... Driving in Sao Paulo

This week I signed up for driving lessons! I figured that this was a Very Good Idea. While the public transportation system serves me quite well, I think that a car would give me a lot more freedom to set my own schedule.

Most visitors to Sao Paulo are terrified of the streets with its millions of cars swerving in and out, turning right from the left lane and left from the right lane, ignoring any kind of street signs, and leaving very little space between moving cars. It's an effort in deep breathing everytime. However, a closer look at traffic in Sao Paulo shows that, in fact, there does exist a certain level of respect between drivers. A car will always slow down to let another one cut in front and people are always patient when a driver needs to make an illegal turn from the wrong lane. Since there is so much traffic, cars are rarely going all that fast, which means that its easier to make concessions. Still ... I figured that I could benefit from a few lessons before jumping in and test driving a car to buy.

My challenge is two-fold. First there is the challenge of adjusting to the streets of Sao Paulo. Second, there is the challenge of doing this with standard transmission. As someone who was born and raised in an automatic-car household, my knowledge of standard transmission until now has remained at a fairly theoretical level. Okay, I exaggerate, I have driven standard once before, in my sister's pick-up in Metchosin, B.C. Here is a comparison of my first two times driving a standard vehicle:

Time One:
Date: June 2003 or August 2000 (I can't even remember which trip it was, that's how long ago it was ...)
Location: Metchosin, B.C.
Terrain: Rural
Population: 5,000
Number of Traffic Lights: 0

Time Two:
Date: February 2005
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Terrain: Urban Megalopolis
Population: 18 million
Number of Traffic Lights: 5,141

Needless to say, I am happy that I signed up for five lessons as opposed to the original two that I was thinking would be necessary. The way things are going, I might even sign up for another five. No, but seriously, I had my second lesson yesterday and things are already going better. Only stalled twice, and never caused either my or my instructor's head to hit the windshield even once. Of course, until now, we have stayed on residential streets in a Very Posh Neighbourhood. The only other cars around are the residents' beamers and bullet-proof SUVs and all the little Impacto cars, which belong to the private security firm which seems to be the company of choice in this neighbourhood. A brief aside, driving school cars in Sao Paulo are painted to look like racing cars, which is funny, because we are anything but racing. The private security cars are also all painted up, which makes for a funny driving experience in these rich residential neighbourhoods which are clearly highly sought after by both the driving schools and the private security industry.

Although I am getting more comfortable with the whole standard thing, I still feel on the verge of a minor heartattack every time that we have driven on a "real street" with traffic lights and other cars. Next week I have two more lessons, after which I am sure that I will be out there swerving in and out with the best of them! Ha!