topic Re: Learning to Drive in Community Chat

Learning to Drive

occasionalrain — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:14:21 GMT

How did you learn to drive? Did a parent, a sibling, or, like me, you had an instructor from a driving school teach you? Was it a fun experience or something else?

Re: Learning to Drive

lgfan — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:18:46 GMT

I had an instructor teach me. My mother paid for eight hours of instruction. It took one month to learn to drive at two hours of instruction per week. I found it fun because the instructor also had the brake and gas peddles on the passenger side of the car. If I was going too fast or slow he could speed up or slow down the car on his side.

Re: Learning to Drive

occasionalrain — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:23:01 GMT

My instructor had a brake pedal but I don't think he had a gas one.

I remember the first time out on a four lane highway, stressful.

Re: Learning to Drive

Mary Bailey — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:24:58 GMT

In the 70s HS Sophmore year, we had Drivers Ed. We had in the classroom simulators and book instruction, driver's range on HS grounds, on the road with instructors and also with our parents.

On the range the instructor spoke to us via car radio, there was two students in the car.

It was fun!

Re: Learning to Drive

beckyb1012 — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:27:03 GMT

I got a hardship one month after turning 15 years old so there was no driver's ed since I was not 16 yet. My mom taught me and I passed the written and driving part of the tests. I could drive during the daylight hours alone and at night with her in the car.

Once I turned 16 I could have any licensed driver in the car with me at night as long as they were 18 or older. Driver's ed was offered six months after my 16th birthday so once that was done then all restrictions were lifted. I did not have to take any of the tests again since I had taken them only a year and a half earlier, just presented my certificate for completing the course.

Re: Learning to Drive

occasionalrain — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:28:13 GMT

@Mary Bailey

That seems a perfect way to learn, especially the in school simulators.

Re: Learning to Drive

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:32:34 GMT

Driver's Education program in high school.

Eventually, he was terminated for having intimate relations with some of the students.

Re: Learning to Drive

Trinity11 — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:29:46 GMT

@occasionalrain wrote:
How did you learn to drive? Did a parent, a sibling, or, like me, you had an instructor from a driving school teach you? Was it a fun experience or something else?

I learned in my senior year of high school. It was part of the curriculum. In a class with all boys, I was teased mercilessly when we went on the road but all in good fun. I won an award at the end of the semester for best parallel parking.🙃😁 Passed my driving test that summer and have driven in Manhattan which can be the worst place to navigate. Many different states and still love driving. 💞

Re: Learning to Drive

chickenbutt — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:30:52 GMT

All I remember, as it was like a zillion years ago, was that we had a classroom part of it and a driving part of it, also a thing from school. Back then you learned on a standard shift.

Following that I got my 'permit' at 15 1/2 years old, as that was what California offered, then my actual license at age 16.

Re: Learning to Drive

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:31:14 GMT

I took Drivers Education, it was offered thru the school district.

Re: Learning to Drive

Mz iMac — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:31:30 GMT

High School Driving School

My father who INVENTED road rage.

Because of the above, I & my ex hired AAA driving school instructor for our children even though they passed the HS Driving School test.

I did try to teach the oldest. After surviving heart attacks & strokes from the driving the driving school instructor took over.

Re: Learning to Drive

Desertdi — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:32:16 GMT

My dad had me drive I-90 from Chicago to Rockford and back.

Yes, he was in the passenger seat. That was it.

Re: Learning to Drive

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:34:30 GMT

@Desertdi I've driven that stretch many times as an experienced driver, it can be trecherous during rush hour.

Re: Learning to Drive

Shelbelle — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:37:33 GMT

It was 1969 for me, went to one of our local Dept Stores, they had a driving school in their bldg, I hated every second of it in class and on the road training.

Re: Learning to Drive

Mz iMac — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:45:27 GMT

@Desertdi You & I had the same father!

Only mine had me drive from Pa to Va on Rt 13 & I-95 while he instructed ~~screaming & hollering~~ from the passenger seat.

I believe at that time I had my first "when I have kids.........." thought.

EDIT: Changed seats.

Re: Learning to Drive

occasionalrain — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:38:23 GMT

@Trinity11

An award for parallel parking, impressive. People seem challenged just parking in the store pull-in spaces.

Re: Learning to Drive

kaydee50 — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:42:45 GMT

We didn't have driver's ed in my high school and my parents didn't own a car. I learned from an instructor. Didn't get much practice time and failed the first test. Evenutally, I bought a car, practiced with my then boyfriend and another friend and passed the second time. I was 24. Except for a handful of trips on interstates I never liked driving and haven't for the past 10 years. Quit when I was 66.

Don't missing driving or having car--LOL!!

Re: Learning to Drive

beckyb1012 — Wed, 13 May 2026 20:03:40 GMT

Ours was offered through the school district as well but you did not have to take it during the school year as a class if you did not want to. It was offered for six weeks each summer. The two high schools in my town took turns on which school would be doing the program for all the students from both schools to attend.

I had torn the ligaments out of my knee of my left leg doing a cheerleader jump and took my simulator class and the driving class with a full leg plaster cast. I always lost points on the simulator when it was time to push down the emergency brake pedal on the left side. I could never reach down fast enough with my hand to press it down since that leg was in a cast. For the driving part when I was in the back seat with two other students my leg had to be propped up on the front seat console between the driver and the instructor. I am sure they all enjoyed seeing my toes sticking out!!

Re: Learning to Drive

nambee — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:41:42 GMT

My parents taught me once I got my permit when I turned 17.

I also took a driver's ed course offered by my HS that consisted of 6 hours of on the road training. The instructor was the boys' gym teacher. The car was a regular car without dual steering wheels and brake pedals. He must have had nerves of steel!! Probably helped that he was only 30 or so. The car was in a regular garage and we had to pull in and out of the garage bay for each lesson. During the final lesson, he took me on a local highway to practice merging onto the highway and to get a feel for highway driving. He always referred to the turn signals as the "which-ways" - which I still remember with a chuckle to this day!

There was so much less traffic then, you could get a lot of experience without pressure. I can't imagine how kids learn nowadays in my area as the roads are so congested and drivers so agressive and rude. Must be nerve wracking!

Thanks for giving me a walk down memory lane today. Can't believe how long I've been driving!!

Re: Learning to Drive

occasionalrain — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:43:57 GMT

I enjoy driving, but would avoid Manhattan.