I hop in the luxury vehicle and open up a map of the area on my phone, searching for nearby streets that start with M. Dammit, Darren. There are five M streets within walking distance.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I turn the car on and adjust the seat to fit my six-foot-four-inch frame. It’s been a while since I’ve driven in the US, but I’ve driven in dozens of other countries. The only real difference is which side of the road you can drive on.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm on the third street, Martin avenue. The rain picked up almost as soon as I pulled out of the driveway,...