the passenger's seat

there is something great about driving
not being in the passenger's seat is so liberating
it gives you power
it gives you confidence
you know where you are going
you can sing to your music
you control the temperature of the a.c
you control the volume of the music.
even if parking is hard in Cairo the whole population can park it for you
if you get lost along the way you can ask the street man and many times they know the way
in the search for independence a big part of it is being behind your own wheel

i have realized lately how much i hate being in the passenger's seat
being vulnerable to all the choices the driver makes
to his or her temper
to his or her speed
to his or her routes of choice

i hate being helpless in the car
dependent on the driver
the driver who can be a friend or family member
can often choke you with their insane ways
and many times when you are riding next to them
they almost sacrifice your side of the car
putting it too close to the crazy microbuses or
the huge trucks

nobody is used to our traffic here
it still gets to everyone i know
they get frustrated and they suck the oxygen in the car
they leave you with no air to breathe

people must realize the passenger is a guest
you should not terrorize them
or not consider their safety or comfort

it is really rude to make the passenger feel so uncomfortable,
and worse scared of your speeding.
there is also the driver who makes you want to vomit
from all the sudden stops.

driving is an art
although i am not good at it
but i do not put my passenger's in stress
although all the other cars complain

i will continue to drive because when i stopped for a while
i felt crippled and so vulnerable
i was so dependent and that depressed me
i had no confidence

practice makes perfect
i will drive my own car
i will have more control over my life
it is the simple things like these that really make the difference