Road Warriors As Important As Potty Training
You can’t wait to get your driver’s license. But there’s this little thing standing in your way called driver’s ed. It’s required in this state for drivers under 18.
Our Generation writers Matthew Weaver and Patrice Williamson buckled up for their road training this summer, keeping a diary of their experiences. Here are excerpts from their journals.
June 23: Today was the first day of driver’s education. One thing is going through my mind: I want to go back to sleep.
June 24: We used the simulators today. I hardly knew where anything was, let alone how to use it. My feet kept pressing down on the accelerator. If I’d been in a real car, I’d have been going 80 mph.
June 25: We had to bring in $4 for our permits today and get our eyesight checked. You have to put your forehead on this little pad located on this box in order to see the letters. When you move your forehead away, the letters disappear. How was I supposed to know that?
June 26. Our first real drive today. Patrice went first and did a marvelous job after all her mumbling about never practicing. Either she’s a natural or she’s lying. During my turn there was this little kid sitting on his bike right behind me when I was supposed to back up. He was just sitting there, staring at me. Creepy little kid.
June 30: Back to work on the simulators. On the first film, everyone scored over 50, which is good. On the second, I guess we were stressed out. Everybody scored under 50, except Nathan. You stay best friends with a guy since third grade and he does better than you. It’s going to be a long five weeks.
July 2: I felt much more confident this drive than last time. Practice does help. The funny thing is that none of us could remember where we’d driven. I vaguely remember Post.
July 8: Today was our first attempt at driveway backing and parallel parking. Backing is harder than it looks. In reverse, the steering wheel doesn’t turn the car like it should. I think parallel parking is easier.
July 11: I remember where we drove today. We went down Market by Spokane Community College, turned right in order to wind up on Ruby eventually, then ended up at NorthPoint. I must have been nervous because I drove up on a curb and whipped around a corner too fast.
July 16: Class is getting harder. We need to know all sorts of facts about alcohol and drivers and ways to deal with fatigue on the road.
July 17: We drove on the freeway today. Everything that you learn going 45 mph changes quickly or goes flying out of your head at 70 mph. This was probably the scariest drive ever, especially when I almost hit a median. I suspect Nathan and Patrice were a little rattled.
July 19: Just thought I’d throw this in: Mom and Dad celebrated 25 years of marriage to each other today, so I gave them a present of my not driving today. They loved it.
July 21: We did our last simulation today. We had to avoid all sorts of collisions every two minutes. My nerves were shot, partly because of all the action and partly because Mr. Fink kept yelling “Look out!” I swear, my heart stopped beating for five minutes.
July 22: A woman from the Department of Licensing came today. I still couldn’t get an answer to my question: Is it possible to pass both the written and driving tests but wait to receive the license?
Also, we drove downtown today. I did great, except when my door flew open when I turned a corner. I think Patrice fiddled with it …
July 23: We took our DOL tests today - all 100 questions. If we pass we won’t have to take it again next week. Here’s a freebie: Which of the following is required by state law to be in your car? A. spare tire B. litter bag C. chains D. ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.
The answer is B. Remember that.
July 24: I passed! The written part is over. Now, the final drive.
July 28: I passed! You need 80 percent to pass and I got 81 percent. Future road test-takers, take this advice: Do not engage in road-test horror stories with your group prior to testing. Do practice your parallel parking and backing out of driveways. Do check to see what kind of surface you are stopped on when your instructor tells you to stop and secure your car. Do NOT hug your instructor when he tells you you’ve passed.
July 30: I got to sleep in today since I passed the DOL test last week. After waking up very late, I spent the day considering titles for this article: “Aaaaahh!” “Get off the sidewalks” and “Terror on the roads” came to mind. But I like some variation on what my father told me just after I started this class. “Son,” he said, “This is the most important thing you’ve done since potty-training.” xxxx