“LADIES ON THE LEFT” RUN (WITH VIDEO)
What could this be???
“Ladies on the Left” run. Such a deceptively simple title. What could it possibly mean?
A run for political office by a group of liberal-leaning ladies? Perhaps, but this is not election season, so no.
A fund-raising running event, with the ladies on the left and the men on the right? Perhaps, but not likely. The logistics of dividing the track’s width in half would hardly be worth the effort.
Could it be that in this case, “run” describes what car clubs do when they get together to go driving? Yes, of course, that’s it!
The “Ladies on the Left” run was for Miatas (and Fiatas — part FIAT, part Miata), organized by the San Diego Miata Club.
Traditionally, not just in our car club but in driving in general, if guys and gals get together in a car to go for a drive, the guy tends to be the driver. This tradition has served guys well, since it is much more fun to drive than to be driven, especially on spirited drives.
Finally, the ladies in our car club said enough is enough. They want to drive too. They decided to organize a fun run where the ladies are encouraged to do the driving, and the guys — well, they can enjoy the run from the passenger seat for a change!
And so it was that the “Ladies on the Left” run came to be, as in the ladies would sit on the left side of our trusty Mazda MX-5 Miatas. Not only that, but to encourage lots of ladies to drive, it was also decided that this would not be yet another opportunity for aggressive driving — something that the guys seem to love to do, possibly to impress their companions in a chest-thumping sort of way!
The “Ladies on the Left” run was organized by and especially for the ladies. The guys were welcome to come along too, but preferably in the right-hand seat of our two-seat sportscars.
Of course, the run would not take the freeway. It would seek out more appropriate sportscar roads for our nimble roadsters, along the picturesque back-county roads of North San Diego County. The roads had quaint, evocative names that included Old Castle, Lilac, Sleeping Indian, Old River and Little Gopher Canyon.
The description of the run was straightforward. “This leisurely run will be a 2-hour run through some of the best North County roads and twisties, but at a Sunday afternoon pace. At the conclusion of the run, we will be enjoying a brunch at the private Vista Valley Country Club.” Since this run would be taking place during the coronavirus pandemic, they added “You are welcome to come on the run and not stay for lunch, should you choose.”
“The intent of the run is for the ‘usual passenger’ to have a chance to sit behind the wheel as a driver, and for those who like to drive at a slower pace, to feel comfortable driving in an event. All members are welcome to attend and it does not mean a lady has to drive your car, however, there will be no complaining about a slow driving pace. If you define a fun run by the maximum speed at which you can take turns, this may not be the run for you! We look forward to seeing all of you on this unique run!”
So, how was the attendance at this unique, norm-smashing run? What do you think? We had a huge turnout, including a couple of guys wearing dresses and wigs. No doubt they were hoping to sit on the left too.
A good time was had by all on the run, followed by what looked like a delicious lunch at the beautiful, exclusive Vista Valley Country Club. I say it looked like a delicious lunch because, as irrational as I know I am being, I have not dared to even eat restaurant takeout food since March of 2020, even though I am fully vaccinated (Pfizer) against COVID-19. Baby steps. I was not ready to share a sit-down lunch with a large group of people outside my bubble (which, in my case, means everyone, since I live alone). Baby steps. My first goal is to return to Panda Express and order takeout. Then, when I survive that, I’ll take another baby step.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY JAN WAGNER – AUTOMATTERS & MORE #690
