via Daily Prompt: Passenger

I don’t drive so I’ve always been a passenger either on public transport or someone’s car.

The best thing about being a passenger in a car is there is always time to look at the scenery.  Of course that means that when we are enjoying a scenic drive I have to try to refrain from saying “Look at that!” and “Isn’t that fantastic.” or anything that might distract the driver from the road.

There is a down side of course.Some people might say navigating is one but I don’t really mind being the map reader.

I don’t like being in a car with someone who smokes or talks on a mobile phone while driving, takes both hands off the wheel at the same time or yells at other drivers so sometimes car journeys can be nerve-wracking but on those occasions I grit my teeth and keep quiet. Luckily most of the people I regularly travel with are good drivers and don’t have bad habits.

I always catch the bus when I go to Hobart. The 60 kilometre journey is very scenic and I never get tired of it. If I had to drive I’d have to think about  the weather and traffic and the idiotic things that some people do on the roads. On the bus I can let the driver worry about that and enjoy the scenery.

Of course I don’t mind being a passenger on a train or a tram . These are my favourite ways to travel in the city and I have been known to catch a train or tram “just for the ride”.

I enjoy being a passenger on a commuter ferry, lucky people in Sydney who get to do that every day.

For me the biggest downside of being a passenger is the lack of control. When you are the passenger the choice of when to go, where to go and how to get there is not entirely yours. I have to admit that sometimes I’d like to be able to jump in a car and go somewhere by myself but not being able to is something I can live with.