Yesterday evening (after we went dancing at a beach party in Bloemendaal) I was the the designated 'Bob' .
This title comes from the Dutch advertising campaign to prevent drink-driving. The idea is that 'Bob blijft fris' (Bob stays fresh) and drives all his drunk companions home after a night out. I guess the female equivalent is Bobette or Bobientje or something.
This sounds like a simple task, until you take into account that I have never driven in Holland. Despite having been a regular driver and car-owner in the UK, the following points have influenced my decision to stay motor-free in NL for the past three years...
1. They drive on the wrong side of the road
2. The gear stick is on the wrong side of the car
3. The handbreak is on the wrong side of the car
4. The driver's seat is on the wrong side of the car
5. I have very little idea what the Dutch road signs actually mean
6. The road markings are really weird
7. There's nowhere to park in Amsterdam
8. I have a bike
Despite this I was persuaded to drive all the way home. I'm happy to report that we all arrived home safely and it went okay (ahem, apart from the couple of times when Peter had to grab the wheel to stop me mounting the kerb). Of course this was due to the fact that the Dutch drive on the wrong side of the road and that Peter's car is too big... nothing to do with me being a bad Bob.
Perhaps I ought to take some lessons?
Monday, June 05, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
