Sun Sleeves

In summer, I often see women driving with sun-protection sleeves (arm covers). But I’d always pictured them as something older ladies wore, so I’d decided they weren’t for me. (Never mind that I’m no spring chicken myself.)

Then, the other day, I was driving on the highway under an unbelievably intense sun, and my arms started to feel like they were sizzling. “I’m going to get sunburned at this rate!” I thought, and tried holding the steering wheel lower down. It did put my arms in the shade, but gripping the wheel like that didn’t feel safe if I suddenly needed to react.

“Still, sun sleeves… I don’t know…” I thought. But I figured I might as well give them a try, so I bought a pair at a 100-yen shop. I planned to put them on for the highway drive home, but… I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. (What was I so nervous about?)

Trying on the Sun Sleeves

About a month later, with the midsummer sun beating down, I finally decided to give the sleeves a try. Since I’d never worn them before, I wasn’t sure whether to stop them at my elbows or pull them all the way up to my upper arms… Once I had them on, they felt pretty bulky and strange.

Maybe I should have bought a better pair. Maybe that’s what you get for buying them at a 100-yen shop…

The strangest thing was that I couldn’t get a good grip on the steering wheel. But they’re not driving gloves, so I suppose that’s to be expected… The sleeves did block the sun’s scorching rays, but even though they were made of mesh, they still felt a little hot and clammy.

Later, I stopped at my usual gas station to fill up. I couldn’t be bothered to take the sleeves off, so I kept them on while picking up the gas pump nozzle. Something about it felt different from usual.

And then it happened.

For some reason, while the nozzle was still in the fuel filler, I accidentally squeezed its handle—and gasoline came spurting out.

Aaahhh!!! (╯°□°）╯

It all happened in an instant, and my sun sleeves were soaked in gasoline. Thankfully, my clothes and shoes were fine, so in a way, the sleeves took the hit for me… But they reeked, and there was no way I could keep driving with gasoline on them.

What on earth was I going to do…?

After thinking it over for a while, I had no choice but to ask the gas station attendant to throw them away for me.

So I’d bought them to try out on the highway, but I never even got the chance to wear them on the highway before my time with sun sleeves came to an end for good. And I doubt I’ll ever buy another pair (lol).