It Could Be Worse

I was watching Top Gear on BBC America last night, which is always good for a laugh. It’s a car show, but the three hosts do all these challenges that make it entertaining enough to hook automotively indifferent New Yorkers like me.In this challenge they were asked to do...well, I don’t know the official term...but let’s call it “Tandem Racing.” Basically, there are two cars, and one is literally attached to the top of the other. The car on the bottom has the brake and gas, and the car on top has the steering. The idea is that the two people have to navigate the course while working together.

The three hosts were going up against another team of four people. And since there were two tandem race cars per team, they needed a fourth person. They asked a member of the film crew to do it – and their crew is at least 15 people strong – but the only one crazy enough to agree was a man with one natural arm and one prosthetic arm. He climbed into the top position to take over steering the car.

And they were off!

The race starts off a little bumpily, with the racers shouting through their two-way radios as they try to adjust to controlling only half of the driving responsibilities. One of the opponents’ teams runs to ground off the track, so they’re out. One team of hosts also crashes, so they’re out too. And now it’s one duo of opponents up against the host and the man with the prosthetic arm.

Suddenly, blaring through the radio, the host hears, “Jeremy, my arm! My arm has come off!”

And it has. It has not only come off, but it is still ATTACHED to the steering wheel. So the now one-armed man is frantically steering, trying to win this race, and his prosthetic arm is simply flying in circles as he steers.

By this point, I’m on the floor, laughing hysterically. As bad as I feel for him, it’s like a scene out of Monty Python.

Of course, our brave host and his trusty one-armed sidekick lose. But at least they’re both grinning with the effort. And I was moved by his grace and ability to laugh at himself.

I have to say, even while undergoing treatment and feeling tired, and nauseated, and like a human pin cushion, it does boost my spirits a little, knowing that at no time will my limb become detached during a tandem car race on international television.

(I hope.)