41 replies to this topic

[sk8aplexy]

Recognizing your limits, knowing your boundaries, constant reflection and observation of self, understanding of the disease, total preparation in advance and/or with complete prior focus, strictly and stubbornly adhering to what makes you (only you can know this, yet many don't know themselves, very well at least) safest, and only when/if necessary accordingly within one's set perimeters (distances, with passenger or with n0 passenger [that is most important for me], night/day early/late, coffee or water, etc..), no road rage, pulling off and napping at any 1st note of tiredness or dreamy-ness, etc...; such is how I roll.

Yet that is compared to 5 years ago, when I drove near daily including occasionally back and forth across the country.

I now only drive maybe, 1 to 3  days a week and typically all combined, for no more than an hour that week, usually.

I'm in the process of setting up a GoPro to use also as a dashcam, which will hopefully have me (somehow, perhaps pointed straight at rear view for reflection of face, plus hands and side/back of head ideally) within the camera frame, as well as a wide frame of, out, the front of car; seems like a good all around safety measure, being as honest as I am it will comfort me somehow if nothing else...

[munky]

I drive every day. I live way out in the country, and work and go to school in the city. It's a 45 mile/45 minute-1 hour (depending on traffic) drive each way. Heck, it's 20 miles just to the nearest grocery store!

 

I am, however, extremely careful. I didn't actually start driving until about 9 years ago. Before that, I lived and worked in the city (this was back in Texas), and riding the bus was cheaper than owning a car, so that's what I did. When I first moved out of the city, I moved to a small town and opened my own business--a secondhand book store. Sure couldn't afford a car then, so I rode my bicycle everywhere--between the shop and home, the bank, the grocery store ... If I needed to go further, I got a ride from my mother. But, when the book store didn't make it and I had to go back to work--which was back in the city--I decided to stay living in the country and get my driver's license and a car. I always hated living in the city, because I don't like being around a lot of people, and when you live in an apartment you're constantly surrounded by people--upstairs, downstairs, left and right ... I couldn't make myself go back to that.

 

So, I got my license. It was an even longer commute, back in Texas--closer to 50 miles. I was very cautious, since I'd just gotten my license, and refused to drive if I was tired (long before the Narcolepsy diagnosis). I often pulled over in a rest area about halfway between work and home to take a short nap before I continued. And when one of my co-workers later told me about a time (years before) when he'd been working 2 jobs, not getting enough sleep, and he fell asleep driving and wrecked his car ... that was, to me, my personal vindication for doing what I'd been doing. (He rolled his car, was hurt pretty badly, and ended up in the hospital for a while, but he was lucky that he was the only one in the car and he didn't hit anyone else.)

 

I still don't drive when I'm tired. If I get tired, I pull off the road and either lock the doors and take a nap, or--if I'm somewhere it wouldn't be safe to do that--get out and walk around a bit. And I'll stop as many times as it takes.

 

I even still drive on road trips--by myself or with others. If I'm with someone I trust to drive, we'll switch drivers (and usually stop for gas) every 2 hours or so, so we each get a chance to nap, and we can stay fresh and alert. If I'm by myself, every time I stop for gas, I spend 20-30 minutes walking around at the gas station/truck stop before I go on--and I'll still pull over and sleep in rest areas several times along the way. It makes road trips a lot longer than normal, sure, but I'd rather be alive than on schedule!