Took my first driving lesson today!

[Judith]

Okay, first we'll get one thing out of the way. Yes, I am 23 years old. And yes, I am just now learning to drive. I just never felt comfortable driving before now. It's a big responsibilty. Cars weigh a lot. I've always been afraid that I'll hit someone out of stupidity and I'll just have to live with that for the rest of my life.

But now I really have to learn how to drive. My boyfriend will need surgery within the next year, on his eyes, and one of us needs to be able to drive. I want to be able to look for jobs beyond a few miles radius where I live. (The public transportation system out here is a joke). And I'm just sick of not always being able to go where I want to, when I want to.

So I want to drive, but I want to do this the right way. I want to be a good driver. So I'm taking lessons. My first one was today.

Last night I barely slept at all, because I was convinced that I would crash into something, that the instructor would be really mean, and could possibly even be...*gasp* a murderer! (Hey, I sometimes get a little silly when I'm the only one awake at 3:00 AM, and I need to be able to do something I've never done before really early in the morning). But I woke up this morning feeling oddly well rested. The instructor picked me up from my apartment, and we practiced in a parking lot for a while. Then he felt that I was getting good enough to go on the road. I wasn't. I panicked when I got onto the street and saw all the other cars around me...there was so much going on, and it was scary. Then it started to rain. (It never rains here). That's about when I drove over a curb, panicked some more, and hit the gas instead of the brake. Luckily there was no damage...but it was back to the parking lot for me.

Once back in the parking lot, we took a break, I calmed down, and then we practiced some more. We practiced where I should look, and what I need to focus on when I'm on the road. We did this for about an hour, then the lesson was almost up. It was time to go, but my instructor felt that I was actually ready to drive on the road. So...I drove home! And it was scary...but I did pretty good. Okay, sometimes I went a bit too slow, but mostly...it was fun, and things went well. I even made a left hand turn!

So I need a lot more practice before my next lesson, but I DID IT, and right now I feel pretty damn good about myself.

[norweigan_scaper]

congrats J_S :)

the first lesson can be quite nerve wracking, but you're always glad you took that first step :)

[grinner]

Do you live in an area that has snow in the winter? If yes, I would also suggest to you that you should take a winter driving class as well. Learn to drive in the snow/icy conditions can save your life.

[waltersgirl]

So I need a lot more practice before my next lesson, but I DID IT, and right now I feel pretty damn good about myself

you go girl. :aok: maybe it's a SoCal thing, but driving is my freedom. and i LURVE to drive. anywhere, anytime, don't care how far. i love the feel of the road through a well-maintained car.

two tips. 1) learn how to drive pro-actively, not re-actively. like playing chess. know where all the pieces that immediately surround you are on the board. my dad taught me how to drive like that, and he taught me in downtown LA.

2) learn how your car works. really works. drive with the stereo off at first so you get familiar with its sounds. know where the oil is, know how to tell if the battery's frelled, how to replace windshield wiper fluid, where your power steering reservoir is, learn how to properly jumpstart a car. dren like that. and get a AAA card!!!! i've had one for years and never had to use it, and then a couple of months ago i had 3 flat tires in about a month and a half. good thing i get my tires at Just Tires and pay the 11 bucks to get road hazard insurance. all the tire replacements were free.

[AgentSun]

i love driving as well. there's nothing like driving around in the summer. i've only been driving for about 2 years, but trust me, the first times are the scariest. after that, you'll be fine. just be confident in the fact that you know what to do and as long as you know what to do, you will feel fine.

[Xev]

Congrats!

I'm assuming it wasn't raining much over your way, as that would've make a first attempt at driving a little more difficult.

We've had lightning, thunder, and sprinkles of rain all day long, but I'm waaaaay west of you.

[trubador]

3-point turn?...check
Parallel parking?...check
Flippin' the bird at the joker with his highbeams on?...check

[LT Garrix]

I know I had my first driving lessons with my mom in our very quiet neighborhood. That helped me be more prepared for driving on the road.

When you are in the car with your boyfriend, ask him what kind of things he's looking at to give you another perspective on what drivers do behind the wheel.

I don't know if you've seen the movie Clueless, but I love the scene of them driving on the highway. After having driven in SoCal, I probably would have reacted the same way if I was learning to drive.

[AgentSun]

my first day of driver's ed behind the wheel, we went onto the major highways and it was horrific!! not only did i have to keep up with the speed of the other cars, which was way over the speed limit, but it's especially dangerous in my area, where turning on your signal doesn't mean "i will come over soon" it means "i'm coming over now, whether you like it or not" and it was during rush hour!!

[DRD2001]

WG has got the right advice. Learn all about your car as well. There are so many little things you can do to keep up the maintenance yourself. It will also help you when dealing with mechanics. Also, you can get a nice roadside emergency kit for about $20 or so bucks. You never know when you'll need it.

My advice. Practice in neighborhoods. Slow speed limits, quiet and a good practice with stop and go and keeping an eye on the side of the road as well as the road.

And always check your blind spot.

Your lucky. My driver's ed teacher was a chauvenistic dren. Treated the guy in our car like he was gold. Treated me and the other girl like idiots. We had great pleasure explaining to him that Wayne wasn't coming back to road lessons cause he failed the written part of the class. And when it came time for getting the license, my tester was real nice and patient. It wasn't bad at all. :)

[Clarsax]

I don't have any good advice, except to say what others have posted sounds pretty good. Congratulations!

[AgentSun]

my driver's ed teacher commented on my friend's "good driving legs"...we were all sufficiently creeped out and us girls stopped wearing shorts, even though it was 90 degrees out.

[bubblez]

:vroom:

heads up... mastering the car isn't half as tough as watching out for everyone else on the road.

[JadedLegend3]

:woohoo: You go, jirl! You can do it, I know you can! :D

I'm with the others...I love to drive! It's a great feeling of freedom. Once you're comfortable with it, you'll see what we mean! :)

PS-I'm proud of you! :hug:

[Third EYe]

Judith_Shakespeare I'm really happy you are learning drive. A friend of mine didn't get his license until he was 27. He was the only one for awhile who could afford a car. Odd how that happens.

Anyway, whenever you're ready, I'll hold the TV up while you back out of my living room. This should teach you to use the Billy Joel driving school.

[TheBladeRoden]

Don't worry. You'll be pretty mellow about driving once you've totaled your car and nearly gotten yourself killed a few times like I have.

[Darth Buddha]

Cars weigh a lot. I've always been afraid that I'll hit someone out of stupidity and I'll just have to live with that for the rest of my life.

If you keep that in mind, you will probably be a more consciencious driver than most. Most people don't consider that every time they get behind the wheel there is a finite chance that they will have an accident.. will kill or be killed.

My dad was still out in the field as a trooper when I was young... I heard enough stories that those facts are indelible.

Do you live in an area that has snow in the winter? If yes, I would also suggest to you that you should take a winter driving class as well. Learn to drive in the snow/icy conditions can save your life.

As somebody who learned to drive in the winter and in the snowbelt, I'll second that one.

1) learn how to drive pro-actively, not re-actively. like playing chess. know where all the pieces that immediately surround you are on the board. my dad taught me how to drive like that, and he taught me in downtown LA.

2) learn how your car works. really works. drive with the stereo off at first so you get familiar with its sounds. know where the oil is, know how to tell if the battery's frelled, how to replace windshield wiper fluid, where your power steering reservoir is, learn how to properly jumpstart a car. dren like that. and get a AAA card!!!! i've had one for years and never had to use it, and then a couple of months ago i had 3 flat tires in about a month and a half. good thing i get my tires at Just Tires and pay the 11 bucks to get road hazard insurance. all the tire replacements were free.

Your dad's advice sounds like my dads... I can second that advice. I think every car should carry jumper cables and a basic tool kit too. I don't expect folks to change an alternator in on the burm as I once did on I-80, but you'd be surprised the jams you can get yourself, or somebody else, out of.

[AgentSun]

being able to fix things yourself means that there is a less of a chance (especially because you're a girl) that if you break down, people are going to be "nice" and "help you". you attract a lot of psychos when you're at your most vulnerable, say at the side of a road, even if it's a major highway. being a girl makes it worse...double standard, i know, but short of carrying a pulse pistol, knowing how to fix things yourself helps. of course, this is advice coming from a girl who has absolutely no idea what anything in her honkin big car really is, who knows how to change a tire and even doing that would require an instruction manual to make sure she was doing things correctly.

[bubblez]

Just smile politely, and carry the 50 caliber Desert Eagle....

[AgentSun]

i was considering getting a knife to just store in my car. but i'd definitely have to take the time to get lessons, and i don't have that time at the moment. i wouldn't get the knife anyway, just to have it. the only reason would be to keep in the car, since i use my car a lot, and rarely do i go out without my car, so if i'm ever out at night and i am walking to my car...i have something with me. but again, i'd need to take the lessons and i don't have the time at the moment. i suppose a witty one liner would have to suffice.

[bubblez]

besides the swift, hard knee to the gonadal region, thumbs to the eyes is a good one. May sound gross, but applying your thumb to the inside (near the nose) area of the eye and pushing will definitely provide a distraction for an attacker.
Attackers rely most upon your fear. It disables you and allows them time to do their thing. If you can stop this process and give them something else to think about, your escape will be that much easier.

[waltersgirl]

way to go you guys, scare the hell out of her. :rolleyes:

[Spedoinkel]

My first lesson was with my older brother. we were in a parking lot, but it started to rain so much you couldn't see a foot paste the windsheld, not to mention the other four feet to the front of the car.
My sister learned to drive in two feet of snow.

[Ouroboros]

My driving lessons were pretty fun.

I had an east Indian driving instructor with a really think accent so I could barely understand what he was saying. End result, I get to do whatever I want and then say "oh I thought you said ____". He was a really cool guy too never got mad, even when I pulled a semi-accidental burnout off the red with his little silver civic.

When I finally went to get myself tested for a liscence I begged my dad to let me take his 454 malibu so I could scare the shit out of the examiner but he said no. :(

I had to settle for paralelling behind some poor bastard's brand new 50,000 Audi while he watched from the grass in terror.

Here's a couple of tips for you.

-Don't focus on objects you don't want to crash into, like curbs. The human body has some sort of weird reflex that will cause you to aim the car at said object. So sayeth my driving instructor.

-Don't white knuckle the wheel. A lot of first time drivers grab the wheel in a deathgrip because they're nervous. This will actually make the car harder to handle as every little twitch in your arms gets transmitted to the car. Hold the wheel firmly but not too tight, it's normal for it to move around a little bit if the road you're on is uneven. All you need to worry about it making sure your car's pointed in the right direction. The power steering is there to help you keep your car strait don't deathgrip the wheel.

-Only use your toe on the gas/brake not your whole foot. A lot of first time drivers do this which is what causes those sudden stops and starts.

-Slower is always better than faster to an examiner/instructor. If you're not sure about what to do or if you can make a given manuver in time for traffic, wait. They'll get much less pissed off at that than if you squeel 'em all the way through your left turn.

-Know your car and practice on it. Always take your test in the same car you took your lessons in. This is why it's better if possible to use your own car to get lessons in since you can also practice with it between lessons. Different cars can have very differant characteristics. If your car is a Civic and your instructors is an Accord it probably won't matter but if his is an Accord and your is a '69 Crysler Imperial that's a differant situation.

[Spedoinkel]

I had one instructor who I did not agree with.

First, he made me drive down one of the busiest streets in town at 20mph for six blocks because he was looking for a street that wasan't there.

Second, he yelled at me when I pulled up to a stop light, looked over to the car next to me saw a friend and waved.

Third, warned me about a car that was making a right turn. I slowed let the car make its turn. Continued on. Then got yelled at for not making the turn as well.

Fourth, he yelled at me when ever my head touched the headrest.

Fifth, beratted me for "flooring it" when leaving a stop light, while all the other cars had been able to accelerate and pass me.

Sixth, didn't seem to understand that my eyes can move independate of my head, allowing me to check all three mirrors and the dashboard without turning my head.

Seventh, while driving five miles under the speed limit, questioned me on what my hurry was.

His low scores of me are mostly the reason why I got 70% in driver's ed. The bare minimum pacing grade.

[Spedoinkel]

-Know your car and practice on it. Always take your test in the same car you took your lessons in. This is why it's better if possible to use your own car to get lessons in since you can also practice with it between lessons. Different cars can have very differant characteristics. If your car is a Civic and your instructors is an Accord it probably won't matter but if his is an Accord and your is a '69 Crysler Imperial that's a differant situation.
I had to use a different car each time I drove in class.

[scaperbuddy]

Carry a cell phone in your car when you are out. You never know when you may need it for safety's sake. Don't let yourself get distracted by changing channels on the radio while you are driving or yacking on the phone etc. Pay attention to the road. Learn how to drive in bad weather while you have an experienced driver with you. Take your time and don't let the jerks on the road upset you. Just ignore them. Always keep your wits about you and try to stay calm.

[LT Garrix]

Spedoinkel, I know what you mean about the head and eyes moving independently. I had that problem with my one driver's ed instructor, only drove with him once thankfully.

But, for the test, making sure you make your mirror checks obvious is important to the grader.

For the test, if at all possible, and assuming you have more than one testing site locally, find out where they give the driving portion. The one DPS gave the test in a purely residential area, the other nearby one had you go on the highway. Guess where I went, the one with no highway. Much less stressful. Also try to find a time when traffic is light in the area to take the test.

[TalynLives]

I hate driving lessons (I'm not allowed practice on my own or with a parent under my insurance policy :( ). Not only do you have to worry about traffic and actual car mechanics but you have to worry about pissing off the instructor for pulling off too fast/too slow/whatever. And I laughed at the earlier posters comment about "my eyes can move independantly of my head". It's so true :)

[AgentSun]

my driving lessons weren't a huge hassle...they got annoying, and i had my panic moments, but overall it wasn't so bad. my instructor would intentionally tell me to switch radio stations around, simply because he knew that in the real world, i would, so he wanted me to get accostumed to doing it safely. he also had me drive on gravel around a construction area, so i would be able to judge how fast to go on gravel with a regular car. i had driver's ed in a mazda....i drive an SUV now. i've never driven a small car for more than a day. kind of a weird change for me.

[Judith]

Thanks for all the advice and support guys!

A few responses to some questions and suggestions...

I live in Phoenix, so it doesn't snow here. Well, actually it snowed once, when I was five. My mom woke me up in the middle of the night so I could watch it. I remember it didn't stick to the ground...just melted. However, since the point of learning to drive is to be able to GO places, I've got some friends who are from places with actual weather who have offered to help teach me how to drive in inclement weather. I can practice in Northern Arizona in the winter.

I can't afford a cell phone right now, but I am saving up for one, and hope to get it soon after Christmas. So I won't be driving without one for too long. And I am NOT going to talk on the phone while I'm driving.

I am definately going to learn how to fix things on my car. I will be getting it from my dad in September. It's a 1990 Ford Taurus...it was my Grandma's.

I have my own problem with mirrors...I look at them too much. I worry that using mirrors to see what's around me won't come naturally to me...so I overcompensate by looking in them all the time. And yeah, for some reason, when I'm in the car, I cannot move my eyes without moving my head...gotta work on that!

My biggest problem right now is that I have absolutely no confidence (I know it's a problem to be overconfident...but I'm too extreme on the other side). I get so caught up in thinking that I WILL screw up that I sort of freeze. Anyone else do that when they first started driving?

[grinner]

I would suggest, when you get the car, to go to your local Ford dealer and pickup the Factory Service Manual for your car. Some people think that they aren't worth the price, but I can tell you with all honesty that I will never buy another car without getting the Service Manual.

[AgentSun]

as for being confident vs. not confident, i think that you should really work on getting over your fear. not being confident is just as bad as being confident, because you get nervous and you start to lose your clear mind and good judgment. when you look at your mirrors too much, you stop looking at the road, and that is a HUGE problem. don't worry about the people behind you, or the people next to you. worry about people in front of you braking for whatever reason. if someone next to you wants to switch lanes, they'll be ahead of you and your eyes, being on the road, will see them just fine. look at your mirrors when you have to switch lanes. but don't stare at your mirrors...there's no reason to watch the people in your lane behind you so much. focus on the road.