Driving with my mother is a bit like Russian Roulette, you never really know for sure if you’re going to live or die. I spent 95% of my childhood desperately clutching the “I just want to live” bar above the back seat windows. My mom only knows 2 speeds: fast and stopped. There really was no in-between. To make things more fun, we were in a constant state of running late, so we were always in a rush to get where we needed to go. I’m actually fairly certain that my mom wouldn’t know what to do if we left early and actually had time to get from point A to point B. Keeping in mind all of this information, let me walk you through one VERY VIVID memory of driving with my mom. It was summertime and I was perhaps 8. My mom needed to drop me off at my grandmother’s house before work. We had a late start, as usual, and so we were tearing down the back roads. This would have been fine if it wasn’t monsooning outside. It doesn’t rain often in Albuquerque, but when it does, you feel almost compelled to locate someone with construction skills who might be interested in building an ark. So, if you can imagine, buckets of rain are pouring down and my mother, in her usual fashion is speeding down the road in an effort to be on time. As we took a particularly tight turn I started to feel the car slightly drifting. Only slightly, but enough to be concerned. Sure enough, one turn, just slightly too sharp and the back of the car starts swinging to the left as the car begins to spin. Without missing a beat, my mom, as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening, started to turn the wheel to the left. Meanwhile, I’m screaming and clinging desperately to the “I just want to live bar.” After a few times of turning the wheel the direction the back of the car went, we were back on track and driving as though I hadn’t experienced a trauma and the hands of a back road. After a minute of getting my little heart to calm down, I asked my mom what happened. She explained that we hydroplaned as though it was what we were going to have for dinner on Tuesday. This part is why the memory sticks out so much. My mom was so calm during the entire experience. How was it possible that I had watched all 8 years of my short life flash before my eyes that my mother was so calm and almost nonchalant about the whole thing. When I looked back on the memory later as an adult I realize that that was probably the most important part of getting the car back on track. If she had freaked out as much as I had, she may not have had the clarity of mind to know what to do to right the car in the first place. Granted, she 100% should not have been going 85 in a 30, BUT it was an important lesson that I didn’t forget. To this day when I feel my car starting to shift around I know exactly what to do and am able to right my car almost immediately, and then slow down even more! If you find that you are still sliding around on the rainy roads even when you are driving slowly and safely, your tire tread may be too worn down and in need of replacing. Stop by Galles Chevrolet and we’ll be happy to check it out and get you situated with new tires! Get Your Tires Checked Today
