Date: April 22, 2025
Author: Naomi Sinclair
This is probably one of the dumbest things I’ve done behind the wheel, and I’m just thankful it didn’t end worse than it did.
I was leaving a friend’s house after a late-night study session. It was my first time in her neighborhood—lots of winding roads, weird signage, and definitely not the kind of area I drive through often. I was tired and already a little on edge just from trying to navigate unfamiliar streets in the dark.
After pulling out of her driveway, I realized I might’ve left my charger behind, so I swung into a small parking lot nearby to check. Found the charger wedged between my seat and the center console, crisis averted—or so I thought.
When I left the parking lot, I took a right turn. And that’s when things got weird. The road looked kind of narrow, but I thought nothing of it. Then, I saw headlights—multiple sets—facing me.
I was going the wrong way on a one-way street.
Panic hit me like a brick. My brain went full static. I wasn’t in the middle of the road, thankfully—I was on the far right side—but that didn’t really matter, did it? I was driving toward traffic.
As soon as I realized what was happening, I pulled over as far to the side as I could and just…froze. A few cars passed me, some probably wondering what kind of clueless idiot was behind the wheel (hi, that would be me). One person honked, and yeah, I deserved it. That honk echoed in my chest like a giant neon sign flashing: WRONG WAY, MORON.
But after the initial rush of embarrassment and fear, I took a deep breath, waited for an opening, and carefully turned myself around and got the hell out of there.
Looking back, it’s such a simple mistake—just one wrong turn—but in the moment, it felt like a full-blown crisis. I’ve always prided myself on being a careful driver, so this really shook me up. What if there had been more traffic? What if someone hadn’t been paying attention?
Luckily, nothing happened. No crash. No ticket. Just a reality check and a story that I’ll probably laugh about someday…but not yet. Still too fresh.
Moral of the story? Double-check your signs. Trust your gut when something feels off. And maybe don’t overthink a lost charger so hard you end up going full Fast & Furious: Wrong Way Drift.
