Driving Spanish Style

Mi amiga mejor en España (best friend in Spain) is Maria Soraya Perez. She has been a wonderful friend to me always helping me when I need help with my Spanish or I am confused about the culture and costumes and the best thing is she also speaks English. We have many wonderful experiences together and many funny moments explaining things lost in translation. My favorite thus far has been watching her learn how to drive. In Spain the legal driving age is 18 and you must go to driving school in order to get your license. So the first day we plan to get together Soraya decides that she wants to pick up her license from the school and take me for a drive without supervision. Her very first driving experience with any friend and she chooses me I am honored. I am also scared out of my mind at the same time.
Spanish drivers are by far some of the most fearless drivers and scariest people I have seen on the road. They love to honk and yell and curse. Driving seems like a pastime here sometimes while Spaniards are driving they will play songs with their horns and they are always talking to each other from their cars at people passing by or at people in other cars. The streets of Seville are filled with buses, vespas, taxies and cars. People make up their own lanes and drive according to their own rules.
So riding with Soraya was a something to be cautious about. Soraya’s first car is a 14 year old stick manual and here again I throw caution to the wind. she puts her sign in the back that says new driver. In Spain you must keep the sign on the back windshield for a whole year. This should help with people being more cautious around her. It doesn't people honk and curse at poor Soraya.
We are supposed to pick up and drop off her grandmother at her mother’s office. Simple task. We drive to her grandmother’s house . Smooth sailing… so far. We arrive… the car only cut out once at stop light. We arrive at the house and this probably was not the best of ideas because all I hear them saying was “O Dios Mio” in English it means “OH MY GOD!” Her grandmother continued to pray throughout or whole journey. We pull up to the gas station it should be simple she goes in and gets an attendant. They still have full service gas stations in Spain. She forgets to put the car’s emergency brake on and we are rolling away into the street. People at the gas station are yelling and screaming trying to get her attention in the store. Slowing inching closer towards oncoming traffic she finally runs out and saves us. We get gas and continue in are journey. Finally and alive we arrive at her mother’s office. I am happy to be alive and grateful that I learned how to drive on open roads and parking lots!