I started driving at 16. My sweet, lovable father allowed me to use his car anytime I wanted to even though he relied heavily on it for his business. Thank goodness I was a decent driver so I never did any damage to the family car. Fifty years later I am a very insecure driver. Eliot does all the driving so my time behind the wheel is minimal. When I do drive, I find highway and street signs to be very confusing. I also can’t stand how other people drive, so I spend most of my time looking out for them.
I know that if I spent more time behind the wheel, I would regain my confidence. We bought a new Jeep over a year ago; I have yet to drive it. I was the one who desperately wanted it yet now I’m afraid I can’t maneuver it. It pains me to remember that from the age of 16 to 26 I could have been a truck driver. I was that good.
I am definitely going to start driving a lot. One of the ways I can help myself is with the new Garmin nüvi 3597LMTHD. I understand it is quite different from any other GPS machine on the market because it has voice-activated navigation. If you speak out loud, the Garmin answers you. Your hands can remain safely on the wheel. I don’t have to remove them from where they belong.
The other feature I love so much is the navigation with recognizable landmarks, buildings, and traffic lights. I don’t have to read street signs. Yippee! I swear I can’t understand other GPS systems. Garmin claims there is nothing else like it in the marketplace. You tell me if they are correct. It’s priced at $350. And I’m definitely worth it.
DigiDame 
In all our years together, I have seen you drive only once. And that was enough.
Thanks
Driving in Miami is always challenging, and I can totally understand why you would be intimidated to drive here, GPS or not. Virtually every time I take my car out just to drive perhaps 3 miles each way, I am almost always astounded at the dangerous driving I see.
I almost had a fender bender yesterday as I was driving into the entrance of the garage at the condo here, and this car pulled out from the valet without one brief look in their sideview mirror. If I was going more than 5 mph I very well may have hit her. The driver had this clueless, yet apologetic look on her face. I hope she learned an inexpensive lesson on looking before you step on the accelerator.
In the meantime, my car insurance premium went up 25% last year, and Allstate told me it was because of the tremendous amount of car accidents in Florida.
We had the same thing happen to us leaving the Murano. We were coming out of the garage when someone was speeding his car around the bend. He missed us by inches. Personally, I find young girls on cell phones the most dangerous. Driving near them on I95 is a frightening experience.
Thank you for your comments.
I’m sure you can do it. Go girl!
Lois, as you know several years ago I spent the winter, 4 months, working in Ft. Lauderdale. I have also been driving since I’m 16 and have never had a problem driving anywhere in NYC with all of the traffic etc. Every time I drove on I95 in Florida I prayed all of the way. The worst and most wreckless drivers in the USA.