Session 15 Debrief: One Crash, Two Stalls, Three Friends

This debrief consolidates the learnings from two drives. One of them was a planned session where I drove for nearly 50 km (maybe more) through different traffic and road conditions. The second one was coincidental and short, but still important.

I was busy creating some F1 content for my YouTube channel because the grind must continue and it’s been a while since I yapped in front of a camera. Hence, I decided to delay the first (planned) session’s debrief by a day.

Thankfully, the unplanned session occurred in the interim, making it easier for me to journal my progress.

Let’s get into the drives.

Session 15 Recap

The Hour-Long Ride

I started off from my house with a buddy and picked up a friend along the way. While parking on a busy street for my friend to get into the car, I misjudged the front-left clearance and nudged a bit into a stationary scooter.

There was a minute scratch on the body of the car, my first one. Hopefully, it will be the only one. Truth to be told, hope is a poor man’s cocaine.

Either way, I brushed it off and the three of us went out of town. The shifting (both directions) was smooth because I took the stick to neutral before taking it to another gear. The friend that we picked up after starting the session advised the same the day before.

Apart from the shifting, I was checking the mirror appropriately and placing the car on the right places while maintaining track position. Simultaneously, I maintained a consistent pace and executed safe overtaking moves.

Another essential element was conceding track position to faster or larger vehicles. Sometimes you can just squeeze to the left and at other times you may have to stop momentarily. This was also true for narrow two-way streets.

Overall, the drive was sensible, under control, and mature. Of course, I still have plenty to learn, but this is a great start.

However, while returning, the car stalled twice. We had to pass through a railway crossing. The traffic was jammed up. The road was trash. 

Due to this, I had to launch the car from rest while holding onto the brakes at first and releasing it right at half-clutch engagement. This was critical to prevent the car from rolling backward, thanks to the abysmal condition of Indian roads. 

The noise around me was too much and this was the first time I was driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Hence, I messed up the brake and clutch release. I was engaging the clutch too quickly without letting go of the brakes at the right moment, leading to the stalls.

The two stalls happened immediately, probably within 10 seconds of one another. At this point, my heart was pounding through my chest for various reasons.

I pulled it off on the third attempt. That was a positive from the whole “stalling-in-traffic” experience. Thank god. Screw that road. Probably will never take it again unless all the other options are closed.

The drive after that till home was smooth as usual. I attempted an overtake on a narrow two-way street but aborted after the friend that I started the ride off with suggested so. That move was also executed without much jerks or sudden movements.

The Train Station Pickup

A friend was arriving via train the following morning. I was tasked to pick up a buddy from his house, we would pick up another friend on the way, and together we would head to the train station to pick up the tired passenger.

At about 3:30 am, my phone rang. I got up and took the car, alone, to my buddy’s house. He then drove it from there to the train station to give the arriving corporate worker a lift home. 

The three friends and I, then, headed toward the bus stop to drop off the first guy I picked up because he worked in another city. The newly arrived buddy than took over the wheel and drove to his place. 

From there, it was me. I dropped off the other guy, returned home, and parked the car well.

It was great. However, due to the lack of sleep, my heart rate and cortisol levels were higher than normal. I only managed to secure 3-4 hours of sleep the night before. As mentioned in the introduction of this debrief, I was working hard to finish an F1 video about George Russell and Max Verstappen.

Practice and Confidence

My driving ability is getting there. Yes, there are still a few rough edges, particularly when turning in slow corners with uneven terrain, but I am getting there. Considering how difficult driving can get in India, I’ve already come a long way.

All of the individual technical elements of controlling a vehicle are known. The challenge, at least presently, is integrating all of them together. 

For instance, I am aware that I must check mirrors, give the turn signal, slow down the car, and downshift appropriately while negotiating a corner. However, executing them all correctly and in sequence in real driving conditions can be tricky, especially with my level of experience.

As of now, the goal is to continue taking it slow and get additional hours of training. The next goal is to go on a night drive where I can think out loud and refine the ride quality.

Looking Forward: Recovery

In the past eight days, I went on six driving sessions. This also translates to an equal number of debriefs. At the same time, I had to maintain my workout regimen, perform at work, and capitalize on leisurely moments by creating content.

On top of that, I had to wash my car this morning. Individually, the task is simple, but when you consider everything I’ve been juggling lately, it's too much. From the beginning of this year, I have been grinding hard to achieve multiple milestones.

Some of them have been achieved and others will take a few more months. We’ll see how those pan out. I just have to focus on the next task, which at this moment is to get this report published and retire for the day.

Until next time,

Tara

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Next Chapter: Session 16 Debrief: Refuelled at Night

Previous Chapter: Session 14 Debrief: Solved the Shifting Problem

Index (with Prologue): The Path to Driving License