Driving over toes

I've just finished my second day of driving work at a car auction. I've always enjoyed driving, so doing it all day long isn't too taxing. Having only driven automatics a couple of times, it was a bit of a challenge to get used to the clutchless situation of some of the vehicles. Because I'm new to the job, I'm still seen as the rookie and I only seem to ask silly questions or make minor blunders when the boss is watching. Always the way.

The job is to drive cars through a rostrum area at a very low speed, where people can have to look at them. An auctioneer takes the highest bid from the gannet-like crowd, then the car needs to be driven out to a parking area and the keys returned to the office. During the lead up to the bidding area, people often walk right across in front of the cars. They're meant to keep behind a yellow safety lines, but not many seem to obey the rules. If someone gets their toes run over, at least they were warned repeatedly beforehand, but I've been doing my best to avoid it if at all possible. It can be a little disconcerting when people want to turn the steering wheel, open the doors, rearrange the seats, pop the hood to see the engine, try out the radio, the air conditioning, the windows, etc, all while I'm driving the car through the hall.

It's crazy driving so many different types of car in one day. Within a few seconds of being given the keys, it's necessary to assess the vehicle as entirely as possible. It could be any shape or size, manual or automatic, with or without central locking (central locking that works at least). I had no idea just how many kinds of key there are now. There are the standard keys that I'm used to, keys that flip out from the fob Swiss Army style and strange-shaped keys that look more like the end of a cigarette lighter. Then there are key cards that need to be inserted into a slot by the radio and then a 'Start' button needs to be pressed where the key would usually go.

Smart cars generally have an ignition keyhole under the handbrake. They're kind of eerie to drive because they don't have much of a bonnet and it's a bit like hovering over the road. They're like those little toys that come out of Kinder Eggs, but are spacious enough as long as you don't load the car with more than a passenger and a small tin of tuna.

The speed limit on site is 10 mph whether it's a Fiat Cinquicento, a Ford Focus or a Lamborghini Diablo, so restraint is a must. When driving around thirty cars in a day, there are bound to be a couple of Ferraris in the mix. Not a bad job for a car lover :)
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