How did you learn to drive?

[trof]

OK, I already know most of you will respond "Driver's Ed".
But, back in the day, be no Driver's Ed.

In Alabama you could get a "Learner's Permit" at 15.
I got mine, and grandpa taught me how to drive.

He sold Cadillacs, Buicks, and Chevys at a local dealer's.
Always drove a brand new Buick Roadmaster 'demonstrator', every year.

As soon as automatic transmissions came out, that's what he drove.
But for me, he got an older Chevy off the lot with a straight stick '3-on-the-column'.
And then he took us out to Elmwood Cemetery.
It's a huge place.
Lots of narrow streets originally laid out for horse and buggy.
Lots of stop signs and intersections.
But very little traffic.

It took a while to master the clutch.
But we practiced and practiced.
Usually, up by the cemetery office, we could find a couple of cars to practice parallel parking between.

I 'graduated' from the Grandpa School of Driving when he put a paper cup 3/4 full of water on the hood (hoods were a lot flatter then) and I could run the full course without spilling a drop.

After that, the actual test was a breeze.

How did you learn?

[Squatch]

1. Well, once I figured out to bend my knees and keep my shoulders

square to the ball, it became natural.

[LeftyFingerPop]

2. hey...

I came from the school of hard knocks. None of this pansy drivers ed crap for me. My old man disconnected the brakes on our '59 Chevy and had me drive down big hills...thats how I learned to drive. Got it? My old man, he didn't put up with any....oh wait....nevermind....sorry. :evilgrin:

[trof]

5. Very good, Squatch!

:-)

[CottonBear]

3. My dad taught us to drive in grade school (cars and power boats)

We had to learn to pull trailers, back up with trailers and launch the boat. We had a lake house on a private neighborhood so we could drive all over with no permits. My Paw Paw let me drive his Buick sedan when I was 14 down in Orange Beach, AL. This was back in the mid 1970s and there wasn't a lot of traffic. I drove us to the post office and the bait shop! We had our own little fishing boat with an outboard motor that we could take everywhere all by ourselves (me and my cousins). My dad taught me to drive stickshift, change tires and change the oil too.

[trof]

6. Neat. I'm about 15 miles from OB.

It was sure different back then.

[CottonBear]

14. I loved going down there. It was pre-hurricane Frederick.

It was a real sleepy little place back then. Their home was on an inlet off the bay. They had good friends who were deep sea fishermen and we got to go out on the boat almost everytime we visited! I once won second prize in a fishing rodeo! I caught a 35.5 lb amberjack! I loved fishing from the dock at Paw Paws and I loved catching bluecrabs that Nana would cook for me! I loved her deviled crab! :)

[trof]

15. I'm on Wolf Bay. Ever eat at Meme's?

Meme's was a seafood restaurant institution back then.
Pretty much a shack over in Bon Secour.
After Meme died, it closed.
dern

But I got the cookbook!

[CottonBear]

16. I never ate there. but I wish I had. I love the name! Little shacks are great aren't they?

I'm glad you got the cookbook. I love those kind of little locally run restaurants! I think have driven through Bon Secour, but it was a really long time ago. I do love coastal Alabama.

My Nana cooked all of our food. She was an awesome Southern cook. Mmmm: deviled crabs, fried and broiled fish (sea trout, spanish mackerel and king mackerel that we caught), shrimp (fixed all ways) , fat-laden casseroles and, of course, desserts! :)

:hi:

[trof]

18. Shoulda said it's pronounced like Mimi.

We used to come down when I was a kid living in Birmingham in the 50s.
Stay in a little mom & pop 'tourist court' in Gulf Shores.
Closest groceries and gas was back in Foley.

I liked it better then.
Orange Beach is High-Rise City now.
Can't even see the beach from the highway.
Did I mention I'm a geezer?
;-)

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

4. Self taught

stole the family car on a regular basis starting at 10 years old.

[trof]

8. Ah...a risk taker. Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

12. Thanks

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. We had this old beater Cadillac...

I used to drive up and down our driveway. Then Dad would take me out on the dirt roads. It was quite fun.
Duckie

[trof]

11. Had a buddy whose dad would let us do that.

Back and forth, up and down the driveway.
"But if y'all go out in the street you'll BOTH get a whippin' you'll NEVER forget."
We didn't.

[Chan790]

9. I didn't.

I still cannot drive...never even have had a permit.

Two full cycles of Driver's Ed.
Three failed tests.
Eight relatives who've yanked their hair out, bawled, and finally made me get in the passenger seat.

I've given up.

[trof]

13. Ya know? EVERYBODY can't be a pilot, and everybody can't drive.

And I guess you're living proof.
Unhappily, some of the driving impaired manage to sneak through.
It's a wise person who is able to recognize their own limitations.
:thumbsup:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

10. With Mom screaming and slamming on an imaginary brake on the passenger's side

But I also did Drivers Ed in 9th grade lo these many years ago (circa 1976).

[deadparrot]

21. Same with me.

Mom, one hand on the dashboard, the other braced against the roof. Lots of shrieking.

[Nicole]

17. Driving the feed truck out in the pasture.

Then I graduated to driving the hay truck & tractor.

I already had my license before I took Driver's Ed.

[Random_Australian]

19. I just drove thousands of cars off cliffs into walrus colonies.

Well, that one sounds much more exciting than the real one, which is -in my state, after first passing an initial knowledge test, I get my Learner License... then I must log at least 50 hours driving with an experienced driver in the passenger seat, in various conditions, and I also had a checklist of all the skills needed for driving in very many conditions, and my observation of various dangers and such.

After that, I took another test and graduated to my Red Provisional License, and after a year or so of driving on my own I will be eligible to take another test, (a hazard perception test).

After which I will obtain my Green Provisional License. At this time the maximum alcohol I can have in my blood is a BAC of 0.02 Then I must drive without anything but the most minor incidents for two further years, and then I will be eligible to take yet another test and get my first full license.

At this time, the alcohol limit is set to 0.05, and there it remains.

[trof]

20. I don't think it's worth it.

When it comes to bureaucracy, the commonwealth got us yanks beat hands down.

Got some friends in Brisbane, NSW.

G'dye, myte!
;-)

[Random_Australian]

23. The commonwealth? No chance mate, this is just my state.

"High" number of fatal crashes, you see. (I think it is still below American ones though)

[Broken_Hero]

22. got my learners permit at the age of 15

and around the same time, my father bought an old 68/69 vw beetle...the car needed work, and I was in mechanic class, so he brought it up there for me to work on. Once I got it fixed(Brakes/brakeline), I still had the keys, and took the car for early morning rides, before school started...:D