic and asked him if I really had to drive on the left. He laughed and assured me that it wasn’t as hard as I thought, and I’d get the hang of it.
Remember all of those dents in the car that I mentioned earlier?
To get to my AirBnB, I needed to turn left out of the driveway. Moment of truth.
Quick prayer.
I gulped and looked right.
Nobody coming.
I slowly lifted my foot off of the brake and the car began to move. At this point, I cranked up “Jamming” on my radio and eased into the lane. I didn’t run into the median, the car didn’t stall, and no chickens ran out in front of me (yet).
I accelerated.
Smooth sailing. Who knew that Bob Marley would be an answer to prayer for helping me feel so relaxed? I drove along the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie, made my first (left) turn at a signal, and started my adventure to the other side of the island. I say adventure because my host’s directions included phrases like “follow the winding road” and “head up the mountain.”
Getting to the villa was going to be a pivotal moment for me. Was I going to be able to handle driving on the left, snaking around hairpin curves and mountain grades? Would I, in a moment of panic, turn the wrong direction, cause a head-on collision and tumble down the mountain into the Caribbean? All of those horror stories of driving in Great Britain suddenly didn’t seem so far-fetched.
By the time I got to the villa, something weird happened to me. Driving on the left no longer seemed so crazy. In fact, dare I say this, it felt natural!
Of course, I might be singing a different tune had I been situated on the right-hand side of the car.
Every time we left the villa, we had to drive down a mountain. Literally.
My friend and I decided to go over to St. John one morning and check out Cinnamon Bay. Weighing our options, we decided to drive to the dock and board a barge so we could have our car with us. Oh. My. Goodness.
In order to get onto the barge, you have to reverse onto it using the most narrow passage imaginable. There were a few guys around to help guide drivers onto the barge, but they all had different ways of signaling/guiding the drivers. I was so thankful to have someone in the car with me, being another set of eyes.
That’s the top of our rental in the foreground (my friend Alison up on the walkway). If you look in the upper right hand (driver’s side) corner of the window, you’ll see the back side of a sticker. Yeah, that’s the one that says “stay to the left.”
Once we got onto St. John, same thing: driving on the left. By this time, I had at least mentally prepared for it and the winding roads didn’t seem to phase me at all. I was even comfortable enough to pick up a few hitch-hikers on the side of the road!
So what did I learn from this? When planning for a trip that might involve driving, I will be researching which side of the road they drive on!
Have you had any crazy driving stories? Spill!
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