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Driving Profile: Chris
(sneak peek)
CHRIS: When you work in radio, there’s big name
people that you want to meet interview.
And actually when
I lived in Cambridge, there was this thing called the Cambridge union at the
university where a lot of speakers around the world came to talk and they
didn’t write it. Robert Downey Jr. And he was turning up in person.
So on that day I was driving quite far away
from Cambridge, about 45 minutes away. I was going to London and on the way
I’ve got a phone call and they said, oh, Robert Downey, Jr. there is a space
and you can interview him. and you’ve got to get here in the next 45 minutes.
And I was exactly
45 minutes away.
So I turned the
car around and, within the speed limit, bombed it along the motorway to try and
get Cambridge.
As we were
approaching Cambridge, it was a huge, the world’s biggest traffic jam. And I
thought I’m not going to make it.
They’ve told me
that I could meet Robert Downey Jr. and I’m not going to make it.
(intro music)
BHAVNEET: Welcome back to drive with us podcast. I’m Bhavneet.
TARANJIT: And I’m Taranjit. And we got our first UK driver for this podcasts. I was gonna say, this is podcasts. Just this whole podcast. Yeah. So today’s driver is Chris Berrow and he also is a BBC radio presenter, he used to drive a whopping 40,000 miles per day.
Like that’s a lot. I feel like here we are, we drive three hours round trip commute each and I thought that was a lot. Yeah. I
BHAVNEET: was going to say, I thought us driving three hours every day,
TARANJIT: 40,000 miles a year. I barely hit, I think 25 ish a year. So he threw double that in a year little last time.
He then double that, but still 40,000 miles. Wow.
BHAVNEET: Insane.
TARANJIT: Exactly. And I feel like sometimes driving, especially when you’re commuting to work is not as fun as when you’re just driving for fun. I don’t know. I just feel like traffic gets more on your nerves when you’re just going to and from work as opposed to when you’re going somewhere.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. If you’re like going on a road trip or something, and you’re like, I got all the time in the world and it’s like, nothing’s going to bother me.
TARANJIT: Yeah. And then you have a long day at work an hour and a half back home get stuck in the worst traffic and just like in a single lane road. So you can’t even go around.
BHAVNEET: I mean, you could go around, but.
TARANJIT: yeah, that’s a lot. I, I can’t imagine doing that. I I’m trying to reduce my commute here.
BHAVNEET: Well, she doesn’t have to do it anymore.
TARANJIT: Yeah, exactly. Well enough about us. Let’s meet today’s driver, Chris Berrow. He co-hosts the wife balance podcast with his wife, reads the news on BBC radio three and the BBC world service.
He is from the UK and used to be. 40,000 miles a year, all around the country to present shows on BBC radio. And along the way, he has had some interesting driving encounters, one, which made him almost miss an interview with Robert Downey Jr.
(transition music)
BHAVNEET: Welcome Chris had drive with us
podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today.
CHRIS: I’m so excited to be on. Thanks for
having me.
BHAVNEET: I’m super excited. Since, as I mentioned
before, we started your first UK driver and I’m excited to know your
perspective and your experiences
CHRIS: Okay.
BHAVNEET: in the UK.
CHRIS: I’ve got to represent the UK again and
then say, now that my driving is not the same as all UK, drivers I’ve had some
crazy stories. So I’m happy to talk to you about them,
BHAVNEET: Before we drive in, okay, I do this
every time before we drive,
CHRIS: correct?
BHAVNEET: before we dive into your crazy driving
stories, let’s get to know a little bit about your driving experience. So what
are some of the places that you’ve driven and where are you currently?
CHRIS: I’m currently living in a place called
epic, which is in a county called Essex in the UK, which is famous for TV
shows. Like the only way is aesthetics, which does go around the place. And
it’s kind of quite near London. So quite central to the country. but for the
last, I would say 10 years or so, I’ve been driving all over the country for my
work, which is being a radio presenter for BBC around local stations all around
the country.
So I used to drive
40,000 miles a year. Which is long way. I used to live in different parts of
the country, at least to travel to these stations, drive two and a half hours,
four hours with the longest I used to have to commute. and then you turn up, do
this radio show and then drive four hours home.
BHAVNEET: I can’t imagine driving that much,
especially continuously doing like four hours one way. Oh my
CHRIS: Yeah. I’ll give you that’s the example,
when you wake up at 1:00 AM, so you haven’t really been to sleep. , and you
have to travel for four hours in the car you have to arrive at 5:00 AM and then
you’ve got to get yourself ready You go five, six till nine, you drive home
after that and get home at one o’clock.
And that’s
assuming you don’t have a break at all. Obviously it’s really tiring. You’ve
got to pull over a case means give yourself a 10 minute break. If you do that
on the way. You get later and later or Showtime. So sometimes if the version is
pretty tight,
TARANJIT: Yeah, I thought we had a bad with our,
we have one and a half hour going one and a half coming back before hours. Like
that’s that’s much than ours.
CHRIS: Right. And he did that for a few weeks,
but he would be like a week and then you had time off and stuff. So it wasn’t
like every day I did drive two and a half. Both ways for probably about three
years of my life. Really long time. Yeah. That’s how much to rack up 40,000
miles.
TARANJIT: Did having to drive this much, make you
a start hate driving or do you still enjoy it? Like, what is your relationship
with driving?
CHRIS: I hated driving with passion. I have to
tell you that you feel like you’re stuck and you can’t escape. And I used to
have tactics to get us through this two and a half hour drive. So after half an
hour, McDonald’s drive through. So I stopped. Coffee number one, possibly a
breakfast wrap if it was the right time of day.
And then I usually
try and get through the rest of the two hour journey, one run and getting there
was always fine. I was excited to do the show and excited and talk to everybody
and see everybody in the office , but it was on the way home. Most start to
struggle. So you you’d stop off off the half an hour to get a coffee, and I’d
always end up buying a package.
When you pack it
sweets five days a week, it’s the recipe for, , not being as thin as you’d
like, let’s say. And then I’d try and get home after that, whoever, and
sometimes I’d have to stop again because I was just so tired, so tired of the
driving. , I hated it for a while, sort of falling back in love with driving
now I’m enjoying it at the moment.
Cause I’d have to
do as many miles. These devastate is a happier time.
BHAVNEET: Yeah,
I agree. Having to
commute for that long would definitely make me hate driving more, but if you’re
doing it for enjoyment or like going on a road trip, it’s way more fun.
CHRIS: I did. Yeah. I have done road trips
where the five hour drive you can get quite easily.
Current virus
times, you could drive down so over and then get on a ferry and hop over the
river and try it. I’ve done that a few times before. Those are really good road
trips, for some reason, that’s just a good point. Isn’t it? Why do they inspire
our journeys? Not feel as bad as some other ones. Why is it when it’s fun time
driving that you can really enjoy the open road, whereas if you’re still thinking,
well, this journey ends.
TARANJIT: Yeah, maybe because it’s new. Yeah. The
same old over and over and over again.
CHRIS: I think it’s that, , I think it’s
totally that when you know that 8 46 has two roundabouts and then you’ve got to
take the lorry in the right lane quickly. You’re going to get stuck at 50 miles
and then it’s a very boring process.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. Have you ever been in a car as a
passenger and you were like, oh my gosh, this was an absolute, terrible idea. I
shouldn’t have got it.
CHRIS: Yeah, that’s a good question. I think I
have been, , given lifts before for work, , short distances. , and I’ve been
quite scared with my friends of mine actually. , I don’t want to dump them in
by name, but, , I think that people are kind of shorter distance as much worst
because they haven’t got the practice and the experience of going around the
place.
And I used to live
in a place called Cambridge university.
BHAVNEET: Okay.
CHRIS: and the roads there are designed for
bikes, not cars, really. , a lot of my friends used to drive around Cambridge
city center. And, , so many cyclists, you have to be on high alert all the
time, like speed limits of 20 miles an hour as well.
So really, really
slow. , and that is always a fun time. I used to try and like grab onto the
door and the roof, like structural integrity, just in case there was any
danger, but luckily I’ve escaped.
BHAVNEET: Well, I, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever
been in a place like that where there’s more bikes than there are cars. Um, here.
Yeah.
Here in the U S
the roads are way more open, so we didn’t really have that issue, but I Can
imagine, like, I’ve definitely
been in cars.
CHRIS: Because I’m so into, cause I’ve never
been to the U S I really want to go. And I’ve heard that he’s like route 66 and
stuff like that.
BHAVNEET: Well, okay. So I don’t, I don’t think it
says cramped at like, okay. So new England is definitely more congested. The
more west you go, the more open it gets. , but we are in Maryland. I don’t know
if you know where that is, but, uh, Yeah. so near a DC area, ish and, , people
here drive really crazy.
So,
uh,
CHRIS: as part of the equipment in the car,
like on a daily basis. I don’t ever really beat my horn. Whereas I know that
you guys over there it’s like the home is just what you do to get right.
BHAVNEET: Yeah, you, you can’t go a day of driving
without somebody the horn or being like, if the light turns green, you better
hit the gas. Otherwise someone’s going to be honking at you.
CHRIS: It’s totally different over here. Cause
you know what we’re like kind of restrained and polite to each other. He kind
of every driver looks over and goes,
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
CHRIS: it’s like a real, really offensive thing
to do over here.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. I don’t know where, where
Americans learned. I just feel like a lot of Americans don’t know how to drive.
So then they’re
like,
CHRIS: test is easy to us.
BHAVNEET: I’ve heard that. Yeah.
CHRIS: What’d you have to do to pass cause for
us.
BHAVNEET: Well, let’s, uh, hold that question
until later. Now
we want to dive into your crazy stories first and then we’ll get into the
comparisons and we can get to learn the differences and similarities between
our countries. , what would say is the top three craziest or funniest driving
stories that you’ve experienced?
CHRIS: I’ve got to tell you this. The first one
that immediately jumps to my mind is, , when you work in radio, this. Big name
people that you want to meet interview. , and I’ve met a few people in my time,
traveling around the country. They tend to have big events that are on. And
actually when I lived in Cambridge, , there was this thing called the Cambridge
union at the university where a lot of speakers around the world came to talk
and they didn’t write it.
Robert Downey Jr.
, , of iron Man all the same and he was turning up in person. , and I had
really wanted to meet him and talk to him and I’d applied through the, , the
university press team. And I spoken to his management team and I said, please,
can I come along? And they said, I’m really sorry.
There’s no space.
I said, okay, whatever. So on that day I was driving, , quite far away from, ,
45 minutes away. , I was going, , and on the way I’ve got a phone call and they
said, oh, Robert Downey, Jr. There is a space and you can interview him. And
you’ve got to get here in the next 45 minutes. And I was exactly 45 minutes
away.
So I was like,
Hmm, I think I do want to be,
Within the speed limit. Bombed it along the
motorway to try and get Cambridge. As we were approaching Cambridge, it was a
huge, the world’s biggest traffic jam. And I thought I’m not going to make it.
They’ve told me that I could meet. And I was getting closer and closer
and I thought I’m
ditching, forget it. I’m going to, I’m just going to ditch the car. I found
someone to apart, which is about, let’s say a model. , and I shoved the car
into this parking space and it was just, the wheels are just hanging out the
back or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m seeing Robert Downey Jr. Along the
roads as fast as I could.
And as I, as I
sort of burst into the building and stood in the press line right on the end,
he entered the room. So I did actually get to meet and speak to Robert Downey
Jr. So he comes down the line in the needle asking these questions.
They’re really
boring questions. Oh, is it nice to be in Cambridge? Great to be here. Thanks
very much. And I got to ask my place because you know, what are you going to
talk about to students? Like how you can inspire them? You actually gave a
really nice answer. You know, he, he was quite forthcoming, , and it was
amazing.
It was one of the
best interviews I’ve ever done. And I went back to my car and as I got there,
there was a parking Walden, , and he was giving me a ticket. I said, excuse me,
I’ve just interviewed Robert Downey. Jr. Can you just let me off this ticket?
And he went, sorry, mate, but your wheel is a few inches past the line.
Well, I didn’t
understand that that was the law
to, can you let me
off? No, sorry. Well, that’s okay. I’ve had a nice day and I will say I got 200
pounds interviewed Robert Downey Jr.
BHAVNEET: Totally. Well, if you think about it,
people pay lots of money to go see celebrities at events. You kind of did It
CHRIS: It was so cool though. I’m not saying he
was very off the cuff, you know, like he didn’t have anything scripted and he
didn’t have anything planned. He was just happy to answer whatever. So he was a
really cool guy, had a good day, but I’m fine. Cause a little bit, so,
BHAVNEET: But it was well worth it.
CHRIS: oh yeah.
BHAVNEET: Is this the same, moment where you had
to change your tire at three in the morning?
CHRIS: That was actually really recently
BHAVNEET: Oh,
CHRIS: I can tell you about my changing story ,
because that was, that was fun. So, , occasionally I mentioned this about 20
minutes to my local station, so very, very close. , Usually do the really early
show or in the morning. Now. I mean, if they listen to this, I’m very happy to
say to them.
I cut it very
close to the wire and I get up at 3:00 AM. I drive for half an hour time.
There’s not really much leeway, but it’s fine at four in the morning. There’s
never any traffic I must’ve on this day, about six months ago, I must’ve hit
the world’s biggest pothole. , which was, I would say it was about.
Did you feel
authentic to me to prefer in the U S are you.
BHAVNEET: We’re are the weirdos that use inches?
CHRIS: Oh, no, that’s cool that we get that. We
get that. , so this pothole was about a 10 foot long, really massive and about
three foot wide and about, let’s say two or three inches deep. So absolutely
massive. And I couldn’t see it because it was Misty foggy morning and I was
driving on three 15 I got a puncture
and pulled side of
the road and I thought I’ve never, I’m just not going to make him for Showtime.
There’s no way there’s absolutely no way. And I’ve never changed a tire in my
life before. And I thought, well, I’m going to have to try because otherwise
I’m going to get in trouble here. , I looked up a YouTube video on my phone on
how to change a tire.
, and it turns out
that they’re quite good, actually. So I managed to get all it out of the back
of the car and wrench off the wheel, nuts, Jack up the tire and stuff like
that. And I was, I really felt like I was, you know, quite, quite doing quite
well here. And I did in fact managed to change my over there, which has a low
pressure tire.
So you have to
drive very slowly. And I got the tire changed over, put back on, drove to the
stage. And I got into the building at 3 59 30 seconds.
BHAVNEET: Oh,
wow.
CHRIS: to be starting on the dot so I ran in,
out on the Ted. You’ve got to press four, but. Uh, press the four buttons. ,
and I went
and that was it. I
made it,
BHAVNEET: Wow.
CHRIS: it was tight though.
TARANJIT: Well, I would have been so stressed out.
I wouldn’t have been able to get in the mode to start recording, do the radio.
CHRIS: This is the worst thing in life, as I’m
sure you know, from podcasting is if you’re out of breath and you’ve got to
talk, you can’t hide it. And he can’t, there’s no recovery time when you’re on
talking. So you just have to just accept your fate and just talk very, very
briefly. So I talked briefly and I mean, I did tell the boss, she was she’s
amazing.
So she was very
understanding, but so ask please, I got there.
TARANJIT: Yeah. you got really lucky and a YouTube
you figure it out.
CHRIS: I know it’s amazing. Isn’t it? Nowadays
you try phoning the boss at three 15 in the morning enough. She didn’t pick up
the phone then. So that was the answer results in YouTube,
TARANJIT: Yeah, whenever you need help, Youtube is
the way. I’m really interested since you have been describing, driving and all
these incidents you’ve had like dive into what driving UK how would you the
drivers that are there?
CHRIS: , I would say that there’s a lot of
regional differences. Like you were saying in the us that the further west you
go, the roads get a bit, I would actually say that the lowest UK in UK, driving
standards get a lot worse. There’s like a big ring road around London. Which
everyone jokes.
It’s like a stage
and there’s a
rotating side, like a smaller ring called the north circular, which sort of
circles London. And it is the, probably the worst, , driving ever since. Like
the speed limits, you know, 50 miles an hour and people are going 90, a
hundred. They just, they just don’t care. They just race as fast as they can,
especially late at night, actually.
It’s almost like
they are trying to race. Whereas in the, in the rural areas tends to be much
clearer. It just tends to be one big motorway and they’re on average that, , so
I would say that, yeah. Driving standards.
BHAVNEET: Well, like, I, I agree the way, the
closer you get to a city, a major city, the driving gets way, way crazier. I
definitely prefer back roads and driving out in the country because there’s no
fee on the roads
and.
CHRIS: a lot of people on their phones out
there? Because I’ve noticed recently if I’m walking through town as a
pedestrian, and I look at the traffic lights, every, every single person, like
80% of people are checking their phone and it’s nothing.
BHAVNEET: It’s a big problem here in Maryland,
either they’re on their phone or they’re like looking in the mirror or they’re
eating food. I don’t know they’re doing stuff other than driving.
CHRIS: I must confess that with my long drives,
I did become a bit of an expert eating burgers while driving, which I don’t
recommend. I mean, it doesn’t really work. You’ve got to do a lot of pre
preparations. You’ve got to get like napkins laid out on yourself because when
you’re driving, you want to be as safe as you can.
And to take a bite of a burger that leftist
and the insights just go anywhere and you really don’t read that. And you’re
like, oh, I’ve got to tell you this. You know, a lot of people have coffee. one
time I me,
I put the coffee
between my legs
and I was going to
move it to the coffee. And then I pulled away and he spilled on me it was still
ruined my jeans. It’s hot. And then I had to go to work for the rest of the
day, because obviously I was so far away from the home. And, I just had to
split the smell like coffee, shall we say the day? It was my least, least good.
TARANJIT: Yeah, that’s what I worry about since we
also have longer drives I have gotten pretty good food while driving, because
we spent time on the road. It’s like, that’s time to , but Yeah.
I’ve always in the
back of my mind, just thought like, maybe I should just keep an extra pair of
clothing just in case.
CHRIS: You know, I actually, after I did even
extra of to get my car, so I kept, , full change of clothes. Like, you know,
just in case it happened but I never used it, but I would actually recommend if
you’re doing a long drive and you’ve got obviously space in the back, it’s
actually a really good idea.
If you’re that far
away from,
BHAVNEET: Yeah, always good to be prepared.
CHRIS: yeah,
BHAVNEET: And I know you mentioned that you have
done road trips to like France. So I went to, I don’t know, in France, do they
drive on the right or the left?
CHRIS: it’s the opposite side to us. There’s
the same side as you, which means it’s on the right side. But the weird thing
about France compared to the UK is that the roundabouts go the same way round
as the UK. Whereas I think your roundabouts anticlockwise.
BHAVNEET: Yes. Yeah.
CHRIS: it really hurts your brain. It’s it’s
probably something, a rule in France.
It’s one of the
only countries where if you’re on the roundabout, let’s say you’re in the
Senate. You have to let people on it’s called something like the rules.
Priority to the right. Uh, I think it’s called , which means that you have to
let people on to the roundabout. And of course, as someone who’s driven from
the UK to France, when you get off the ferry there’s a big sign on the
roundabout saying, go round this way.
And I sort of
looked at and thought, this is not going to be a good time it’s brain test the
way that you think.
BHAVNEET: That’s so weird also like it, especially
where you have to let people onto the roundabout. I thought it was always like,
you know, you’re in it. So we’ll have to wait for you.
CHRIS: Totally. I know, uh, twice about road
regulations
TARANJIT: now curious how often that causes or
problems, like, do people confused or is it something that everyone just.
CHRIS: I definitely. So I imagined that.
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
I, I can imagine.
Well, that would make my brain hurt too, even though they’re driving on the
right
CHRIS: yeah.
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
Oh my God. So now
that we heard a couple of your crazy driving stories, let’s get to know more
about you as a driver. So would you describe yourself as a driver? And would
you say that your family and friends would agree with that?
CHRIS: Well, that’s a good question. I mean, I
think I’m a good driver. In the 13 years that I’ve been driving, , I’ve never
had any points. think that’s quite a good run. , I would say that I’m probably
a bit of a slow driver. I think my wife would certainly agree that she would
like me to hurry up. She’s not a very good passenger in the car.
So when I’m driving, she, , we break in a
different way. When we drive around the case, I like to break early and then
drift towards the stopping point where she likes to let the car run off
forward. Bringing it to a half stop. And obviously that means that she gets
there quicker than me. , but I have had no incidents.
I would say I’m a
good driver, but I think that people would say I’m certainly on the slower
side, but maybe that comes to doing 40,000 miles a year. And you just won’t get
there in one piece rather than saving yourself two minutes in a two minutes on
a two and a half drive. It doesn’t really make a difference to me.
TARANJIT: Yeah. When you actually think of it that
way, it’s like, yeah, you’re going faster, but like, how far are you truly
going to get, then I am
CHRIS: Exactly.
BHAVNEET: going.
CHRIS: thing I, I did work out, I drove like 60
miles an hour to my place that the drive would cost about 30 pounds or
something. Whereas if I drive at 70 miles an hour,
So it’s quiet
every day, five days a week, quids, , which is what’s that like 40 something
dollars. Isn’t it. Ish you’d want to save that every week we could help it.
TARANJIT: Oh,
BHAVNEET: definitely. Especially
TARANJIT: with rising gas prices, all the, money
you can.
CHRIS: the price. What’s the price where you
are because I’ve got a diesel car and it’s about one pounds. Later. So that’s
must be about $1 55 60.
TARANJIT: So diesel’s more expensive here in the U
S and, um, so that would, I think that’s it. Almost $4 per gallon, but the
other one that’s more common here is yeah. Is around almost $3 per gallon.
Yeah,
CHRIS: They know how to guess.
BHAVNEET: exactly. Especially here. It’s like you
can’t survive without a car in most places. That’s how they get you.
CHRIS: Well, public transport. I’m lucky
because I’m on the London underground, which kind of connects up London to the
surrounding greater London area. Luckily, where I am that one of the reasons we
changed on the end of the London underground tube line that we call it. So
Epping station is right. Means I don’t know very much central number.
, but further out
the country, you go rural, rural area. You have to drive because the buses come
once a week. So you ain’t getting to work on the bus.
TARANJIT: Yeah, I totally understand how that is
because we don’t even havea comes up to where we live.
CHRIS: Yeah, exactly.
TARANJIT: Speaking drivers, , on the road, or what
would you say is your biggest driving pet peeve?
CHRIS: Oh, I’m going to tell you now think
about this two lorries on a motorway, which is two lanes, and one is going 59
miles an hour. And the other one’s trying to overtake it at 59.1 mile an hour.
Me. Every day, about three years in a jewel carriage up the way I used to live
in Norridge, which I’ve been mentioning and you just could not get around
these.
And then all of
them would just say, well, just take the truck and you think, oh, well done,
you did it. And then the next one would pull out and try and rehabilitate the
one you just overtook it. It’s not the world’s most rubbish.
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
CHRIS: So, I mean, endless cost me. It probably
cost me only minutes, but it feels like it’s cost me my sanity, to be honest
with you.
BHAVNEET: Yeah, that’s crazy. I mean,
we’ve had a
similar instance where as well, it was us, so us in a dump truck and we’re
like, we overtook it cause it was kind of going slow, but then , it overtook us
because I guess it didn’t like how fast we were going. And then we have
throwing stuff at us. So we just got back and forth.
CHRIS: Uh, do you drive together a lot then?
TARANJIT: usually on a road trips, we go together,
but our works are in slightly different directions, so it wouldn’t make sense
to ride the other, but it would have been convenient in terms of saving if it
possible to together.
CHRIS: Well, I used to get the fun times, but
never argue on the way to work. So that’s good.
TARANJIT: Yeah, that’s a good.
BHAVNEET: way to look at it. Well, aside from
that, very slow overtaking. , have you ever experienced road rage while
driving? Whether it was you who had road rage or someone who’s had road rage
towards you?
CHRIS: that’s a good question to have I had it.
I know I’m a very calm person. mean, it would take a lot for me to have road
rage. I have been in the before. Actually it was on a school bus. , we used to
get the bus to school and that’s all bus driver got road rage, , because the
cars have going very slowly in front of him.
So he decided to reverse and try to route to
get around this kind of blocked in the road, excuse me.
Uh, and he reversed
into a tree and then the back bumper fell
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
CHRIS: And he, he may just get out and pick up
the bump altogether and shove it inside the school bus. And then we go back on,
and then he a different route. We, we got to school, that’s probably the
angriest for never seen someone, to be honest with you.
He’s very, very
unhappy that the bumper, then he hit the tree. So
TARANJIT: Oh, my gosh,
CHRIS: It’s weird. Isn’t it?
BHAVNEET: you and you get out and get a bumper.
CHRIS: It was, there was like eight of us is a
massive, you know, like big yellow school bus. He was one of them. And the
bumper was actually really heavy, really big made of metal because they’re not
normally metal. They’re normally like plasticy that’s the angriest of it, but
I’m, I’m quite chilled to be honest with you.
And also when you
play traffic, you didn’t tend to get as many really bad. They didn’t tend to be
right up your tail coming through.
BHAVNEET: Well, you’re lucky because even if
you’re not on like a motorway, people will be driving bumper at all times.
CHRIS: That is true and I’m very slow. So I’m
quite Zen about it though. I just, I, like I said, I’d get there in
one piece
And actually
sometimes if they look like they want to overtake a very easy for them kind of
thing. So maybe I shouldn’t, maybe I should be more angry.
TARANJIT: No, I think you have the right attitude.
I feel like should be more people who are like because I way too many people
getting angry over small little things that are like, why are you wasting your
energy on this? all trying to get somewhere.
not like, you
know, saving a couple minutes. Like it’s not gonna make that much of a
difference. I also agree with you that when I see people who are like super I’m
just like, okay. get out of your way. Let you do your thing.
CHRIS: Yeah, I think I very rarely will beat
someone at the lights or anything like that as well. I think I have, I think I
have effected me in some way, but like cut me up the lights or sometimes the
Cove. I’m going to beat you off this line here. And then my car is only a Ford
Fiesta. I really, I haven’t got a chance so I can try it.
BHAVNEET: That’s hilarious. I know what you’re
talking. We touched on, we touch on this a little bit earlier, but now that we
know what kind of driver you are currently, let’s dive a little bit into how
your driving started. How would you describe your first time driving experience
and with?
CHRIS: So I had a driving lesson was my first
ever experience with driving, , which I think is a good way of doing it because
you don’t have your parents in the car. Terrified that you’re going to smash up
our own car with no dual controls or anything. So I was lucky. I had a lesson
as my first experience and the teacher had a, a second pair of accelerate brake
and clutch.
So it was like
designed for driving, which I think is amazing. I didn’t really know how it
works. And then I had a few lessons with my dad in the car and, , he was not
such a good teacher as the driving instructor. And he used to make me go down.
our cul-de-sac road. And I, it made me get into first gear, second gear
neutral, and then keep cycling through the gears like that.
And of course,
cause I didn’t know what the biting Pope was. Cause automatic cars. Aren’t
really a thing over here. Whereas you mostly,
BHAVNEET: Yeah. we do.
CHRIS: So this isn’t, this is want to say
difficult. You’ve got to find the biting point and to somebody who does never
had to do that. It doesn’t mean it, you know, w what on earth is the biting
point? I was stalling my dad’s car time and time and time again. And obviously
he was getting a bit unhappy because it was his car I was damaging the engine.
I didn’t enjoy
that experience at all. And I did he say after the few times that I’d rather
just not, I’m not particularly useful for me. Although I did have an automatic
for a few years and it was the best, best driving experience of my life because
you just call it, does it all.
Amazing. And they
asked you this, this was a really old registration
and it had a button on it that said, sport
mode and you press this button it was so old, nothing happened except for the
delight up on the button. And that, that was the only difference that it made
to the driver.
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
CHRIS: Something like sport mode, engage, press
the button, and then just nothing happens.
So I love my
automatic. I must say if people in the UK, they really love, gearboxes, but get
an automatic any day of the week.
TARANJIT: So, I know you were mentioning earlier
when you were taking ed driver’s ed. Is that what you’re? I know if that’s what
you call it. so here, I know we like, they, I think now they make you practice
with your parents first, before you get in the car with the driver instructor
who teaches you, because make sure.
you have someone
driving under your belt. that’s interesting that, you know, you get in there
first with them, and then learned with your dad.
CHRIS: Yeah. Well, we had to, it’s interesting
with us, cause we have to have a called like a theory test, which means you
have to sit before you get your provisional license before you’re actually
allowed to get in the car. You have to, when I did it, was a 30 question test
that you have to get like 30 or something like that in order to be allowed to
actually.
Get near the car. And actually now I think
it’s a legal requirement before you can actually take your driving test.
They’ve made it even harder now, which is quite a lot. So they make it quite
tough to a driving license in the UK. But I suppose it’s good. I did appreciate
no, but things I don’t understand. Well, tie depth tread means four millimeters
minimum.
And I was like,
well, I’m not going to go out with a tape measure and I’m just going to look at
it and see if it looks fine.
TARANJIT: Yeah, exactly.
CHRIS: Right. I guess it’s quite different for
us.
BHAVNEET: I mean, we do have to take a test before
a written before you can get your provisional or your learners but your sound’s
way more complicated. Ours is like 20 questions and nothing that detailed.
CHRIS: well, it was nothing with us cause they
gave us the book, which had like hundred questions that they chose laughter
from. it was kind of like as long as you’ve read this book times, I’m sure it
was to sell copies of the book to be honest, but it would, it did make it.
TARANJIT: Oh, that’s interesting. actually, I it
makes it a little easier. I remember, I, found my mom’s driving book. like of
our wardrobes. And she actually has something similar like that, which was a
before we took our test obviously. And she had a book of questions, like what
types questions they might I don’t think they questions now.
think like, here’s
a book of these are the rules of the road and be ready to answer the questions.
CHRIS: Cause we do have the official rules.
BHAVNEET: they just give you this very small book
that it’s like, here’s a general, this is how you do, this should do when
you’re at a light, where should I turn kind of
thing.
CHRIS: I see no highlight types, like
ridiculous. All the really specific rules of like crossing means you have to
walk.
TARANJIT: Oh, wow.
CHRIS: Yeah.
Yeah.
TARANJIT: like you’re making the super easy that
really need anything. Yeah.
BHAVNEET: you get link, you get a license.
CHRIS: But that’s, I think a UK license, you
can drive in most of the countries in the world, because I think he’s seen as
like quite a string, you know, stringent difficult test, , to get through. Um,
I don’t know if, what happens if someone from America is in the UK, I guess,
would you be able to drive in the UK or would you have to do like an extra bit
of test or something
TARANJIT: I’m not a hundred percent sure since
we’ve never had to do it, but I
feel like.
CHRIS: right.
TARANJIT: It was our plan last year, but, you
know, but I think some of the guests we’ve talked to who are from the U S who
like traveled and have driven, I think you can get like an international
license and you should be good. Like you have to do, uh, like testing or
anything, but I’m not a hundred percent positive. But speaking of your driving
tasks, what was That like?
Like what do you
have to do on the driving test? And were you able to pass the first time?
CHRIS: I’m just going to come clean right now
and say D took me four times to pass my test. So I’m just going to say it now.
And I’m just going to say, this is the most embarrassing stories. My life, I
failed my driving test a third time because I drive too slowly.
BHAVNEET: Okay.
CHRIS: going to confess it now to the world.
I haven’t told
very many people there, but it was a 50 mile an hour limit and it was really
raining. So I thought I don’t want to go at 50 and I drove 30 miles an hour and
I was okay. Apparently not. So they failed me for driving too slowly. So it
hasn’t been a great experience learning to drive.
BHAVNEET: Yeah, When it’s raining or when there’s
, snowing or something that they should be a little more lenient in terms of
how slow you’re driving, because , it’s not sunny day that you can just drive
like a normal, you know, like normal.
CHRIS: Yeah, well, w my Trek was that I failed
three times and I got really frustrated because I thought that my driving was
actually quite good and I was being very careful and attentive stuff. And so
the fourth time I asked my driving instructor to sit in the back of the driving
test. she sat behind me and then the, person was testing is right in the front
seat.
, and we did the
fourth time. We did this test and we have to do this thing where you reversed
around the corner backwards the left, and you’re supposed to reverse park up to
the side. But if there’s like a pedestrian you’re supposed to stop completely. And
wait for them to clear the area. and then, and so I did this reverse round the
corner perfectly, and then I just was about to put the handbrake on which
button you completed, the move and this pedestrian
ran out
right next to the
car and I didn’t stop immediately. I just kind of slowly ease to a halt. And I
looked, I was looking behind me obviously through, and I can see my driving
instructor in the back seat giving me the death stare She was like, you failed
your test again, haven’t you. And then she was looking at me like, like really
giving me the evil eyes.
For some reason I
got away with it. And the guy who was grading. Didn’t think it was a problem.
So for my fourth time, luckily I managed to pass.
BHAVNEET: Well, at least he didn’t notice.
CHRIS: Thank goodness. I wouldn’t be here
otherwise.
TARANJIT: Well, I can totally relate and let you
know that you’re not alone. I also did fail three times. I got it on my fourth
try. So you’re not alone.
Five high five
across, across the.
TARANJIT: No
CHRIS: Okay.
TARANJIT: odd out.
first of all, she
took it in car and I it in a van. So that made it,
BHAVNEET: yeah. Yeah. I don’t
Once parallel
parking, I was like, Oh, I got this. But then when I got on the road, there was
this little hill the speed was 30 miles an and we’re going down this hill. And
crept up to 35 because little too steep, I guess.
And I was holding
the brakes, but then she the test person looked over and she was like, the next
time speed goes up to that. You’re going to fail. like, Yeah. hold brakes. I’m
like, I am holding the breaks, but she didn’t feel me. She was really, she was
super nice.
So.
CHRIS: No, that’s good. Th that’s my, my
biggest fairer the driving test was, , a hill stop. So they used to make you do
this. You park up obviously with quite a steep, incline. Put the handbrake on,
and then they say right now, pull it away. And because the getting that biting
point is so difficult with the manual tasks.
I just used to
fill me with fear. So it’s a ride that I stole and then pull out into the road
and used to give me real anxiety. I tell you what I said, I’ve never, ever had
to do a hill stop for some reason. I’ve just been mostly on flat rates. So that
was my oh, the panic terror of that is.
TARANJIT: Yeah.
I’m glad our test
with automatic car cause I can’t imagine having to do that. yeah.
cause we have
parallel part at least at our local, DMV, or like where your make you parallel
art first because that’s everyone fails at. So if you, you don’t pass that,
point of taking you on road?
way they had So
that’s what always got me, was like
parallel parking
W in the van. So I
ended going to the headquarters state because everyone said it was so easier
there. And were right, because they, like, if you so much for the parallel
parking, whereas at our local DMV, it was just the size of the van.
But down there, it
was like, I had so much space in front and behind that I was like,
I
can do.
CHRIS: It’s interesting. You say that because
the UK there was., like they publish the statistics of all the places that did
the tests and it turned out this complacent is in areas where easier giving the
higher path is that in other areas. So people used to then go to the easy
tests.
If it’s easier, by
the time you weren’t doing it in a massive fan, I’ve only driven a mascot fan.
A couple of times in my life when I was moving house. And it’s so stressful
driving a big van. I just don’t know how anyone does this. I have maximum
respect for van drivers and lorry drivers, those huge vehicles.
Cause I couldn’t
even get for a couple of days.
TARANJIT: Yeah, it takes practice, but now taking
a test on a big vehicle, it’s just super hard.
CHRIS: Yeah. Yeah. 10 understand.
BHAVNEET: Yeah, took it a car.
TARANJIT: now that we’ve heard a little bit your
past driving experience and your driving experience, let’s into the future Was
the possibility of possibly becoming a thing. Probably not like relatively but
maybe in the future. what are your this?
what’d you in that
car?
CHRIS: I would be the first to sign up for a
self-driving car. I love the idea. So I’ll try, because if I could sit in the
back. And watch Netflix and the car drives itself. Of course, I’m going to get
in there. I’d love that. I’d love to watch, episodes of any I’m watching
anything. I’d watch it. I’d watch it in the back and let the car drive itself.
All you have to hold
the wheel to involve. I think it’s either a self-driving car or it’s not. and
my logic is. Humans are a bit rubbish. Sometimes let’s be honest. We don’t,
it’s kind of hard to pay attention a hundred percent of the roads Simon, very
often. I’m sure you’ve done it when you’re driving along and you just think I
completely zoned out.
BHAVNEET: Okay.
CHRIS: did I do for the last 10 minutes? The
computer doesn’t say now the computer is designed to, follow the road and
whatever. Now I know that there’s going to be point not 1% of the time where
there’s an accident, because it’s a machine human in control of the car that
totally get that. But I think that the, the incident rates would be so much
lower.
If machines are
driving, I think it’s a no brainer. You know, sign me up if I’d have to focus
on well up for it.
BHAVNEET: I agree that it would things a lot more
efficient. I feel like, I don’t know if just an American thing, but feel like
we’re like car crazy over
CHRIS: Yeah.
I love my car.
CHRIS: Yeah. I guess there’s a, a premium. And
you’re in control. And I know that that’s probably tapped into like the idea of
the American dream quite heavily, where, you know, you put your car in your job
and your house, and, you know, if you work hard and get to the top and having
the control of the car, and now I can go and drive two hours, if I want and
stuff, I totally get that.
That’s not a
million miles away from what it’s like here. I just think that. I think I, we
just speak for myself. We would be happy to let the technology do a bit more. I
know some people like the idea of assisted driving, which could be great for
people who struggle obviously to drive, but I really just, I just don’t want to
have to focus on the roads.
It’s all, you
know, I’d very happily watch telly or eat food without having to stress about
it, falling on me. I think it’d be good. So I’d get one, but they’re just so
expensive. And then I check cause a site expensive, you know, it’s going to be
a while.
TARANJIT: Oh, yeah, I agree. When you had those
four hour commutes, you could use the time for something else as opposed to a
physically. yeah, well rested when you get there.
CHRIS: Well, that’s kind of, that’s kind of
what I’m coming from. I think he’s small for longer drives. I think he’s not as
useful for, you know, popping to Tesco’s. I’m sure I can focus five minutes
down the road. But it’s definitely for those along the journeys where if you’re
starting to drowsiness can cause such huge problems, like bring it on.
BHAVNEET: Bonus question time. Are you ready?
CHRIS: I’m excited for them.
BHAVNEET: If you could make one, a new driving
law, what would it be?
CHRIS: Oh, that’s a great question. That’s
really good. One.
okay, I’ve got it.
I’ve got it. Running. People should have to listen. So awesome music when
they’re driving I law, because the problem is that when people sit in the
traffic lights and they’re like, oh, I’ve just had enough for this day. I want
to go. You’ll be much better if you had like, some meatloaf or something.
I like you just,
just some fun chains, you know, and also think people by laws would have to
dance with the traffic lights.
BHAVNEET: Yeah.
CHRIS: you’re there and you’re waiting for the
light to get red, you should over to the, the right. And you should have to be
like raving in the car. I think that would make, yeah.
So I spent road
rage. I think that, you know, the joy levels of people be more focused on the
roads. This is my new law.
TARANJIT: That’s hilarious. I could just picture
like either at the traffic signals, there’s like a sign, like, all right. It’s
red lights. So time to dance.
CHRIS: exactly. Exactly. When my wife actually
does it, but she’s the passenger. When we’re driving around, she likes to
listen to nineties music. Terrible, but I’ll let you get away with it. And she
looks dumb.
BHAVNEET: Well, there you go. Now, you know, it
would work.
CHRIS: yeah, whenever we tried, we tested, knew
serious about this.
TARANJIT: Yeah, I can only imagine like maybe when
self-driving cars do become a thing that it just instructs you like, okay. It’s
time for this.
CHRIS: We don’t put it away until you stop.
TARANJIT: do you have any final thoughts or any
tips that you would like to give other drivers?
CHRIS: I know it sounds a bit boring. If you
drive on the ed two miles an hour, which is, you know, on our motorways here, ,
and your stressing about getting there. And, you know, you’ve got only two
minutes to spare before you’ve got to be at work. It really does ease the
pressure off. If you just take it a fraction and then also maybe leave yourself
an extra five minutes because then you can stop off.
Well, whatever
don’t drive on the edge of the thing that makes your anxiety and, anger and
focus and stress. Just go up a bit more it’s easy to say we’re in state rules
that, you know, it’s hard to, you want to leave as late as you can maximum time
in bed. Like Heidi, have found driving for 40,000 miles.
Good few years, ,
that overall impact is better. If you just take it a fraction easier, that’s
all.
BHAVNEET: Yeah, and it doesn’t make as much of a
difference in the time it takes you to get there.
CHRIS: And save money, save the money. I mean,
if you only care about that, that’s probably a big saving. Yeah, exactly.
TARANJIT: before we let you go, we want to give
you an opportunity to plug anything. I know you have a podcast of your own, so
where can listeners find that?
CHRIS: we are on and Spotify and all the places
and basically, , my wife and I, , we work in broadcasting together. So, got
this podcast called work wife balance. Well, we talk about what it’s like being
married, but also working in the same building. She never having a break from
each other. and that’s been quite fun.
just finished our
first series. And we are now right in the middle of moving house. In fact, I’m
surrounded by boxes right now. Cause we packed up the house and we’re leaving
tomorrow. So I’m so glad to talk to you, but this is such a nice break from
packing. And then once we’ve moved into a new place, a few doors down, we’ll go
for series two.
the work-life
balance.
BHAVNEET: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for
coming on. It was really interesting to finally get the perspective of UK
drivers.
CHRIS: I’m so happy to be the first. Thank you
both for having me.
(transition music)
TARANJIT: Chris driving law is another one that I
truly loved. I feel like his was a fun law, like the other Chris, which is
funny, both Chris’s made funny laws. I kind of related to each other, but the
first Chris from this season talked about how, if we have like a mood detection
horn or a celebratory horn, that was more like a happy horn, as opposed to get
out of my way, you did this wrong, our pay attention kind of horn.
And Chris, this
episode talked about like a dance party at red lights, we also kind of got into
what if the light detected that you didn’t do it? And , wouldn’t let you leave.
BHAVNEET: .You can’t leave until you dance.
TARANJIT: Would you participate in this red light
dance party?
BHAVNEET: Oh, that’d be so weird, but I mean, I, I
definitely think it would help reduce stress cause it’s like, just get out and
dance.
All right.
Continue on your way.
TARANJIT: Yeah. I feel like I will be super
self-conscious at first. I even hate taking pictures at traffic lights. Cause
I’m like that person’s watching me do this right now, but
BHAVNEET: why would you be taking pictures of
traffic lights?
TARANJIT: Like if something crazy is going on,
you’re like content, I’m not driving.
I’m stopped at a
red light, I feel like I’m always super conscious, but if everyone had to do
it,
BHAVNEET: it’s a law.
TARANJIT: Yeah. Then, then I feel like it would be
lessawkward.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. And then you get to see what kind
of weird dance moves people.
TARANJIT: And also it’s like, what tune are you
going to cause
BHAVNEET: elevator music. So then they have
traffic light music. What would it, what would this traffic like music be
sponsor yourself to be at a traffic light. And I’m like, your
songs are a
traffic light.
TARANJIT: What if you could Bluetooth connect to
that light for whatever you want to dance to. Put your song on
BHAVNEET: that would, that would be cool. It’s
like pick your song, but you better dance. Otherwise you’re not going anywhere.
TARANJIT: It’s like, oh, this car can pass and
fiscalini cannot pass. I’m going to be the first person in line because I don’t
think the signal can go back far back, like the first person in line at the red
lake would have to do it.
BHAVNEET: Nobody would ever want to be the first
person at a light ever again.
TARANJIT: It’s like oh gun it make it.
BHAVNEET: Or how does a wait here? Behind five
cars?
TARANJIT: Yeah, that’d be funny.
BHAVNEET: Well, we hope you enjoyed listening to
Chris’s driving stories. Be sure to stay tuned until the end of this episode,
to hear a sneak peek of next week’s driver, Dan Grec from Australia,
TARANJIT: and he shares about the time that his
Jeep rolled down a hill into a rock wall, police bribery and much more.
BHAVNEET: Thank you for tuning in this week. And
if you enjoyed this podcast, you can help support the show by sharing it with
your friends or leaving us a review. It truly does help us get discovered.
TARANJIT: And thank you for choosing to drive with
us again this week. And we’ll see you next week.
(outro music)
DAN: It’s a, it’s quite an embarrassing story actually. , because I
wasn’t even in the driver’s seat at the time.
, so my Jeep, , I
drove it all the way around Africa, so it had done a lot of miles and the, ,
handbrake, the emergency brake didn’t work very well.
And so I was in
Uganda and this really remote spot, I came over a hill and there was like
Albert in front of me, this beautiful lake. And I really wanted to get a photo.
So I parked the
Jeep. It was on a little bit of a hill. , and I got out to take a photo. And so
I walked maybe like 20 yards away from the jeep.
And it started to
roll down the hill by itself.