Full Transcript for Driving in Canada: Learning to Drive, Driving Abroad & Other Stories

the time I was 16. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:58.799 Yeah. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:00.719 Uh, so this was kind of a new thing. 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:07.359 It's actually, according to the internet, uh, it was the first place in all of North America that did a graduated licensing. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:07.920 Interesting. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:09.680 Because I feel like many places now. 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:11.120 I don't think it's uncommon. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:11.439 Yeah. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:13.919 But it is not across the country. 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:16.800 My nephew in Alberta got his learners at 14. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:17.439 Oh, wow. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.280 And his full license at 15. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:20.800 That is young. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.280 I don't know if he got it at 15 or if he was eligible to get it. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:24.240 Anyway, it's young. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:24.960 That's young. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:26.159 Younger than here. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.280 Anyway. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:27.840 Yeah. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:29.120 But I learned to drive. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:29.840 I took a course. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:30.639 Do you take a course? 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:31.439 I took the course. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.879 And I don't think, correct me if you remember it differently. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:41.199 I don't think the course was mandatory, but I think you pay lower car insurance if you get a license with the course. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:43.280 So everyone I knew took the course. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:43.599 Yeah. 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:46.719 And it was like five days or two weekends. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:48.639 Yeah, I think there were different ways. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:52.159 I took mine at my high school, but not as part of high school. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:53.439 They just used that space. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:54.080 I see. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:58.080 So I had the in-class sessions there, and then there were driving sessions with an instructor. 00:02:58.319 --> 00:02:59.120 Yeah, that's right. 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.560 So the in-class sessions told you a bit about car maintenance. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.240 I don't really remember, to be honest. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:05.199 It was boring. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:06.639 I remember that much. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:12.479 So my son just finished the in-car or the in-class part because he's 16. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:15.919 He's taking this course, but he took it online and it was even worse. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:17.599 Oh, I'm sure. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:19.280 That'd be that's a lot. 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:20.560 It was so many hours. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:22.560 So many hours, so much information. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.439 Yeah, and really it's important. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.439 It's important to know that stuff. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:28.479 It's important. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:31.280 I mean, what did they teach us that I still use? 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:33.759 Maybe you've just internalized it. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.680 It's important. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:40.560 But the real learning comes from being in the car. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:41.039 Yeah. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:48.719 So in the car, you're in a specialized car where the passenger seat also has a break and there's an instructor sitting next to you. 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:54.000 And you have to do so many hours in a car to get to move up the licensing system. 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:56.800 You take the course and then you can get your learner's permit. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:57.439 Yep. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.360 But then you have to take the in car. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:00.800 You get your learner's permit without a course. 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:02.319 Well, just go get a test. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:03.360 Right, right. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:05.199 I've got an embarrassing story about that. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:05.599 Oh. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:08.560 She gets excited when I say embarrassing. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:09.199 Love. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:12.080 So I I got my license. 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.240 My I did the written test when I was 16. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.800 I got my license first try because I studied the book. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:17.680 I wrote the test. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:18.560 Okay, great. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:19.439 Well done. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:20.720 Then I'm an adult. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:21.920 I moved to Qatar. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.040 I was a non-resident. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:24.480 My license expired. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:24.959 Oh. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:30.000 So when I came back to Canada, um, I needed to renew it. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:32.240 And I needed to start again from the written test. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:36.240 Yeah, if you renew it before it expires, you don't ever have to do the written test again. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:37.839 But she started all the way back in the beginning. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:42.800 But I had to start from the beginning. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.759 So I was like, great, I've been driving since I was 16. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:46.079 Yeah. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:46.800 I got this. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:47.360 Uh-oh. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:50.480 I went in, wrote the test, failed. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:51.439 Oh no. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:55.600 Paid my fee again, wrote another test, failed. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:58.879 And the third time, I think they gave me an easier version. 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:00.560 They were like, this one is not. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:01.360 I hope not. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.120 I hope that's not how it works. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:05.759 Third time I got it. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:09.040 The questions I was failing were were not safety questions. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:12.800 They were more like, what

is the penalty for doing this? 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:17.439 Or like how many meters can you park according to blah, blah, blah? 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:18.800 Like small technical. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:19.759 Yeah. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:20.160 Yeah. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:23.279 Because I passed first try the driving portion. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.240 Oh, I almost failed my driving one. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.120 So how it works is you get a learner's, which is G1. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:30.319 G1. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:38.720 And then when you get, and there's there are more rules like about you can't have any alcohol, you can't go on roads with high speed. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:40.319 You can't drive without a person. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:43.839 You can't drive without someone else who's had their full license for so many years. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:44.160 Yeah. 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:49.519 So then you have to do the road test, which is in the car with the tester sitting next to you. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:52.800 And then you have a more G2. 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.680 And then after five, how many years? 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:00.639 Uh maximum within a five-year window, you have to do another test which gets you your G. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:00.959 Yeah. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:02.160 Which is your full license. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:02.319 Yeah. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:09.360 Anyway, so when I did my my test to get my G2, I almost failed because we were right, I'd done well. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:10.160 I was very nerve. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:11.759 I do not like driving. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.759 I currently don't like driving. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.079 I don't remember if I felt as strongly about it then, but I probably didn't like it then. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.399 And I can explain why, but I was in the test. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:21.759 I was very nervous. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.279 And at the very end, we were about to go back into the parking lot of the testing center. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:33.920 And I was waiting to turn left and I pulled out in the intersection, waiting to turn left, and then I missed my chance to turn left. 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:34.639 Oh no. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.360 But I wasn't so far out that I blocked traffic. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:37.680 Okay. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.279 So the tester said if you'd been like another meter, you would have failed. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.199 But you were like just so I just squeaked by, thank goodness. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.000 So you've got your license, but you didn't really use it, right? 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:49.920 No, I did the course, I got my license. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:50.800 I really didn't use it. 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.839 And part of the reason I I'm a bit of an anxious person about some things being on the road. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.439 But also I had a close friend who died in high school in a car

accident. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:06:59.920 Yeah. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:04.160 And it it wasn't like teenagers being stupid. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:05.519 It was just bad luck. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.800 Like snowy roads, he and another person were in the car. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:09.920 It was really sad. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.519 And I think it just brought it home for me that like it's it can be really dangerous. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:13.839 Yes. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:14.079 Yeah. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:18.000 And actually, around the same time, I was in two accidents. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.120 Nobody was seriously injured in either. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:25.120 But it just really like made me think, yeah it's dangerous. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:26.240 It's a dangerous activity. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.040 Your brain remembers and your nervous system remembers that. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:29.680 Exactly. 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:31.040 So I just was scared. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.439 So I really didn't drive really until my 40s, pretty much. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.439 Like I've always had my license. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:39.120 I did the test to get my full license. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:40.480 I always kept it up to date. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:46.000 And like once or twice a year, I'd force myself to borrow my brother's car or my parents' car and drive somewhere. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:47.439 But I never enjoyed it. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.319 And I also I liked the environmental lower impact of biking. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.720 And I live in a city, I can take public transit. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:08:00.480 So I would have learned to drive if I had to, but now I need it for my lifestyle. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:02.319 So I figured it out. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:03.040 Wow. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:03.759 Yeah. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:07.360 So you don't like driving, fair. 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:09.199 Did you learn? 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.720 You grew up in a small town. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.480 So you didn't learn a city, right? 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.120 You learned on country roads or maybe small towns. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.399 In town, because the country roads don't have enough turning. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:18.879 Right? 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:22.480 You're really a lot of what you're learning is how to turn properly or how to park. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.160 Stopping, starting, turning. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:24.879 Exactly. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:26.560 Big country road doesn't give you much. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:30.720 But yes, I learned mostly in my small town, but my town didn't have a testing center. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.440 So I knew the test would be in the city. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:36.879 So we did practice a little in the neighborhood around the testing center. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:37.200 Yes. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:41.600 So there was more traffic, different speeds, you know, that kind of stuff. 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:41.919 Yeah. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:42.639 What about you? 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:46.639 I grew up in a small town, but it was big enough that it had a testing center. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:49.600 So I could do it in my town, and I was so glad. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.879 To this day, I don't like driving in big cities. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:54.000 Yeah, me neither. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:59.919 I will do it if I like I pick up people at the airport in Toronto or I'll drive to an event. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:01.039 Like I will do it. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:02.399 I never like it. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.399 I never feel completely comfortable. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:07.200 Um I would rather, I'd rather not. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:08.320 Yeah, I get it. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:10.000 But you gotta do what you gotta do. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:15.120 So interesting, when I when I moved to Qatar, I didn't drive. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.159 Like I didn't want to. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:18.000 I got my license. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:24.000 Um, I got an international license, and then they gave me a cuttery license because they had a deal with Canada. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:27.200 If you had a license, you could just get a license there. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:27.840 Great. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:29.519 Um, but I didn't want to use it. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:38.080 And the reason was that in Qatar, there's so many different culture, cultural groups living there. 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:43.679 So Canada is multicultural too, yes, but everyone follows the same road rules. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:44.159 Yes. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:45.440 Predominantly. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:49.919 In Qatar, the cutteries were driving like cutteries. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:10:00.480 And the Westerners were driving like Westerners, and the Indians were driving like Indians, and the people from Far East Asia were driving, like everyone was driving according to their own rules because they're expats. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:00.960 Yeah. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:01.120 Right. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:01.759 So different. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:06.639 Like here, the multiculturalism is many people have grown up here. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:11.200 Have grown up or have come and are integrating and into the way we do things. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:18.559 But there, like you're coming for a short time, and you're not, you're just kind of naturally bringing the way you think people should drive with you. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:19.840 That sounds stressful. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.159 And I did not like that because the way Canadians drive is not the way cutteries drive. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:24.559 No. 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:26.320 I felt very intimidated. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:31.120 So for I think the whole time I was there, I only drove on Fridays. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:32.879 Which was many years that she was there.

00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:43.440 I was there five years, and I only ever drove on Fridays because Friday is the day when people were at the mosque or at home or doing nothing, and the roads were peaceful enough for me. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:46.240 Well, good for you for doing it that much. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:46.720 Yeah. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:48.559 Did you I have two questions? 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:48.879 Yeah. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:50.879 Do they drive on the same side of the road? 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:51.279 Yes. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:52.559 Okay, that's nice. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:52.720 Yes. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:54.960 I would be I've never driven somewhere where it's the opposite. 00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:59.120 But there were people from places like England and Australia where they don't. 00:10:59.279 --> 00:10:59.840 Australia is. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.159 But they weren't just driving on No, no, no, no. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.279 But they had to live still adjusting. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:10.720 Yeah, that's my other question was is it easy to get around without driving? 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:12.799 Like how did you your husband drove? 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:13.440 He did. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:15.360 And was there like taxis? 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:15.759 Yes. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:16.159 Yeah. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:21.039 It was not easy to get around with uh without a car for most people, I would say. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:25.279 There were buses, but not like public transportation buses that were good. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:25.759 Yeah. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.440 Um, each company would have a shuttle for its workers. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:29.840 Yeah. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:34.080 So we had a uh a shuttle that would take us to the school where we were working. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:34.799 Yeah. 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:46.799 Um, and also, yeah, lots of so there were public taxis, like a company had taxis, but we just knew a guy who had a bunch of people working together. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:49.360 And we would call his name was Johnson. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:53.759 We would call Johnson, love it, and he would call one of his guys and they'd pick us up. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:54.879 And they perfect. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.759 And it was great because I didn't know where I was going. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:00.799 So I would just say, and the roads didn't have names. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:02.240 Like I couldn't, I couldn't give directions. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.279 It's a very different thing. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.679 I was like, just take me to this place and they would do it. 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:06.320 And they knew it. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:06.559 Yeah. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.080 So I wish we had. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:10.639 Well, we have taxis here, but they're quite expensive. 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:11.519 Oh, very expensive. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:13.039 Like it's a real splurge, I would think. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:13.360 Yeah. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:14.159 Oh, yeah, yeah. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:14.639 Yeah. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:18.320 I guess the taxis did have meters, but the Johnsons just had a flat rate. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:18.639 Yeah. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:19.440 The Johnsons. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:20.320 That's what we called them. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.679 I'm gonna call it Johnson. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:23.200 That's cute. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.440 I had when I lived in Laos, it was the same thing. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:32.000 Like I had a guy's number from a friend to a friend of a like you just had there weren't you can't like go on the street and call a cab. 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:32.799 Oh, you can't. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:34.799 No, and there wasn't like a number. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:37.279 Here, if you want a cab, you call the cab company. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:37.679 Yeah. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:38.480 And they send a cab. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:41.759 Well, now you call Uber, maybe, or you use your Yeah, now you could use an app. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:42.399 That's true. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.879 Which that then at the time. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:49.919 So if you if you needed a cab somewhere, you had to have a number of a person, a specific person who did that. 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:50.720 Yeah. 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:52.159 And they often didn't work at night. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:52.559 Oh. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.320 So we would get stuck. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:57.039 Because I also, I mean, at that time I wasn't even driving here. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:58.639 I definitely wasn't going to drive there. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:12:59.039 No. 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:00.799 The roads are very different. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:07.840 Um so it was tricky to get around because there there was no public tran there was a little bit, but I didn't know how to use it. 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:08.960 It wasn't very common. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:11.919 And there weren't really cabs. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:17.360 And most people there actually would, it's much more common to have a motorbike or a scooter than a car. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:19.039 Like most families don't have a car. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:21.360 They would have so they were going around all the time. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:26.159 So often I would like go out with my friends and I'd have to find someone like back of the motorbike where I could get home. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:30.960 You know, it was a bit, it was a bit tricky sometimes. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.600 But one time I did try to drive. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:34.000 Oh. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:39.919 Because a friend from home came to visit, and we really wanted to visit this national park, Pukao Kwai. 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:45.360 And I'd never been, I was really excited to go, but we couldn't find any way to get there. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:46.720

Like there wasn't a bus. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:49.039 We, I don't know if we couldn't pay a driver. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:49.840 I'm sure we could have. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:51.279 Maybe we didn't want to pay that much. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:52.879 So my friend was out of town. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.320 She said you could use my motorbike. 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:55.759 I was like, great. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:58.639 This this story is not logical. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.840 So I'm like, I'll just figure out how to drive it. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:03.840 Never driven one. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:05.679 No one's ever explained to me how it works. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.279 But I was like, how hard can it be? 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:08.240 So I'm there. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.840 I'm in the driveway and it's like standard. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:13.759 I've never even driven anything that's standard. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:15.519 Standard murder bike? 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:17.200 Is that a thing? 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.080 I don't think so. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:19.440 Okay, I believe you. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.600 I I feel like that's true because I couldn't get it started. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:24.080 Okay. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.960 Like it would be one thing to drive it. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.559 I couldn't even get it going. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.600 And then I was like, what if I get it started and then it stalls when we're on the anyway? 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:35.519 So I'm trying to figure it out with my friends there. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:38.240 And then one of my neighbors comes by. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:43.039 Uh, no, one of the women who works there, and she's sort of trying to help, but we don't share a language. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:45.759 Like she spoke Lao, and I think even her Lao wasn't that good. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:48.799 I think she spoke Hmong and I spoke English. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:50.879 So we're trying to like bridge the gap. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.200 Google Translate on the phone wasn't a big thing then. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:56.639 So it was like charades, hand gestures. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:02.240 Anyway, the dream ended when my friend's boyfriend passed us. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:03.360 He lived in the same building. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:05.279 It was her bike I was borrowing. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.720 So her boyfriend passed. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:11.679 And then about five minutes later, she calls me and she says, How's it going? 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:21.519 And I said, Well, like, you know, I was struggling, but she's like, Okay, well, um, Pisa, that's her boyfriend. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.840 He thinks it's maybe not a good idea. 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:26.399 He's right. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:27.679 Tina's right. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:31.600 He'd said to her, like, if something goes wrong, are you gonna call her parents? 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.039 So in the end, I didn't drive a motorbike. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:35.919 I'm glad. 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:36.799 I'm glad to hear that. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:38.639 Stock to my little bicycle. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.919 We we ended up we didn't go to Pukao Kwai. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.000 I'll have to go back sometime because I never made it. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:47.840 We went to some other countryside location that was easier to get to. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:52.240 And then actually, anyway, it could be a long story. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:53.519 We really wanted to go to the lake. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:54.000 Okay. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:55.600 We hired a driver. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:56.000 Yes. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:00.000 I said to him in Lao, because I knew this much, we want to go swimming. 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.320 If we can't go swimming, we don't want to go. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:02.559 Okay. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:03.600 We want to go to the lake. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:03.840 Yeah. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:04.480 Do you understand? 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:05.600 He's like, yeah, I got it. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.120 He takes us to a restaurant. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:10.639 And I was like, I told you. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.159 Anyway, it was a whole we eventually figured it out. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.639 But it wasn't if we could have driven ourselves, would have been convenient for sure. 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:21.360 Oh, fun. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.559 So those are stories about the past, the good old days, or not? 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:27.840 What about now? 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:32.799 Uh now, I feel like most of the driving I do now is as a chauffeur. 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:33.360 Yeah. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:38.000 I am taking, I am transporting teenagers to where they need to go. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.320 Um, or I'm running errands. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.039 It like I don't it's family life stuff. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:43.519 Yeah. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:43.840 Yeah. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:44.559 Yeah. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:56.399 And uh I have a a wonderfully used, well-used, well-loved vehicle that um I can keep on the road because I have a wonderful, trustworthy mechanic. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:57.679 And there you go. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.080 And my son is learning to drive. 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.919 So that's that's the big transition. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:02.159 Yeah. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:06.160 That instead of being the driver always now, sometimes I'm the passenger. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:06.720 Oh. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:11.279 And I have to be the passenger because he has a G1 that Misha was explaining before. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.200 Um and it it doesn't mean I get to relax. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.480 No, my mom is a passenger when I was learning was this. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:22.160 You know, is that you? 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:22.880 You're

not that bad. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:23.759 Not not that bad. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.440 But when we get home, he'll say, Oh, you only flinched once today, mom. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.039 Progress. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:36.960 Like he he always wants to like recap and say, I only had one like near miss today or something like this. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:39.759 So yeah, it's he's he's great. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:46.559 Do you think him having his license is going to be like in some ways, you'll be driving him around less. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.039 Oh, yeah. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.839 So it'll free up your time, but also your car will be gone. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:50.799 Yeah, I don't care. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:51.119 Yeah. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:52.720 I'm I'm so excited about it. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:54.720 Yes, take yourself where you need to go. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:55.119 Yeah. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:56.559 Also, we live on a bus route. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.559 We have a reasonably good bus, like a public transportation system here. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.680 So he's already comfortable using that. 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.319 Like he takes the bus and the train to school, and so there's lots of options. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:10.640 And like I can hop on the bus if I need to go somewhere. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.480 Also, where do I need to go? 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:13.680 You gotta pick me up. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:15.200 Exactly. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:16.319 Yeah, where do you need to go? 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:17.519 I got nowhere to be. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:20.960 How about you? 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:23.039 Uh, I also now drive all the time. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:29.920 Although now that my son's going to school, actually, because I used to have to drive out to his daycare, which is across town twice a day. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:30.400 Right. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:31.359 School's a walk. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:31.759 Yes. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:33.359 I haven't used my car all week. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:34.079 Oh, that's great. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:34.799 It's been great. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:35.200 Yeah. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:40.160 But I do when I became a parent, I was like, maybe I can make it work. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:41.359 It would have been really hard. 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:41.920 It's hard. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:42.319 Yeah. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:42.480 Yeah. 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.480 Daycare, he has a lot of appointments. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:44.799 Yeah. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.559 So I have a car, which, as you know, I got kind of an interesting way. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:49.519 I do know that. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:50.160 Yeah. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:59.759 My car was a gift from a neighbor who was dying and wanted her car to go to some good use. 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:02.960 And she knew I was a single mom and adopting. 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:05.519 And she

asked me if I had a use for it. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:06.799 So generous. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:07.599 It's amazing. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:07.839 Yeah. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:08.640 It's a beautiful thing. 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:09.599 It was really lovely. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:14.799 But heads up, I learned in Ontario, you can't just give someone a car. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:19.759 Like I had to pay the taxes on the price, what it would have been worth. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:20.000 Yeah. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:21.200 Which is a bit surprising. 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:22.000 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:24.319 If it's an immediate family member, you can just give it. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.839 There's no financial burden on them. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:26.160 Yeah. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:31.039 But if it's not an immediate family member, then so I paid a few thousand for tax. 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:32.960 But I mean, such a gift. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:35.839 And I don't have car payments, and it's she barely drove, actually. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:36.559 It's in really good shape. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.359 Low my lips. 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:37.519 Yeah. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:38.400 It's so kind. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:38.720 It's sweet. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:39.519 So sweet. 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.440 And it's so I really needed it. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:43.279 Like I now we use it a lot. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:44.799 But not this week. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:46.799 Oh, it's been so nice. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:49.519 Oh, also, I didn't tell you that I live downtown. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:51.440 Someone broke into my car the other day. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:52.079 Oh no. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:58.880 They didn't, they took like I have a little tool to break glass if you're ever stuck because I'm anxious for driving. 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:00.240 And they stole that. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:00.720 Oh. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.759 But nothing else. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.599 I don't keep anything valuable in there. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.799 Did they like make do damage getting in? 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:07.200 No. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.400 So that probably means I forgot to lock it. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:12.640 Or maybe I left a door slightly ajar. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:13.200 I'm not sure. 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.359 There were two of us in my building. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:21.759 I kind of feel like if people are just looking for a loose change or whatever, leave your door open, let them take what they want. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:22.559 Instead of losing the colour. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:23.680 Instead of breaking the car. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.000 Yeah. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:24.720 That's true. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.359 That's true. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:26.240 But yeah. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:27.359 Wasn't a big deal. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:27.920 We're fine. 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:28.880 Okay, good. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.200 Um, how about you? 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:36.480 Do you live in a place that requires a vehicle or that life is challenging without it? 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:38.640 Do you have a great public transportation system? 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:39.599 Do you like driving? 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:40.720 Is that a hobby for you? 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:43.359 I've had students and I've known people who just love driving. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:45.759 People like go for a drive to relax. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:48.400 I can't relate, but if that's you, tell us about it. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:48.720 Yes. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:51.519 We like to hear other than our own perspective. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:55.759 Uh, to tell us about things, as always, find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:00.000 And we'd love, love, love if you could review the podcast or leave a rating. 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:02.480 Those things really help us reach more people. 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:04.400 And we'll talk to you soon.