Three Rights makes a Left

My son will be 16 in the beginning of December and on his birthday he wants to write his driving test so that he can drive our car.  He has also been saving his money so that he can buy his own car.

That got me thinking about my first car.

It was a 1962 Ford Falcon and had been well used.  It's top speed was 55 miles per hour which is fine until you have the need to pass another vehicle.  I learned to follow the slow movers.  

Sit back, relax and follow.

The car was white, automatic, four door and had a grey interior.  It was neither sporty nor sleek.  It was embarrassing for a 16 year old to drive until I realized any car was better than no car.  I drove that car quite a lot.

The antenna for the one station radio it could reach was broken, the big chrome horn honker was loose and rattled,  there was an odd scraping noise that came from the bottom of the car that sounded like I was dragging wire.   I wasn't - I checked.

One day my sister and I were driving to the family farm.  I had told her I would pick her up pretty early as the car's top speed was slow and that we didn't want to arrive mid afternoon.  When I pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex I could see her fiance standing at the window so I honked and waved.  He waved and I saw him telling my sister I was outside waiting.  

After the car was loaded with all her  necessary stuff, off we drove. 

 I turned left to face the exit of the parking lot - the horn honked - fiance waved.  I  turned left around the parked cars - horn honked - fiance waved.  I turned left,  exiting the parking lot - horn honked - fiance waved.  I turned left to get on the main street - horn honked - couldn't see fiance wave.   I turned right to get on the highway - no honk.

Later that day when I dropped my sister off at her home - her fiance said he had several dirty looks and several talking to's about the rudeness of his fiances friend honking the car horn so early in the day.

He thought we were just honking because we would miss him.

A few weeks later I turned left into a parking spot in front of a restaurant where I was meeting friends and the horn honked.   

and honked, and honked, and honked.

Friend came out, lifted the hood, pulled a wire and the honking stopped.

Soon there was a bumper sticker on the car that read,  "Horn Broken, Watch for Finger"

Yes, such a thing does exist.  

Still.