The 7 Types of Friend You’ll Want to Make If You’re New to Driving
If you’re new to driving, then there’s a lot for you to learn until you can become a confident driver. Unfortunately, it takes a while to reach a level of vehicle mastery until you can call yourself confident. It takes a lot of hours of driving to experience all the different situations you can get into, and it takes even more to call yourself an expert. So in order to speed up the process, we need friends. Not just any friends either, but friends that are more knowledgeable than us about driving. Ones that can give us help or useful information, and people who know the ins and outs of car ownership.
So without further ado, here are the seven types of friends you need if you’re going to own a vehicle in the near future.
1. The veteran driver
The first friend you’ll want to make is the veteran driver. These are people that have been around for a long time in the world of driving. They’re usually much older than you with a lot more experience, and they probably still drive a car with features that you’ve never seen before in your modern day vehicles. These people are fantastic sources of all-round information. They’ll tell you things such as how to reduce car costs, how to park properly, the laws of the road and even give you advice on what car to pick. Because their knowledge is so varied and specialised, it can become quite daunting speaking to them especially when they start using strange lingo. In order to overcome this, ask them what the words they are saying mean and tell them to take it slowly when trying to get a point across or teach you something.
2. The knowledgeable mechanic
This could be a close friend you know that has worked as a mechanic, or you could befriend someone at the local garage and ask them to help you with anything from replacing your tires to doing a car safety check. Getting to know your local mechanic also helps to reduce costs. There are some mechanics that are willing to cheat their customers by dazzling them with strange lingo and bump up the prices due to the driver’s inexperience. Although this practice is frowned upon, it’s hard to find out unless you take friend #1 with you to ensure the mechanic isn’t running circles around you. However, if you befriend a mechanic, then you’ll get expert advice about your car and they can help you with basic car repairs. Just remember to treat them to something now and then or even offer money for their services.
3. The backup driver
If you’ve ever gone out for the night, then you’ll know how crucial it is to have someone who is willing to stay sober the entire night and be the designated driver. Even if that person is you, it’s always a good idea to have a backup driver in case something goes badly. Never drive while drunk or drowsy and always have someone close by that can act as a backup driver in case you can’t drive. Make sure they’re used to your vehicle and understand how to start it up and operate the features if needed.
4. The neighbour that’s been around for a while
If you’re new to an area, then it’s always a good idea to speak with a neighbour that has lived in the area for longer. This is similar to friend #1, the veteran driver, but the information a neighbour can give is slightly different. For starters, they understand the area they’re driving in, meaning they can give you up to date information on traffic, places to avoid, or places to take your car if it needs repairs. They can also offer seasonal advice. If you’ve moved into an area that suffers from snow and ice in the winter, then your neighbour could remind you to change your tires for more traction on slippery roads.
5. The insurance company
Befriending an insurance company is difficult, but if you get to know them then you’ll have a much better time finding cheaper insurance quotes. This also relates to finding a lawyer too. If you know the lawyer personally, then they’ll be more willing to help you out in your time of need. It’s even better if the lawyer is a personal friend already because they can offer advice should you ever end up in an accident. Unfortunately, befriending a lawyer is difficult which is why many people prefer to just speak with a local attorney. It’s important to find lawyers that have a good reputation and are easy to speak with, such as Craig Swapp & Associates. You can click here for their contact info if you want to speak with professionals that care about their clients. It’s far better than finding a regular lawyer that only seems to care about the job and not defend their clients with passion.
6. The friend with a pickup truck
Let’s face it, if your car is broken down in the middle of the road you probably don’t want to rely on your breakdown company. They can take forever, you might be forced to pay and it’s going to be a lengthy experience that wastes your time. Instead, befriend someone who owns a pickup and ask them politely if they can help you out of a bad situation. You ideally don’t want to call them at 4 AM in the morning asking for assistance, so pick a right time and place to ask for help!
7. The maintenance guy
Your car is going to require a lot of maintenance, which is why it’s handy to befriend someone who knows how to take care of vehicles. It could be an ex-mechanic, someone that washes cars by hand, or even just a friend of yours that admires your vehicle. These maintenance people strive for perfection with vehicles, and they’ll do everything from polishing windows to changing out the motor oil every now and then. Knowing someone who’s an expert at car maintenance will drastically improve your car’s lifespan and also give it the care it needs.
