"Ruby at the Wheel": Have you ever had to be chauffeur of a patient, family member or other...?

Ruby Rose

Location: Canadian Prairies
He brakes...he sweats...he coughs...he shakes and shudders...he pops tic tacs in his mouth and at times, advises in such a precise logical manner. This is not a dance...but a game of chance - a battle of driver versus co-driver as he rants and raves...and he scores with another job well done of stressing out his mate even more as she chauffeurs him day in and day out. At one point, she seriously contemplated purchasing a chauffeur's cap and having a sign made for the rear car window with the words: "Husband in car with wife at the wheel".

The joys of chauffeuring one's mate began for Ruby many years ago, when he couldn't drive himself due to medical problems, and continued for approximately four months during which time, she maintained her silence and carried on...wincing all the way.

Ruby derived no pleasure from driving and though there was pride of accomplishment, she drove always with a taste of fear in her mouth, her soul, her heart, and drove only with her Guardian Angel firmly strapped in.

Three years later, events necessitated that she chauffeur her husband once more, two hours daily, to and fro work. At first, with traffic flowing all around her, she suffocated through and through but with an unyielding stiff pose and white knuckle grip on the wheel, she merged into an alertness with acuity of eyes and ears increased tenfold. Ruby used to comment on seeing grimaces of passing motorists when she was in the role-of co-driver. Now she understood. The time element was needed for deep concentration and alertness.

After several months, Ruby was able to drive her husband for five straight hours in a surprisingly relaxed state, and she found that she was getting to know her car better, as well as perhaps herself...both necessary for living.

All of a sudden there was a slight jolt in the weather from hot and humid to cool and windy days and nights. Ruby could hear a whisper in the wind. "Speak up," she said to it, and then she heard the message...a reminder that winter is on its way once more and her calming heart jumped up to its cold, clammy, familiar spot - in her throat. And the drive went on...

It would be interesting to hear others' experiences in the same vein. I felt that it was best to keep my cool for safety's sake, rather than retaliating with words in the confines of the vehicle.
 

I thought about my world ..............and I absolutely HATE driving my husband anywhere.......
he always seems to have a problem with how I am driving...... I could take it if there was an issue he would articulate.....but it is the "hmm" and other noises he makes.


I ride with others people fairly often and do not have issues.................... but when I ride with spouse, I make him by crazy using the "invisible" brake on the passenger side it seems to get worse as time goes by ....
how he has not had accidents is beyond me.
 

Over an approx. 10 year period ending about 8 years ago, I was the mostly lone chauffer and caregiver for 5 altogether (2 biological & 3 steps, long story) elderly parents and am surprised I held up through it at all.

I've had to drive my huzz a little bit, for a while after his by-pass surgery and a few other times and he's behaved as mentioned above...not looking forward to him not being able to drive anymore but it's more likely he'll keep driving past when he should, he's already informed me he plans to drive 'till he "drops dead." (Which I really hope doesn't result in any wrecks.)
 
Over an approx. 10 year period ending about 8 years ago, I was the mostly lone chauffer and caregiver for 5 altogether (2 biological & 3 steps, long story) elderly parents and am surprised I held up through it at all.

I've had to drive my huzz a little bit, for a while after his by-pass surgery and a few other times and he's behaved as mentioned above...not looking forward to him not being able to drive anymore but it's more likely he'll keep driving past when he should, he's already informed me he plans to drive 'till he "drops dead." (Which I really hope doesn't result in any wrecks.)
I do believe one of his reasons for his discomfiture was the fact that I was driving his pride and joy because he was a big man and simply did not fit into my little car. Darn, darn...I ended up having to sell my little car as I ended up having to do all of the driving. It all worked out, though, as it was the better car to drive across the Country.
 
I have always been lucky enough to evade being a chauffeur to people. I have given rides to people and quite a few but after a while I kind of let them know that I was not their chauffeur but not in those words.😊
 


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