Back in the Driver's Seat

Last year, I made my way around Hong Kong on public transportation…right along with 95% of the rest of the population that doesn’t own a car. It worked. I got where I needed to go – maybe not on my preferred schedule and on occasion I’d have to sit next to a person hadn’t showered in recent weeks, but I never got totally lost.


Late in the spring, Dave had to stay home from work for several days because he’d had swine flu. He felt fine, had no temperature, but he wouldn’t have been well received in the office given how serious people are here about not transmitting germs (I’m not saying that they’re wrong) – so he worked at home and sort of sequestered himself.

What does my method of transport and Dave’s working home have to do with one another? As it turns out, a whole lot. It was the week I discovered that a car would revolutionize my life in Hong Kong.

While Dave was at home and our car was available for me to use, I started taking it on small trips to the nearby grocery store; then longer trips around the south side of the island. I was getting brave.

Then, when I was doing a “practice” drive to a place where Lydia was going to a birthday party, I missed a turn (luckily she was not in the car!). I found myself stuck in eight lanes of traffic, narrowing to two lanes going through a toll booth…right before entering a tunnel that goes through a mountain and comes out in a place called Causeway Bay – one of the most populous and congested areas in Hong Kong.

There was no way out. I was about to enter a place that I consider to be like an ant hill and humans are the ants. Keep in mind that in Hong Kong, there is no such thing as a simple U-turn – streets are generally one way, meaning how you get somewhere and how you get back can be radically different – and there are no shoulders on the road to pull over, collect your thoughts and consult a map. I was freaked out.

I decided to keep expectations for myself low. My goal was to not go through the tunnel that crosses the harbor to the side of HK that borders China. And if that failed, I’d hail a cab and pay them to lead me home.

Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary. With a few frayed nerves, white knuckles and no GPS to guide me, I made it back – and I didn’t even have to drive in circles around the island. Instead of leaving me freaked out though, I was less daunted about driving. I was emboldened. If I could survive Causeway Bay, I belonged on the road!

I came home and shared the news with Dave. He smiled and said he understood what I meant – there is something liberating about having a car in Hong Kong, even if you get lost.

After much discussion, Dave and I decided that getting a second car wasn’t a need. Clearly, I could get around without one. It wasn’t really just a want either – it could be very practical. We decided getting another car fell into a whole new spending category - “quality of life.” That is, it would improve the quality of my existence in Hong Kong (remember that un-showered person I mentioned earlier?) so much that it would offset the cost…assuming we didn’t buy something like a Porche. Other factors - like our bank account - would prevent something like that!

In any case, after we’d rationalized it all (and set a budget), we started looking for a second car. I’ll tell you more about that soon!