Have a Safe Trip, as if You Were Planning to Have Any Other Kind!

I used to get annoyed when my parents would tell me to "drive safely!" as I left to go back to Davis after a weekend at home.

Really? Drive safely? Because my plan was to ram a few cars off the road and then play chicken as I crossed the Benicia Bridge.

Well, you know how as you get older, you notice more of your parents' traits in yourself? Lately, I can't help but tell my fiance Heather to drive safely every single time she gets in her car. Why do I do it? She's a conservative driver who has never been in an accident, yet I remind her every single time. I wonder if it's just one of those things that people say because "See ya!" can get boring.

You know, my friend Justin used to tell me "Take care" every time we separated, and I really felt like he meant it. But I think with most people, those compassionate directives (?) can become so ingratiated in our minds that they no longer mean much other then "bye!" or "later." When was the last time someone told you to "Have a safe trip!" right before you got on a plane?

Right! I'll make sure to relay that message to the pilot!

But the fact remains that rational, logical people still tell their loved ones to be safe. My theory is that we say it more to appease ourselves than anything else. When I tell Heather to drive safely, it's probably because I want to make sure that I have done everything in my power to ensure that she arrives safely. I want to be certain that I at least say something so I don't feel useless.

Dad's approach to the compassionate directive is a little different. He checks my tires, asks if I have cash in my wallet, and usually asks something else that is somewhat out of the blue: "When was the last time you checked your wiper fluid level?" "Is your spare tire full of air?" "Have you ever tested your air bag?" I swear, I get the spare tire question about once a month. You know what though, my spare tire IS always full of air, and I know that.

So we say "drive safely" because we have to do something. If we don't, and something bad does happen, then we may feel even worse than we already would have given the circumstances. And I think it does help to know that people care about you; personally, I do think I drive more conservatively sometimes because I an reminded that there are people who would be very let down if I were to be at fault in an injury accident.

So keep saying "drive safely" and "take care" and "have a safe trip." And I will make sure not to use my iPod during takeoff and landing.



Comedian Brian Regan has a funny bit about responding to a cabbie saying "Have a safe trip!" with "You too!" and then feeling like an idiot. I couldn't find that clip, but here's Brian Regan about eye exams.