Driving Lesson: Real Life’s a Witch

Way back in the Stone age (30 years ago), I was subjected to Drivers Education class in high school. Our instructor was the sports coach (long story short, he taught all male sports, Biology and D.E.) and we had for our use a new car that had a brake pedal on the front passenger side. When he decided to use it, you were GLAD you were wearing seat belts! He could make that car stop on a dime and leave change!
Anyway, I was a thorn in his side. I drove (and still do when I drive) like the brake pedal was a clutch pedal, ie. I use my left foot to brake with. He tried and tried but my reaction time is so much faster this way with me than the normal way.
I just explained to him why I had better reaction time doing it with both feet was from driving a tractor. You HAVE to use both feet as the engine is in the way. It’s how I’ve always driven and I’m too old to change now.
Teaching someone to drive? Not a chance!
Calm? You’re kidding, right? I would be in hysterics before getting into the car! I am too much of a control freak to teach a new driver.

I learnt how to drive at an early age how to drive thanks to the family tractor so that was never a problem. The only thing I can remember is having a dog run out in front of the car (little known fact, in a test your legally suppose to run over them) I had a mini freak-out but stopped to let it cross, I was sure that would fail me but the tester was a nice guy so he let me off.

Hearing you say you were forced to learn stick is strange, in Irish culture driving an automatic is considered very lame.

As for teaching how to drive I’m on of those “feel the drive” sort of drivers so god help Penny when she has to hear my Yoda style babble.

Actually, I am a lazy kinda guy, but I *can* drive a stick, just don’t want to drive a stick. I’m just a lazy American-Irishman, is all.

@Dale as an Irishmen I say stereotype!!!

@John Doe: What can I say? I’m your stereotypical kind of guy.

@Dale well sir, I am offended some of us don’t like that being done

(John Doe then collapses in a pool of his own vomit with Jack Daniels in his hand)

Now I can LOL at you. You never mentioned that when you took your first driving test, you didn’t stop at a stop sign going out of the DMV and the tester made you back go right back into the DVM parking lot. You had to wait another month before you could try it again. Thankfully, you passed it the next time.
Mom

My Mom was so nervous trying to teach me to drive. I couldn’t stand it. That, plus the scary “Blood on the pavement” movies they showed you in Drivers Ed..scared me to death. I waited until I was almost 18 and I was working by then, I took lessons from Dootsen’s driving school. $10.00 an hour and 6 lessons later I had my license. I held a grudge against my Mom for years because she was too nervous to teach me. RIP Mom..PS..I do agree teaching kids to learn the stick shift.

When I took my driver’s test to get my first license, the trooper asked me to parallel park the car.
So I Pulled the car I was driving in behind the car he pointed at. There was no other car next to it and I didn’t see a reason not to do this.
He turns to me and says, “No, son, that’s not what I asked you to do. Try again.” As he said that he opens the passenger side door and looks out. Then he says, “And you are too far away from the curb.”
I shrug, back out, pull up to the other car, swing the car in place and take it out of gear, pulling up the parking brake.
He opens the door again, does an honest-to-goodness double take, and says, “Why didn’t you do this in the first place?”
He told me the door’s edge was just above the curb. My tires were like two inces away from the curb. I passed my test in one try.

OMG, my parents still get on me about my driving and I’ve had my license for 5 years now. My mom still yells at me to slow down way early when coming to a red light though it never seems like she does and I’m constantly trying to step on the brake when riding with her, I have to carry my knitting or book with me just so I don’t. Dad on the other hand has mellowed out though he hates how I whip-change lanes. Though last time he made that comment I was driving his F-350 diesal Ford pickup and that thing is a tank. I’m the car-wiggle queen thanks to that thing and having to manuvuer it through what I consider city parking lots. Maybe now that I’m 21 they’ll learn to chill. I did learn from a professional truck driver and a former bus driver afterall.

I taught my middle sister how to drive. Took her to the cemetary. Figured she couldn’t hurt anyone there. HAH! She tried to dump us into a newly dug grave! She is actually a good driver now, after a couple scores and many many miles of practice! lol

I learned to drive a standard transmission. Feel like you are driving the car and not just passively riding along. Wish my jeep was a standard, bet my mileage would be better!

Being 42 it has been a long time since I got my license, but I do remember my mom teaching me, if you can call her being out of the car and me being in the cemetary as her teaching me. Yes I am another one that learned in the cemetary. The one I learned in has the plots lined out in bricks so you have to step over, so there is a defined area to drive in. I guess I did okay because there were no brick scrapes on the bottom of my mom’s car.
As to teaching my kids? I tried to teach my oldest and she proceeded to take the station wagon into our gravel driveway at about 30, spin the wheel and we did a 360 in the yard. I have never been so glad to be out of a car in my life! My other daughter went to a driving school, needless to say, and my husband is the one that drove with her. My nerves haven’t gotten over the 360 yet. He will also be driving with our sons when they are ready. I know my sons WAY too well to get in the car with them.

[...] always the one that teaches us how to be parents. I really did enjoy reading your comments on the last installment of Real Life’s a Witch about driving [...]

Learning to drive is one of the most rewarding achievements in a persons lifetime however it must be done properly and not by cutting corners etc, this is why it is advisable to use a properly trained professional instructor as not only will they teach as per the official syllabus and help you become a safe driver, they also have bags of experience and knowledge to call upon and this will only make things easier in the long run not to mention reduced costs overall!