Do schools even offer driver's education classes any more? I don't think so. Genius and The Pony did not have that option, but then again, Newmentia was a small school. Back in my VALEDICTORIAN days, my high school offered driver's education. I took it the summer after my sophomore year. You could get a discount on insurance if the teenager had taken (and passed, I assume) a driver's education class.
Of course the teacher was always a coach looking to make extra money over the summer. As I remember, we had instruction in a classroom, and then days when we actually drove. My group had three students. The instructor sat in the passenger seat, where he had his own steering wheel and brake. I don't remember using seatbelts. It was not a law back then. I DO remember sometimes clenching my fists and hoping not to die, as one of my fellow driving students made bonehead mistakes while operating that car.
When I got my first car, a Chevy Vega, the seatbelt had to be fastened while driving, or a chime would sound continuously. My peers thought they were quite funny when asking, "Are you afraid you'll fall out of the car?" in response to seeing me wearing a seatbelt. It could be fastend behind me, but driving while sitting on the fastened seatbelt was not comfortable, because the latch thingy poked into my not-yet-ample rumpus.
Anyhoo... Genius and The Pony were instructed by Hick. I didn't have the nerves for it, having given it a go with Genius, who was quite confident, having been a driver since 10 years old when Hick let him drive a Toyota around the property, with The Pony as a back-seat passenger!
Anyhoo... we made sure the boys had practice in parking. Which people these days DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO!
Can you see the yellow line? Oh, maybe not. Because it is UNDER THE CAR! This is why I have to cheat over with T-Hoe, and leave plenty of room for the door to open when I want to get back in. This guy backed into a space at the Backroads Casey's, right next to T-Hoe in the handicap space, even though there was nobody else on the lot. Six or eight other spaces could have been used. But this guy needed to park up next to T-Hoe.
At least I had left plenty of room from the line. There is nothing on the right side of my rightful handicap space. It's on the end. So I was not inconveniencing any other parkers.
How can people be so bad at parking???
My husband taught our kids to drive. He didn't mind the swearing (pretty dark) and they learned. School had in class room instructions. Our HS had in class driving instruction, probably about the rules about what to do and not to do.
ReplyDeleteMy nerves couldn't take it! Genius was a know-it-all with a lead foot, and The Pony was too tentative. Hick deserves a medal! I'm glad I had the option for driver's education when I was in school.
DeleteHi Val, I'm older than you and I remember the Vega:) My first car was a Ford Maverick and then onto the Chevy Chevette.
ReplyDeleteThe Chevette was my second car! Both the Vega and Chevette were bright yellow, with a stripe on the side. One of my friends had a Maverick. Blue.
DeleteI "love" it when someone parks in the handicapped crosshatching. WTF is wrong with people?
ReplyDeleteI ask myself that question every day! I think they believe they are special. They might even think they deserve a trophy for parking where they are not supposed to!
DeleteOur schools have never done driver's education. I wish they would.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they stopped it here. Maybe an insurance thing for the schools. There are regular driving schools, I think, for all ages, where you pay for instruction. I don't know of anybody who has used one.
DeleteYou can get a booklet of driving laws from the DMV for free, but you know how kids are about studying on their own! Just enough memorization to pass the written test, without any examples or experience to prepare them for the driving part. They need a certain number of hours behind the wheel with a legal adult driver, but nobody ever checks their driving log. It's hard to prove.