BLOWBAGETS. no, not the movie.

When I started driving my dad's 1996 model Honda Civic, he was worried that I might not be able to identify the troubles that came with driving an old car. He called me a "Driver Driver", someone who didn't know anything about car maintenance.

It's true. I don't know much about car maintenance. I can change a flat tire but only if there's really no one to help out. I know that if the car won't start, then there's something wrong with the battery, although I learned that from experience and not really because I knew it in the first place. Of course there's the gas gauge, which reminds me to go get gas when the indicator is just above the red line. I know that if the temperature gauge indicator is higher than midway, then I might have a problem and should get to the nearest gas station and check the water in the radiator. Again, that was learned through experience.

When I went to get gas on my way to work, I asked the gasoline boy to check on the water and oil. He checked both and also checked the brake fluid level. He told me I needed to top up the fluid as it was below the minimum level, so I bought a bottle of brake fluid and asked him to fill it up. I realized then that this low level was probably the reason why last night, on my way home, I could hear a sort of clanking sound whenever I stepped on the brakes.

After gassing up, I thought of BLOWBAGETS. No, it's not some newfangled contraption, nor is it the title of some B-movie. It's actually an acronym that drivers, myself included, should remember to check before getting into their vehicles and driving to wherever. No, I didn't coin the term. It's something that's always shown on the news whenever they report traffic accidents, multiple collisions and anything related to driving/vehicles/drunk driving. For my benefit and yours (in case you've gotten this far), here's what it means.

B - Brakes. Have your brakes checked. This includes the brake pads, brake fluid and whatever comes with the whole shebang.
L - Lights. Check your lights (headlights, taillights, signal lights), especially when driving at night. Recently my brother took it upon himself to replace the bulbs on the headlights, because he thought they were too dim for nighttime driving. Bless him, he was right. My headlights are brighter now, without being too offensively bright.
O - Oil. Honestly, I don't know what the oil is for, but I think it's important, so I check it, or have the gasoline boy check it. If you can enlighten me on what the oil is for, thank you.
W - Water. When I didn't know any better, I didn't check the water in my radiator, which caused me so much stress on the highway because my car overheated on numerous occasions. Now I know better, and I always check this before I get in the car. I also have two 2-liter soda bottles filled with water in the trunk, because you'll never know where you'd be caught with an overheated vehicle. Or I'm just paranoid after so many instances.
B - Battery. Usually car batteries have a 1-year lifespan, depending on how much the car is used. To be safe, always remember when you had a new battery put in, and when the anniversary date is near, have the electrical currents checked by a professional. This will help you know if you need to replace the battery. In case your battery dies and you're in the parking lot of CG2, you can call the Motolite Express Delivery service at 370-MOTO (6686) and they will deliver a new battery for you. Yes, they accept credit cards. And yes, this is for Metro Manila only.
A - Air. For the tires, of course. We can't risk an accident because the car's tires have either little or too much air. I think the standard pressure is 30 psi for a car.
G - Gas. The car will not run if it's out of gas. Duh.

E - Electricity. Electric currents are important for the windows, locks, and other stuff that I can't enumerate because I don't know what they are.
T - Tires. Tires should be checked for wear and tear, and should be checked for alignment.
S - Self. You (or me), the driver, should check if you (or I) am fit to drive. Sleepy? Drunk? Half-crazy? Depressed and crying? Don't get behind the wheel. Please.