Listen to the episode
Driving Profile: Harlee Keller
(sneak peek)
HARLEE: [00:00:00] I was, driving home on
4th of July and I was like on my street and when I got home, my mom was like,
there’s a bear down the street. I was like, Oh my gosh, no way I want to go
see, so I get back in the car.
I don’t know why I felt like I needed to do this. I get back in
the car. I keep my headlights off. And I drive down the street and it’s probably
about 10:00 PM. So I keep the headlights off. I’m driving and I had my windows
down and then I hear something and it’s the sound of a baby bear.
And I’m like, Oh no.
(intro music)
BHAVNEET: Welcome back to
Drive With Us Podcast. A podcast where we explore driving cultures around the
world by bringing on a new guest each episode to talk about the crazy things
they’ve experienced on the road, who they are as drivers and how they became
the driver they are today. I’m Bhavneet.
TARANJIT: I’m Taranjit. But before we get
into who today’s driver is we do have a little quick car keeping. I’m
still getting used to that segment title.
BHAVNEET: And now for some
car keeping. Honk. Honk.
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Let’s get into today’s driver. Today’s driver is Harlee Keller,
a photographer, coffee enthusiasts and host of the Ranch Collective podcast.
She loves True Crime, Taylor Swift and dogs. Originally from California, Harlee
now lives in Texas and she shares with us about the time she accidentally cut
someone off only to have them follow her home, her fiancé’s motorcycle accident
and being charged at by a Mama Bear. Let’s meet today’s driver Harlee Keller.
(transition music)
BHAVNEET: [00:02:46] Welcome Harlee. Thanks so much for joining us
today.
HARLEE:
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. I’m really excited.
TARANJIT:
I was super excited to hear all your driving story. So let’s
start with what you would say is one of the most craziest driving experiences
you’ve had.
HARLEE:
Okay. So hands down, the craziest driving experience that
I’ve had, would have been. So I lived in Reno, Nevada for while I was in
college and I met my fiancé and he was living in Great Falls, Montana. And my
best friend lived in Tucson, Arizona, which is a 15 hour drive from Reno. she
was getting married.
So I
drove down, he flew down and then. When I was driving back, I looped around
through, Los Angeles, which is four and a half hours from Tucson four and a
half hours from Phoenix. So about six hours from Tucson [00:03:46] and then
drove home a couple days later to, Reno So from that part of Los Angeles, it is
a nine hour drive back to Reno.
And,
there’s two highways that run that way. I don’t know where the majority of your
listeners are from, if any of them are from the California central California
area, but there’s five, which runs parallel to 99, from all the way South to
all the way North. In California and through parts of Oregon depending on where
you are.
And
normally we take five because it’s a lot faster. It’s newer, it’s a little bit
wider, but there were some unforeseen constructions and normally it’s a nine,
nine and a half hour drive. It took me 14 hours. so I’m plenty of, yeah.
So I’m planning on getting home at like, Maybe six or 7:00 PM and it turned
into nine or 10, and then I hit traffic in Sacramento and it turned into, I
didn’t get home until almost 2:00 AM [00:04:46] I get up the next morning And
then I get news that my now fiance then boyfriend of three months was in a
motorcycle accident in Great Falls, which is a thousand miles away from Reno.
that next day I drove that thousand miles, 15 hours all the way up to Great Falls.
TARANJIT: Wow. You have, you have
literally been from state to state the state? Was he okay? Was it actually that
serious?
HARLEE: Yeah, so he was okay. But what
had happened was, is he was riding his motorcycle down near the river in Great
Falls and around the blind corner. came a car and it was in his lane and
clipped his back end and launched his bike into the river. And he would have
been in the river, but a tree hit his leg and broke his fall. So he wound up
with, four or five bruised ribs on one side, four or five broken ribs.
On the
other side, he broke his leg down, really close to his ankle. Separated.
Both of his shoulders had lacerations, [00:05:46] in his liver was really
bruised, but he was only in the hospital for like three days. So he was okay.
Enough that once they made sure all of his internal organs, he wasn’t bleeding
internally or anything.
He was
sent home, It was a lot in like four or five days.
BHAVNEET:
Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I can imagine. Wow. That
must have been one crazy hectic week. Only five days too. Wow.
HARLEE:
Yeah.
TARANJIT:
Oh my gosh, what a world wind of a a week. Wow. So while
you’re on this drive or a trip from state to state to state, did you, well, how
would you describe the drivers in the different States? And did you see any
differences in between the drivers?
HARLEE:
Yeah. So I actually learned, in part to drive in Los Angeles,
which. It’s kind of known, especially in the part of the country where I’m
from. I grew up in Northern California and then went to college in Northern
Nevada. So, it’s kind of pretty well known for having like, crazy drivers who
don’t really care.
They’ll
just cut your right off. They don’t [00:06:46] care. So, I learned to drive in
a pretty aggressive environment and comparing that to The two lane highways, of
where my parents live in Northern California. There’s a really, really big
difference. There’s always a super big difference between little towns, small
cities, and then big cities I’ve even noticed it here where I live now, the
difference between like drivers in Dallas versus the drivers up closer to
where, we were living just a couple of months ago.
but
for sure, the Los Angeles drivers are much more aggressive in Great Falls, even
though it’s one of the big, bigger cities in Montana. I think it’s like the
second or third biggest, it’s still very much like everyone’s so polite. They
use their turn signals. They don’t cut you off. And I think that’s definitely
been my experience in smaller cities and towns.
BHAVNEET:
That’s really interesting to hear that people
actually use their turn signals.
HARLEE:
Okay, let me tell you. So I live in Austin now just moved a
couple months ago and everyone uses their turn signal. I think I’ve been cut
off once in the two months that I’ve lived here. but that person [00:07:46]
still used their turn signal to get over. They were just rude about it.
BHAVNEET:
Wow. Well, at least they let you know, I guess
that they were going to do that.
HARLEE:
Yeah, they just went for it.
BHAVNEET:
That’s really surprising. Like I’ve heard
that even drivers in Texas are because speeds are a lot faster. Generally
they’re a lot more aggressive, but people sell use their signals. That’s
interesting.
HARLEE:
I would say there’s a difference between being like an
aggressive driver and being a rude driver. in lots of parts in California, and
I was guilty of it too. When I lived there, like. Nobody really used their turn
signals. The only reason they were turning as if they were slowing down or all
of a sudden there, they were in front of you, but here and driving here,
driving driven across the state a few times.
The
drivers are aggressive, but Texas has some pretty strict road laws if it’s a
two lane or a three, not a two lane highway, but like two ways each direction.
So a four lane highway or a six lane highway that left lane is. For passing
only. So you [00:08:46] have to stay in the right lane or the right two lanes
unless you’re passing.
that
makes it a little bit safer to have those higher speed limits because yeah,
there’s speed limits here on the highways are 70, 75 80. I think there’s a
couple of 85s. The law enforcement is much more strict. about enforcing
that particular law. And then on two lane highways, it it’s, I don’t know if
it’s technically the law, but it seems to be, the standard is that if
you’re on a too late and someone’s right behind you, you just pull over, like,
you don’t have to stop or slow down.
You
can just move over to the shoulder and let that person go past you. It’s a lot
safer that way. here, it’s also their shoulders on like pretty much every
road. where I grew up, in California and in Northern Nevada, there’s a
lot of twisty, windy highways that are, two lane roads, but there’s no shoulder
on them.
So you
can’t pull over to get out of the way, except for There specific pullover
spots, but here in Texas, there’s always a shoulder. So you can always move out
of the way. And it seems people are pretty good about, actually doing that.
[00:09:46]
BHAVNEET: That’s that’s a new one. I have never heard that people
actually will just pull over when they see someone coming fast behind them.
HARLEE:
Yeah. but they don’t slow down to pull over. They like
maintain their speed. They just move out of the way. If there’s no. way for them
to pass. Like if it’s a double yellow line or something, they’ll just move out
of the way I noticed that was particularly true with where we lived up close to
Dallas.
There’s
there’s a lot of farm equipment that was on some of the roads and it made it safer
and easier to navigate them, but, okay. in Texas, I just realized this blew my
mind when I moved here. In Texas, they have, you know how normally, like in a
U-turn you have to wait at the stop light for the light to turn, and then you
can make a U-turn in Texas with the frontage roads, which is like the big roads
that run.
it’s
like your entry and exit onto the freeway systems. They have a highway that
runs next to it. And there’s a whole U-turn lane. So at a stoplight,
there’ll be Going from right to left. There’s your right turn lane. You’re
going straight lanes, your left turn lane, and then a U-turn [00:10:46] lane.
It’s only for you turns and it like bypasses the light. It doesn’t take you all
the way up. It’s its own lane to you. Turn it around.
BHAVNEET:
That’s really cool. I wish they had that year
on the East coast. That’d be nice.
HARLEE:
Yeah, it’s amazing. I was like mind blown because my fiancé
was trying to explain it to me. I was like, yeah. Okay. Whatever that doesn’t
even make any sense. And then I saw it. I was like, Oh, this I’ll never go back.
BHAVNEET:
Exactly. It’s like, I can’t, I can’t.
HARLEE:
Got to live here forever. Now.
BHAVNEET:
I wonder with people doing the whole pulling
over to the shoulder, do you think that has decreased road rage?
HARLEE:
I think so. so people always talk about Southern
hospitality and how people in general in the South are more family oriented,
more community oriented, et cetera, et cetera. I know that’s a really big
stereotype and it’s one that I definitely held before moving here.
I
think that that’s part of it, but I also think that like very instilled into
the culture in this area is just being kind and looking out basically looking
out for your neighbor. And so that helps like, okay, I’m not going to drive. 10
[00:11:46] miles per hour over the speed limit. But at this truck behind me
wants to, I should just get out of their way.
So
that way I don’t create problems for them. that that’s really like part
of the culture here.
TARANJIT:
Does this decrease how many people actually overtake one
another since this is more of a common practice.
HARLEE:
No, I’m not sure when I lived in Northern Nevada, and have
accidentally cut somebody off. Cause I didn’t see them or, you know, a speeding
to try to get around somebody and maybe not driving the safest that I could be.
I’ve been followed home from being on the freeway because somebody was so angry.
And I
lived there for eight years and was driving for four years previous to that. So
in about 12 years, I was followed a number of times and I’ve been here for just
short of two years. And haven’t had a single road rage incident that I’ve
either caused or, have been angry about.
TARANJIT:
Wait. These people followed you home. Where were you? Like
scared or nervous that there’s someone following you?
HARLEE:
Oh yeah, I was [00:12:46] terrified. So when I first moved to
Reno, I had an apartment that was in not the best area and, I was still
learning my way around. And I accidentally got in the left turn lane when I
needed to be in the right turn lane. So instead of just making the left turn
and flipping around, I was like, Oh, it’s midnight.
There’s
nobody out here. So I just pulled over really quickly into the right turn lane.
But of course there was somebody pulling out of a parking lot and I
inadvertently cut I’m off on accident. and they followed me almost all the way
to my apartment. I didn’t pull into the apartment complex.
I,
Called the guy who I was dating at the time and said, what do I do? Cause I was
either 17 or 18. And he was like, you’re going to go pass the apartment. You’re
going to drive through the neighborhood. That’s behind them. You’re going
to flip around and you’re going to come back to my house. He was like, you’re
not leading that person to the apartment complex where you live.
BHAVNEET:
Yeah. I was going to say like did you just keep
driving until they decided they didn’t want to follow you anymore.
HARLEE:
I got all the way I got all the way back to his house and
parked and they just drove by.
TARANJIT:
So, I wonder if they’re like, okay, [00:13:46] now I know
where this person lives. Were they planning on coming back or did you ever have
them come back?
HARLEE:
No, not that I know of, And I mean, it’s very possible that
they did, and I was just not ever made aware of it, that particular individual
and that individual’s family have, really strong ties to law enforcement in the
area. So it’s very possible that, they did come back and were told to not do
that again or something like that
TARANJIT:
Oh, my goodness. That is a scary, I’m so glad that they
didn’t actually get out and do anything.
HARLEE:
Right. I’m glad I went back to his house. He was waiting for
me in the front yard. And I think once that person saw that I was clearly not
going back to where I lived. I went somewhere else. Maybe they just got scared
and they were like, bye.
BHAVNEET:
Exactly. That’s good that you haven’t
experienced any road rage in Texas. That’s really interesting.
TARANJIT:
So of the States that you have driven in which state would
you say you prefer to drive in?
HARLEE:
probably Texas, or Montana. But [00:14:46] there’s really
big, wild animals in Montana. There’s lots of moose, elk, big deer,
bears. So that makes it a little bit scarier to be driving there particularly
at night in Texas. It’s just, there’s hogs. There’s deer, there’s coyotes, but,
I’m not gonna probably die if I hit a hog
TARANJIT:
have you ever had an animal encounter?
HARLEE:
Yes. when I lived in Northern California still, where I lived
is really close to the Lake Tahoe area. So it’s lots of forests, lots of
hiking, outdoorsy stuff, lots of, wildlife. And I was driving to my friend’s
house who lived a little bit out of town. And coming back, we’re coming back
from her house with her in the car.
We
were driving my mom’s, Ford F250, and I saw this deer crossing the roads I
slowed down and I like watched it to make sure it wasn’t going to turn on a
boat back. But what I didn’t see is the second deer that was with it and I
clipped him. but then that deer just got up. I pulled over after I hit him and
I was freaking out, I was crying. I was 16 or 17. I was like, Oh my God, I just
hit a the deer. [00:15:46] I’m hysterical. And my friend’s like, the deer’s
gone. I was like, stop it. And we turn around, we walked back over there and
there was no deer. it was just gone.
It
must’ve gotten back up after I clicked it.
BHAVNEET:
Deer are very resilient. Taranjit has hit a
deer and it was completely unfazed.
TARANJIT:
Yeah. I had an instance I don’t know how, like, I, it sounds
like yours wasn’t that severe of a hit either. So I had a moment where it was a
male deer and he just walked in front of my car without me realizing, and I hit
the brakes in time, but still hit him. And he flew across the other side,
decided to come back and stood in front of my car and just stared at me. I was
like, all right, this is great.
HARLEE: that’s really sad. Listen
the first time I hit a rabbit in Northern Nevada. There’s rabbits, little bit
everywhere. And I hit one on my way home one time and I cried. I literally
pulled over to the side of the road and I was just crying. I told my fiance and
he was like, you need to get it together.
It’s
just
TARANJIT:
like In the moment you’re like, Oh, no, what do [00:16:46] I
do? what happened? you weren’t expecting it and it happened. And you don’t know
what to do in that moment.
HARLEE:
yeah, pretty much. I did, have a bear charge at my car
once though.
TARANJIT:
What? We are going to need more.
HARLEE:
So I was, driving home on 4th of July and I was
like on my street and we used to have, was we used to have bears all the time
there just because of where it was. And one of my, when I got home, my mom was
like, there’s a bear down the street. I was like, Oh my gosh, no way I want to
go see, so I get back in the car.
I
don’t know why I felt like I needed to do this. Like get back in the car. I
keep my headlights off. And I drive down the street. I lived on like a
very rural street, five people lived on the street and it’s probably about
10:00 PM. So I keep the headlights off. I’m driving and I had my windows down
and then I something and it’s the sound of a baby bear.
And
I’m like, Oh no. And I flipped my headlights on. And somehow this baby bear is
off to my left and the mom is right dead in front of me. I’ve never put my car
in [00:17:46] reverse so fast. She chased me all the way down the street
BHAVNEET:
it sounds like, a movie scene.
HARLEE:
it does. That’s what it felt like. And I drove at the time I
drove a 2002 Kia Sportage. So it was it was really small SUV, like a Jeep
Wrangler, but more compact. so the bear was not that much smaller than the car.
It was a very small car. So I was like, uh,got to go bye. It was so scary.
I
almost peed my pants.
TARANJIT:
Yeah, I guess you’re probably regretting the choice of
wanting to go see this bear after that,
HARLEE:
it was a very cool experience, but would not recommend it for
anyone else.
BHAVNEET:
Do not try this at home.
HARLEE:
Yeah, no, don’t do it.
BHAVNEET:
So now that we I heard your crazy driving
experiences. Let’s go into what type of driver you are. Are you the kind of
person who enjoy, driving and would prefer to be the driver, or would you
rather be the passenger?
HARLEE: I love driving. I want to be
the driver every single time. I used to commute when we lived up near
[00:18:46] Dallas, I used to be an hour and 20 minutes each way for work. And I
it’s a nice, quiet, reflective time. Most of the time for me. The only
exception is if I’m going somewhere with my fiancé, then he gets to drive.
I
don’t like driving if he’s in the car, which sounds so weird. He’s in, we’re
both good drivers, but, I don’t know, I feel like he’s scrutinizing my driving.
So he just drives when we go anywhere.
BHAVNEET:
I feel that way. Sometimes it’s like, okay,
don’t judge me. This is how I drive, but I completely relate to your one hour
and 20 minutes. We both have about that much of a commute right now. And I
still love driving. And sometimes people think I’m crazy because of it.
HARLEE:
Yeah, so I got a lot of, Oh my gosh, you drive so far. And
I’m like, but I love it. And it was a really nice. Easy drive. and then I got a
new car in December of last year. I bought a 2020 Chevy spark. that just made
it even better. I was like, Oh, I’ve got the Apple car play. Now I can just
listen to podcasts.
I’ve
got a decent sound [00:19:46] system. It gets killer gas mileage. So I stopped
paying an arm and a leg for gas. So I was like, Now I can enjoy driving again.
TARANJIT:
Yeah, that makes it a lot more enjoyable when you don’t,
you’re not spending much and you’re able to listen and have that enjoyable
drive. So you were saying that your fiancé, you rather have him drive. So how
would you say your family and friends would describe your driving? And would
you describe your driving in the same way?
HARLEE: Oh, that’s a, Oh, that’s a
hard one. Probably. Okay. Definitely aggressive. I also liked to
accelerate fast and brake quickly. Not like slamming on my brakes, but I like
to brake quickly. and if I’m driving, I have to know where I’m going. If it’s
not somewhere I’m super familiar with, I need a map up, or I need my GPS
telling me exactly where to turn because I’m so scatterbrained.
A lot
of the time I would just, I would literally lose my head if it wasn’t attached
and not knowing exactly where I’m going. It makes me so anxious. When I first
started driving, I [00:20:46] was dating somebody who lived two hours away. And
even though I had made the drive with my mom before, or I driven with her when
I had my permit, the very first time I drove.
Iwas
like a ball of anxiety, the whole two hours. I was sweating and nervous and
scared. And I was, it was just because I was what if I don’t remember what
street they live on, which is ridiculous because we’d already been together for
almost a year. At that point in time, I knew exactly what street he lived
on, The not knowing where I’m going. Makes me super anxious when I drive.
TARANJIT:
Yeah, I can totally relate to that. I feel like I have to
write down okay, this is the street this building’s going to come off. make
sure you turn here. I have to have it all written out for myself.
HARLEE:
Yeah. So back then, this was in like 2009, so we didn’t, I
didn’t have a smartphone yet. And my car was it was a 2002. So it barely even
had a stereo in it. I printed out the instructions on how to get there and have
them sitting in my passenger seat the whole time.
BHAVNEET:
I love now that Google maps you can just look
at street view or you can actually [00:21:46] do satellite view. And I like to
be able to see like, okay, well, these are the things that are going to be
around my destination. If I see them, I should know I’m there.
HARLEE:
Yeah.
TARANJIT:
car technology has gotten so advanced that it just makes
everything so much easier now.
HARLEE:
Yeah. Definitely.
TARANJIT:
So you were saying you are an aggressive driver.
Would you consider yourself someone who tends to honk or a honker?
HARLEE:
No pretty much never, but I have been known to at night flash
my brights at somebody else, brights at somebody if they don’t turn their
brights off or, I in my fiancé’s, SUV, we’ve got light bars all the way
around the top. So we used to use it for camping a lot until we’d have we put
the light bars on.
So
that way we’d be able to see when we were out in the middle of nowhere. And,
one time someone was being was tailgating me a little too closely, and I
flashed the light bar right into there. Driver’s eyeballs.
BHAVNEET:
Oh my gosh. Hopefully you didn’t startle
them too much. But did they back off?
HARLEE:
Oh, yeah.
TARANJIT:
what if you [00:22:46] blinded them? I would have been
worried that something might happen if they couldn’t see for a little bit.
HARLEE:
well, then they shouldn’t have been tailgating.
BHAVNEET:
Yeah, very true.
HARLEE:
Yeah, I felt, I felt bad for a millisecond before I did it, I
was like, well, what if something happens? And I was like, no, if I have to
slow down or stop. So I was in and I was in the SUV, which takes like a hot
minute to slow down, but they were in a truck which slows down slower than me.
I was
like, so if I have to, slam on my brakes or if I have to slow down quickly, I
was like, this person is going to rear end me. And then I won’t be able to stop
in time so. I was like, I’ll just flash those lights at them really quick.
TARANJIT: Yeah, that’s a good
point being able to the braking is the, one of the things you worry about a
lot, especially when someone is on your bumper, because you’re like, I am
leaving space for myself to possibly brake in a good amount of time. But then
if that person doesn’t notice, it’s going to end in a disaster.
HARLEE:
Yeah.
BHAVNEET:
So speaking of honking and,
annoying drivers. What would you say is your biggest driving pet peeve?
HARLEE:
[00:23:46] Unnecessary honking, I’ve been at a
stoplight and the instant, the light turns green, someone will lay on their
horn. but also the reverse is true is if someone’s, doing something else
in their car may be fiddling with the radio or something.
And
the lights green, especially if it’s like a left turn lane and you only get two
seconds to turn, now I have to sit through a whole another cycle because they
were, fiddling with their radio or something.
I’ll
do like a little light, light tap. Not in like a mean way. My also, okay. I
totally just remembered this cause it hasn’t been as much of an issue here as
it was prior to me moving people don’t know how to merge. They just will sit
there and not let, they won’t let somebody in or in the, or somebody will just
get upset and try to go around.
But
like everybody’s merging. And then I don’t want to let that person back in .
TARANJIT:
wow. Yeah. I feel like those are common, big pet peeves we’ve
heard is the whole red light issue. And then merging. Merging is a big one.
I’ve heard a lot because people, they tend to confuse yielding and merging. In
my opinion, that’s what I feel like I noticed is like, they don’t know the
[00:24:46] difference between the two sides, mean stop and then go one
means keep going.
HARLEE:
Yeah. The way, like the, I was taught is yield means,
assuming that it’s not like a blind corner or something like that yield means
is you make sure nobody else is coming. And then you are good to go And
merging just means You need to get up to the same speed as whatever you’re
meerging into and then get over. Cause people just come to like a dead stop.
Okay. Because I’ve been to me the other day, someone came to a dead stop in
front of me trying to merge onto the freeway and the speed limit 70 on this
freeway.
And
I’m like, you’re not going to get over safely if you’re coming from a dead
stop, unless you drive a really nice. Really high horsepower car.
BHAVNEET:
No, that’s the opposite of what you need to do.
I don’t understand why people think that is the solution.
HARLEE:
Yeah. Or like, somebody clearly didn’t get over in time for
their exit and they were in the middle lane and they just came to a dead stop
so they could get over into the right lane to exit. And I’m like, what are you
doing?
TARANJIT:
[00:25:46] Wait, do they just come to a stop in the middle?
HARLEE:
So there was there is a ton of people in that
right-hand lane. it was like exit lane, right-hand lane, middle lane, left
lane. And this person was in the middle lane. I was behind them in the middle
lane and the right hand lane was packed with people who are going to the next
exit or getting over to get off on this exit.
And
this person did not pay attention and they just like stopped until there was a
spot for them to get over.
TARANJIT:
And now one was like, okay. Maybe I’ll just let them in.
Yeah. The other traffic keep going.
HARLEE: somebody eventually did,
but I wouldn’t have realized that’s what that person was trying to do.
TARANJIT:
Yeah. at that point you just keep going and try to find
another way to come back around.
HARLEE:
Yeah. That’s what I would have done.
BHAVNEET:
Maybe they didn’t know another way, you know,
it’s like, I need to know where I, where I’m going and that’s my exit. I must
take it.
HARLEE:
what I’ve done when I’ve missed it. And I don’t know the
other way is I just get off at the next exit and make a U-turn
and
then get back on the freeway.
TARANJIT:
yeah, a lot of [00:26:46] people don’t think like that, which
is what you can see on the road. Just like you would do that, but it’s they’re
like, no, this is my only way.
HARLEE:
that was one of the benefits of learning to drive somewhere
like Los Angeles is because all roads lead to each other, at least there, and
in most big cities, the roads are planned that way, but there’s always more
than one way to get there Like I learned okay, if I get off at the next exit, I
just have to go one extra block over and then I can cut back or something like
that.
TARANJIT:
Yeah. And with like GPS is now, you can, even, if you have to
go to the next exit, it can help you go back to where you’re trying to go. So
it’s less of a stress or worry now.
HARLEE:
Yeah, definitely.
TARANJIT:
So now that we’ve what kind of driver you are, let’s go back
to your driving first and your first time driving experiences. How would you
describe your very first time driving experience at who was at with?
HARLEE:
I don’t remember the very, very first time that I drove,
[00:27:46] because growing up in a small town, you get to Driving stuff
other than cars becomes a very, very normal things. Like go-karts golf carts,
side-by-side. Stuff like that. So I don’t actually remember the first time I
got behind the wheel of a real car.
But
my very first car was a manual transmission and I struggled, I couldn’t not
drive it. It took me like six months to learn how to drive it and be safe,
really, truly safe driving it. The guy who I’d been dating at the time
was about nine or 10 months older than me.
So he
already had his license and he already had a car. He had a little, a small
little pickup and it was also a manual transmission. So he tried a number of
times to teach me how to drive in that. I don’t know how familiar you guys are
with, how manual transmissions, work.
But
when you go to shift, it’s either you’re paying attention to like a specific,
It’s called a tachometer. And it’s what measures the RPMs in the car. And
that’s how, you know, what a shift is when it gets to a certain point or by
listening and [00:28:46] his truck didn’t have one of those. it was all based
off of the sound, when you recognize that, like your engine was revving too
high, then you shift and I cannot tell you how many times I stalled. the
truck or my car, trying to learn based off of sound rather than staring at my
dash,
BHAVNEET:
Oh, I bet Being able to, like, here it is, was
probably so hard, but now that you know how to do it, you probably can be like,
I don’t have to look into anything. I know what I need to change and shift as
I’m a pro.
Would
you say that you prefer driving manual transmission or automatic?
HARLEE:
manual transmission. Although when I went to buy my spark, I
looked, they don’t really make a lot of manual transmission cars anymore. Like
the new ones, almost none of them are, which is kind of a bummer, but most, Non
car vehicles are still manual transmission. like a lot of like quads are a lot
of, motorcycle, motorcycle, street bikes, all of that are all manual
transmission and it just doesn’t look the same as a car.
TARANJIT: Yeah. that and if you
ever do play it on driving in another [00:29:46] country, most other countries
have manual transmission. So you’ll be set. You’ll be able to drive.
HARLEE:
I didn’t know that that makes me so excited.
BHAVNEET:
Yeah, like goes, I wanted them to be like, Oh
great. Now I can’t do anything.
So
thinking about your driving test experience, how would you describe that? And
were you able to pass it on your first time?
HARLEE:
Yeah. Okay. I almost failed at the first time because I
didn’t know the hand signals. And that was, if you don’t know them, it’s an
automatic fail or at least it was at that time where I tested.
BHAVNEET:
Well, what state? Where are you testing?
HARLEE:
California, I was like, I know the left turn, hand signal and
that’s it and so I tried the other two. And I got, I got them all right by some
miracle. But I was told like, if I didn’t at least attempt it, then I
would, be failed. So I tried but I actually had a really, really wonderful
driving test experience and where I grew up was super rural.
So
there was no big freeways. There was. One stoplight in the whole town, which we
drove through. And the parallel parking was [00:30:46] really easy because
there was, no other cars because I lived in the middle of nowhere. So I had to
parallel park and then back up for a hundred feet without hitting the curb.
BHAVNEET:
Did you have to do that on an actual, like the
parallel parking on an actual road? Or did you
HARLEE:
yeah, no, it isn’t. It was an actual road.
BHAVNEET: Oh wow. That’s uh, that’s interesting. Cause when we had to
take it as like it’s an actual, separate course on its own, but yeah. Having a
backup on the street. Good thing no cars came.
HARLEE: yeah, it was really easy.
TARANJIT: whenever we talked to a
lot of guests, some people say they had to parallel park and others, people
said that there didn’t have that requirement on the test. Do you think that
this should be a requirement that’s on the driving test or it’s okay. That it’s
not part of the requirement.
HARLEE:
I actually think that it should be left up to the County
where the person is testing. Because my experience parallel parking in
Plymouth County in rural Northern California, where I didn’t even see another
car. When I took my test is very, [00:31:46] very different from someone’s
experience, parallel parking in the heart of Dallas, Texas, or in Los Angeles,
where in Los Los Angeles, you have to know how to parallel park.
So if
you’re testing in somewhere, that’s you have to genuinely need to know that
skill to even be able to like function as a driver, you should be tested
on it. But I think that it’s a very useful skill to know,
TARANJIT:
So I’m curious to know, since you got your license in,
California, and then you lived in other States, when you moved to different
States, did you have to retake the driving test or were you able to just
transfer your license?
HARLEE:
the way that it worked. So I actually don’t have my Texas license
yet. I need to dig out a copy of my registration for my car, but it was in the
glove box. It was not, I was going to go do that before this morning, before I
was on the podcast, didn’t work out, I still have my Nevada license. When
I moved to Nevada and got my Nevada license, because I was under the age of 25,
I still had to do the written test. I didn’t have to redo the driving test, but
I [00:32:46] had to basically take the written, permit test that you take when
you get your driver’s permit.
My
fiance had a different experience when he moved. So when he went to switch his
license from a Texas license to a Montana license, when he moved up there, it
was basically just a transfer. They just needed the proof that he was living
there now, and he just paid for it.
TARANJIT:
That’s interesting to know. I always curious, if you move
from state to state, is it a hassle to get it? Or can you just be like, Hey,
I’ve been driving for so long. Just transfer my license.
So
switching gears a little bit, we’ve learned about your past and your current
driving, thinking about the future of driving with the potential of cars,
starting to be driverless. What are your thoughts on this? And would you get in
that car?
HARLEE:
I have a lot of thoughts on this because I love technology
and I think the way technology is evolving is really beautiful and wonderful.
So as far as a driverless car, I would, since I haven’t interacted with one,
haven’t been around one, I [00:33:46] don’t know. I would want to have been in
one, on some kind of enclosed course or something like that prior to getting in
one just on the street.
But I
have a couple of friends who have been in the self-driving cars that work down
in the Silicon Valley in California. And they love him. They’re like, this is
going to change everything. But that being said, I’m also somebody I like to
have, a drink with dinner. I like to go out and bar hop and I’m like, that
would be something that would be really wonderful for someone who maybe like
lives alone or doesn’t live super close to where maybe they were going to
dinner or something like that.
And if
they’re like a little tipsy and they’re like, Ooh, can’t drive, but I have this
driverless car. That’s really great. But as people we have this really, really
wonderful ability to, Prioritize. So if I’m driving and I am coming across
someone’s pet dog, that’s clearly loose and is in the middle of the road. I, as
a human can prioritize. Okay. What do I need to do [00:34:46] so that I don’t
hit this dog while also keeping myself safe? or what do I need you to not hit
this deer while also keeping myself safe, but a machine.
Can’t
be taught that same type of reasoning. Like you can do logical functions, you
can teach machines, but, there’s also an emotional component. and. At this
time, I’m unaware of any technology that exists that would allow a vehicle to
make that kind of a distinction.
TARANJIT:
Yeah, I agree with if you do like have something to drink,
then this could potentially help with. All the drunk driving and stuff and
reduce that because if you have the ability to have your car, get you home
safely, as opposed to you trying to drive while you’re impaired, it should
theoretically help with reducing DUIs.
HARLEE:
Yeah, theoretically.
BHAVNEET: Bonus question time. If you could make one new driving law,
what would it be?
HARLEE:
I love that question. I would require, physical driving
tests. Like the one we take when we [00:35:46] first get our license, I would
require them every five years to continue to have your license because. I have
family members that are guilty of this. You can mail in for your license to get
renewed, or you can just show up and sometimes you have to take a written test
again, but those tests.
As
proven since we only give, we give them to people who haven’t been behind the
wheel ever, like when you get your driver’s permit, they don’t actually gauge
the ability to safely drive. And it’s really different on paper than it is
actually physically driving. there are people who are driving maybe who are
older or who don’t drive a whole lot, or maybe who are very, very anxious about
driving, who.
In my
opinion, have no business having a license because they’re not safe
driver. I don’t want to say it’ll help with like, accidents that are
caused by recklessness, because that’s a choice that a driver makes. But I
think that it may do a lot to help with, some of the driving [00:36:46]
accidents that happen when people are older or people are very anxious.
TARANJIT:
You’re not the first guest to actually say this. So with
taking a driving test is so expensive in and of itself. So would you say that
if this was a requirement, like every five years, is this something that the
state would pay for? Or is this something that would be a reduced cost?
HARLEE:
do you guys know off the top of your head, how much it costs
to actually take the physical driving test? Like getting that license versus,
or when you will, or getting the license in a brand new state?
BHAVNEET:
No, I don’t know in different state.
HARLEE:
Cause I, I don’t think the difference in cost is that. I
mean, for renewal it’s like 10 bucks or something like that. But I think
that driving is a privilege, not a right. And it is a luxury and you pay more
for luxury items and like that might sound classist And in a lot of rural
places, there’s maybe not, public transit options available, [00:37:46] which I
also have a lot of opinions about, but, Yeah, I think the owners would have to
be on the person who’s wanting to continue to drive, to pay for it.
TARANJIT: Yeah, that’s
interesting. Now I’m curious to see what the cost is here in our state, because
I know when you get the permit or the license, it’s a good amount of money. I
think it’s like 50 or $60, but I don’t know about transferring. And then maybe
if you were like retaking the test, it might not be as high of a price because
you already proved it once you can like pass the test, but maybe it will be at
a reduced price.
HARLEE:
Yeah. Okay. I’m looking, I’m looking for the state of Texas
right now. Okay. So the license for, age, this is just like a regular good old
driver’s license. New is $33 and it expires after eight years and a renewal for
age 18 to 20-24 is also $33. The only time it’s different is, if you’re under
18 and it’s 16 and it [00:38:46] expires when you turn 18 or if you’re older
than 85 and it’s $9,
TARANJIT:
Yeah, I guess it depends on your state, state, by state all
vary in terms of the price of it. Do you have any other final thoughts or
any tips you would like to give other drivers?
HARLEE:
Yeah. So since you, since you mentioned that you were
surprised that people use their turn signal in Texas use your turn signal
people,
BHAVNEET:
That’s a really good tip. Okay. I don’t know.
East coast, I don’t think people, They just don’t use their signals as they
should.
TARANJIT:
I’m always surprised. I’m like, Oh my God, they used their
signal. Before we let you go, I know, you have a podcast of your own and
also a business. So where can listeners find you if they wanna check it out?
HARLEE: my podcast is called the ranch
collective podcast. It is at ranch collective podcast.com. Facebook and Instagram. And I interview
business owners and individuals who are really active in their communities,
[00:39:46] or they’re really hardworking. Cause I in quarantine found that
there’s a lot more appreciation for what your average farmer or rancher does.
and
the hard work that they’re. Doing and the small, like the small ranchers and
farmers were getting some of the attention that they deserve because bigger
operations got shut down. And then I also run a photography business
photography and graphic design business with my fiancé. That’s called Polish
company. It’s P O L I C H. Company on Facebook and Instagram as well.
BHAVNEET:
Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
It was really fun to hear your crazy diving experiences all across the country.
And now we know if we ever come to Texas, that people do use their turn signals
and. That we should move over. If someone wants to go around us.
HARLEE:
Yes. Thank you again so much for having me. I forgot how much
I love to talk about driving and share stories. I don’t get to share these
stories very often because nobody in my life wants to hear about the stupid
things I did driving when I was [00:40:46] 16. So thanks for letting me talk
about it.
TARANJIT:
thank you for coming on. We love hearing all the driving
story. So here’s a platform for you. If you ever want to come back.
HARLEE:
Perfect. Maybe, you know what? Maybe I’ll tell my fiancé to
come and tell his motorcycle story.
TARANJIT:
That would be awesome.
(transition music)
TARANJIT: I can’t believe
Harlee thought it was such a great idea to actually go to the bear and then of
course immediately she regretted it but and then tried to run away. If someone
told you that there was a bear down the street or any animal that you know is
rare to see, would do you have done what she did and got in your car to go see
it?
BHAVNEET: I don’t know if
bears are rare, but…
TARANJIT: Well I mean like
it’s not something you commonly see. Like an animal.
BHAVNEET: Wat if it is
there? What if it is?
TARANJIT: But I’m just
saying like here it’s not. So.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. I wouldn’t
be like, oh a bear. I got to go see a bear. How about you?
TARANJIT: I was thinking
about it and I like no, but then I’m like we kind of did that in Australia
where we went after…
BHAVNEET: That’s true.
Never mind. Okay. Maybe it would. If you put it like that.
TARANJIT: We followed wild
kangaroos which is not smart on our end.
BHAVNEET: And they are
aggressive, too.
TARANJIT: Those guys are
like crazy strong and we could of like [00:42:15] got seriously injured.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. Good thing
they didn’t decide to chase us.
TARANJIT: Yeah, they just
kept hopping away. But we got the evil stare from the male.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. He just
stood there and stared at us. And we’re like, don’t make any sudden moves. He’s
watching us.
TARANJIT: Yeah, you can
hear the whole story of that back on our Australia episode, which don’t
remember the episode number. We will probably link it in the show notes. But the
whole bear thing wasn’t the only thing that came after her, she actually had
someone follow her home. So what would you done if that happened to you? If
someone it was like late at night and someone was following you home?
BHAVNEET: You know, you
always watch those shows and you’re like you should do this or that. And like
totally call someone. Like keep driving until like I don’t know if I would have
thought of that in the first like while you’re driving, you’re like, Oh my God.
This person is following me. That’s really good that she’s thought of that. To
call her boyfriend?
TARANJIT: Well. Yeah. If
you call someone, someone who’s not in the situation. They can be a rational
with you.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. Exactly.
TARANJIT: And give you
better [00:43:15] advice when you are freaked out.
BHAVNEET: Yeah. Well it’s
like so I don’t know if I would have thought on my own to be like, yeah. Just
drive somewhere else or keep driving. And like let’s get rid of them. And I
don’t know how yeah, I don’t know how I would have done it but probably would
have called someone and be like, uh. What do I do? Help me. Help me.
TARANJIT: What are you
going to whisper because they can hear you?
BHAVNEET: Yeah. They can
hear me calling someone.
TARANJIT: I feel like I’ve
had numerous situations when I’m driving and in the dark, like is that person
following me? But they’re not.
BHAVNEET: It’s always
skeptical. It’s like I’m going to the ends of the Earth. Why are you following
me?
TARANJIT: I’m going to the
ends of the Earth.
BHAVNEET: You’re also going
there? I don’t believe this. Well that was Harlee’s stories. If you or anyone,
you know has any crazy driving stories and would like to come onto the show.
You can fill out the interest form on our website at DriveWithUsPodcast.com
TARANJIT: And stay tuned
until the end for a sneak peek of next week’s episode and don’t forget
to come hang out with us in our Discord server. Thanks for
driving with us.
(outro music)
VANESSA: [00:44:15] I was a new driver, but not super, super new, but I
knew how to handle ice for the most part. and I just wasn’t Paying too, too
much attention. And I went around a curve and it was slippery and the curve was
going to the right.
And I kept going to the left toward,
towards the edge of the mountain road that had no guard rail or anything.