“All you have to do is find the M2 roadway and follow the signs.
Just head down that way.” That was all the direction the man at
the rental car counter gave me for finding my hotel. Now, if I
were in the United States, those directions might have sufficed.
But I was in Northern Ireland, and to make matters even worse,
they drive on the opposite side of the road, and my rental car
was a manual stick shift. It goes without saying; I had to give
the drive 100 percent of my attention.
As I walked up to the car—a little four-door coupe—I began to get
even more nervous. I’ve been to Europe before; I just haven’t
had the chance to drive while being there. My nervousness,
though, wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t approached the
passenger-side door thinking it was the driver’s side. Once I got it
figured out, however, I loaded up the car and hopped in. Looking
around the interior, I sized up my situation, fired up the little
thing, put it in gear, and pulled out of the parking lot. It was
weird.
Growing up in the U.S. and driving on the other side of the road,
makes for a very different and nerve-wracking experience in
Ireland, or London for that matter. As I headed down the road, I
began to find out that the directions the rental car guy gave me
were actually all I needed to know. The signs were huge, the
lanes were easy to see, and most of the people didn’t get road
rage if you accidentally looked at them the wrong way. Needless
to say, it was easier than I thought. In the end, I made it to my
hotel without any hang-ups. I have even driven around quite a bit
without any problems, and have begun to enjoy driving the little
car.
So, what does this have to do with anything, you ask? Well, just
to fill you in I’m currently writing this week’s Lutes’ Lowdown from
my hotel room in Northern Ireland. I’m here for the 13th round of
the World Motocross GP Championship at the Moneyglass
Demesne MX track, the same track that the 2008 Motocross des
Nations will be held at. Tomorrow, I head to the track, but now
that I have the driving thing figured out, all I have to do is figure
out the directions. Here’s hoping I don’t get myself lost on the
way there. Be sure to check back this weekend for full coverage
from the race, as well as interviews with some of the top
European GP stars. Also, I’m sure I’ll also be checking in with the
Americans Sean Hamblin and Mike Brown while I’m here. Here’s
to hoping that everything... click on ozzy go to the full coverage