Community Chat

[debic]

My cousin taught me to drive.  We drove out in the country and he'd make me back around coolies endlessly.  I also learned on a stick.   I was almost 50 before I ever owned an automatic.

[Judaline]

Two things I remember: the street is just as slippery when it's a little bit wet as when it's pouring rain; don't pull out when you turn right. Stay where you are and turn. This was hard for me to do-that inclination is there to swerve out then turn. But it's very important.

[silkyk]

He told me to mind my driving manners and to watch out for the other guy. He was big on defensive driving. Also check both mirrors and look back over your shoulder before you change lanes.

[deb5555]

My Dad always said Don't let the gas tank get below a quarter tank, great advice Dad

[MaggieMack]

My dad taught me that when you are going to pass someone on a two-lane road, accelerate and get around them as quickly as possible. And on a multiple-lane highway or freeway, don't drive alongside a car, get separation as soon as you can. 

[house_cat]

"Always drive like you're on vacation and have all the time in the world."

My dad taught dozens of people to drive, in NYC, which is a challenge in itself. Every one of those people passed their roadtests on the first try. He taught me how to parallel park so well, that I swear I can fit my car into a space half its size!  

He commuted into Manhattan, by car, for many years.  Those were the days when it was possible to do that.  He was always calm and never, ever mean or aggressive on the road.  

People who drive with me always remark at how calm I am when driving.  What's the point of rushing?  Maybe you save a couple of minutes, but the toll it takes emotionally is not worth it.

[IamMrsG]

Through the windshield of the car in front of you, watch the brake lights on the car in front of him (two cars in front of yourself).  That way, you will know when the car in front of you is about to brake.

[IamMrsG]

@GingerPeach    Thank you for starting this thread.  A lot of the threads on Community Chat are innane.  Yours, however, is valuable, and could conceivably save a life.  

@hckynut   I, too, learned to look at the tires of the car in front of me.  I learned that if I can see the tires touching the ground, I have room to go around him if necessary.

[Pearlee]

I grew up in a large city that had a lot of crime.  I was taught by my father never to drive in the curb lane after dark (for fear someone would try to get into the car when I was at a stop light, even with the doors locked), and also to run a red light if I had to (i.e. someone approaching the car while stopped at the light).  This was in the 1960s and there had literally been riots in my city.

[LilacTree]

I learned on a stick shift also.  In fact in those days, even if you owned an automatic, you couldn't take your driving test on it.  You had to know how to drive a stick shift.  I was always glad I knew how to drive using a clutch and gears with the "H" configuration.  We had quite a few older cars like that when we were younger, even after I was married, we had an old Toyota with a stick shift.