When I went to pick up the car, the rental agent told me, as if I had won the lottery, that he was going to give me an all-wheel-drive SUV for the same price. Obviously, it was because they didn't have anymore vehicles available but I said whatever and he brought out a brand new SUV. He hands me the keys with a twinkle in his eye expecting that I will be impressed and pleased.
All I could think of was that I was glad I was taking it out of the city and onto the highway so I didn't have to try and manoeuvre it around all the traffic, construction and narrow streets of Montreal.
Climbing in, I got a bizarre sensation that I was extremely high above everything yet I also felt somehow closed in. As I familiarized myself with the various controls, I realized that the designers of the vehicle had undoubtedly designed the interior in order to make the occupants feel safe. The only thing I could equate it to, though I have never been in one, is being inside a tank surrounded by steel.
As I drove around making my way to the highway, I had the impression that the vehicle was actually bigger than it was. I felt like I was going to clip passing cars on the left or parked cars on the right. No wonder regular drivers of these behemoths get irate at cyclists; they need the whole road.
Granted, it was a pleasant vehicle to drive on the highway with lots of room but, after foolishly driving around downtown Montreal on the subsequent Monday, I rushed to take this beast back to the car rental early. What a relief to be free of the stress of having this weight around me.
I cannot fathom what the thinking is for drivers who actually buy these vehicles when most of their driving is in the city. Can it really provide a sense of security?
Give me two wheels anytime.
