Cultural Clashes
“As an aside, I must relate my story of driving that god damned vehicle to the Hudson River wharves of New York City. The muffler was not intact and it was not really an ambulance. It was a hearse. The brakes had limited function which was fine initially as I left Monticello. But imagine my mood transformation from dismay to terror driving in heavy traffic across the George Washington Bridge and the west side highway to my destination.
I used all the strength in my right leg to slow that piece of shit down on multiple occasions as the squealing brakes turned heads in disbelief when cars and trucks passed me. There was no time for embarrassment. I was on a death-defying mission. There were several times when I almost ran into the car in front of me, yet every street light turned green; I must have also been on a mission from God. Bringing it to a complete halt at the wharf was a challenge.
I began braking about fifty yards from my destination in the parking lot even though I was only going twenty miles per hour. My right leg was exhausted and rubbery…”