Chapter 13 — Exercises

Getting around is concrete and the stakes (legal, financial, safety) are real. These exercises build correct instincts. Sample answers for closed items follow.

A. What Would You Do?

Scenario 1: The license clock

You've been driving on your foreign license + IDP for several months; the grace period is ending. You: - (a) Keep driving on the foreign license indefinitely. - (b) Research and complete the local conversion (written/road test if required) before the grace period ends. - (c) Drive without any valid license and hope. - (d) Stop driving entirely forever.

Scenario 2: After the party

You've had two drinks at a friend's place and need to get home. You: - (a) Drive — you feel fine. - (b) Take a ride-share/taxi, or arrange a designated driver — never drink and drive. - (c) Drive slowly and carefully to be safe. - (d) Wait ten minutes, then drive.

Scenario 3: Crossing the street (US city)

You're in a US city and want to cross mid-block against the signal, as you would at home. You: - (a) Cross — pedestrians can do what they want. - (b) Use the crosswalk and obey the signal (jaywalking can be ticketed in many US cities). - (c) Run across diagonally. - (d) Assume cars will always stop.

Scenario 4: Choosing where to live

You're deciding between two areas; you don't have a car yet. You: - (a) Pick the cheap far-out suburb without checking transit. - (b) Check whether the area is walkable/transit-served before committing, since car-dependence varies hugely. - (c) Assume buses run everywhere like back home. - (d) Ignore transportation in the decision.

Scenario 5: The wrong-side switch (new)

You're an experienced driver, but your new country drives on the opposite side from home. You: - (a) Assume driving is driving and set off at rush hour on day one. - (b) Practice in quiet areas first, stay deliberate (which side, which way to look), and read the local driver's manual. - (c) Trust your autopilot instincts (calibrated for the other side). - (d) Refuse to ever drive.

Choose and justify each. Why is Scenario 2 the one rule with "zero flexibility"? Why is the side-switch (Scenario 5) genuinely dangerous even for an expert?

B. Decode This

  1. "Right on red."
  2. "Give way" / "Yield."
  3. "Take the Tube." / "Take the subway."
  4. "He got a DUI."
  5. "I'll be the designated driver."
  6. (new) "Watch for the school bus."
  7. (new) "There's a speed camera on that road."

C. Translate Between Cultures

Task 1 — Check assumptions. You're from a city with excellent transit. For each, write the question you should ask before assuming: 1. "I'll just take the bus everywhere." (in a US suburb) 2. "I can walk to the shops." (somewhere new)

Task 2 — Make a plan. Write a simple "getting home safely after drinks" plan you could commit to (no driving), naming the specific options you'd use.

Task 3 — Weigh the housing trade-off (new). You're choosing between a cheaper far-out place (needs a car) and a pricier walkable/transit place. List the true monthly costs of each (rent + car/insurance/fuel/parking vs. rent + transit pass) and the non-money costs (time, stress, isolation). Which wins for you, and why?

D. Culture-Shock Journal

  1. Car or transit? Does your new home require a car, or is transit good? How did you find out?
  2. The switch. If you drive: how does the local side-of-road and rule set compare to home? What's hardest?
  3. What you miss/enjoy. What about transportation here is worse than home (cost? car-dependence?) and what's better?
  4. Recalibrating instincts (new). Vikram's expert instincts were "miscalibrated, not wrong." Where else in your adaptation have your good instincts simply needed recalibrating rather than replacing?

E. Ask a Local

Ask a Western friend: - "Do I really need a car here, or can I manage with transit?" - "What driving rule do foreigners most often get wrong here?" - (new) "How strict are the police about speeding/DUI here, and what are the penalties?"

Record the answer.

F. Self-Assessment

Rate 1–5: 1. I know my license conversion timeline and rules. 2. I know the local driving rules (side of road, key surprises). 3. I would never drink and drive, and have a backup plan. 4. I understand my city's transit (or my car needs). 5. I follow pedestrian rules (crosswalks/jaywalking, looking the right way).

Note date and scores. (Appendix J collects the book's self-assessments; Appendix I has resources.)

Sample Answers & Discussion

A: 1 → (b) — convert before the grace period ends; driving on a lapsed-eligibility or no license (a/c) risks fines and invalid insurance. 2 → (b) — never drink and drive; ride-share/taxi/designated driver. 3 → (b) — jaywalking is ticketable in many US cities; use crosswalks. 4 → (b) — car-dependence varies enormously; check transit/walkability before committing. 5 → (b) — the side-switch miscalibrates deep instincts; practice in low-stakes settings, stay deliberate, and learn the rules. Why Scenario 2 is "zero flexibility": DUI is a serious crime with heavy penalties (fines, license loss, jail, visa damage) and risks lives — there is no safe "small" amount. Why 5 is dangerous for experts: fluent, automatic habits run the wrong way at intersections, turns, and as a pedestrian — autopilot becomes a hazard until retrained.

B — Decode This: 1 = you may turn right at a red light after stopping, if clear (US). 2 = let other traffic go first. 3 = use the city train system. 4 = he was charged with driving under the influence (serious). 5 = the person who stays sober to drive everyone home safely. 6 = stop in both directions when its red lights flash (serious US rule). 7 = an automated camera fines speeders — obey the limit (common in UK/Europe/Australia).

C — Task 1: 1 → "How often do buses actually run here, and do they go where I need?" 2 → "Are there sidewalks, and how far is it really (distances deceive)?" Task 2 model: "If I drink at all, I will not drive. I'll use Uber/Lyft or a taxi, take transit, arrange a designated driver, or stay over. I'll keep a ride app and cash ready before going out." Task 3: the point is that the "cheaper" far-out place often isn't cheaper once a car's full cost (often hundreds/month) and the time/isolation costs are counted.

D, E, F are personal — your honest reflection is the answer.