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Autobiographical Essays
Beate Caspari-Rosen, MD (1910 - 1995)
A Rented Car
Whenever we traveled in Europe we would rent a car at the airport upon our arrival and start driving toward our first destination. From hard experience we had learned that each car had its particular problems. One car expected fresh water every morning, otherwise it would overheat; another asked for oil frequently. The motor almost fell out of one car, but luckily we were near Bath in England and it was a pleasant place to be stuck in for a few days. But one car did not like to go backwards and only with T. L. C. (tender loving care) would it comply with our demands.
We were in northern Scotland close to the Atlantic Ocean, a hilly moor-- covered country with strong winds propelling large clouds across the sky, with constantly changing brilliant light then dark shadows and rain and then sunshine again, all following in close succession. The roads are so narrow that neither buses nor caravans are allowed on them.
They are open for two-way traffic, though that means that one car must move into a “lay-bye,” a widening of the road on the side, while the other car passes. You signal with your lights whether you or the on--coming car will use the lay-bye. In addition to the narrowness of the roadway, sheep graze at the its edge, sticking their backparts with their wagging tails into the road, unconcerned about traffic.
We had come down hill, a rather steep incline and around a hairpin curve, when saw a car approaching. Though the driver must have seen us it passed the lay-by and came straight at us. We stopped. Somebody waved at us imperiously to back up. My husband refused. Not only did we have the right of way, but our trusted Ford car knew it also, and nothing would have convinced it to take the dangerous road backwards. A dowager--like older woman emerged from the other car, walked to us and said to my husband:
"Young man, don't you know how to drive." My husband was at that time fifty-eight years old. In the meantime a line of cars had collected behind our car, and also in the oncoming traffic lane. The lady retreated and reversed her car until she reached the widening of the road. We drove past her amid the applause of the drivers behind us.