Henry Raymond
Fairfax News => Current News & Events => Topic started by: Henry on August 25, 2009, 11:27:44 AM
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Have a few Moms taking Maalox as their 16 year old sons work on getting their driving hours in - Interesting, you never hear this about the 16 year old girls. I actually don't even know of any 16 year old girls getting their license.
Some of the boys may be just a little Macho about their own driving ability vs Mom. I was quite fortunate with my 3 girls. Biggest problem was when one of them started learning to drive, took her out in my Dad's meadow where there was some really soft cow manure. It was a stick shift and when she let out the clutch it spun and sprayed the car with fresh soft cow manure. What a mess. Oh and by the way, Dad cleaned the car.
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DOH! That stinks.... no pun intended. :) My daughter turned 15 this summer and it's been real ........ fun? teaching her. Good thing is she doesn't think she knows it all, is overly cautious, and doesn't like to go too fast! ( SWEET!) She's doing pretty well for starting out on a stick.
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I think kids benefit from more time behind the wheel from as soon as possible. We had a long driveway and an old Nissan pickup that we moved wood around with. My son started learning how to drive around 12 or 13, first with the truck moving wood, but it had a transmission problem and didn't shift well or stay in gear. So I soon started teaching him in the car driving to the end of the driveway to meet the bus or back up at the end of the day. Since it was a pretty steep hill it was a great place to learn hill starts!
He had been practicing in the driveway for a long time before he ever got his permit. When he finally made it to the road he was very comfortable behind the wheel; I was never nervous or worried when riding with him. He passed his permit and driver's test without any problems.
I know not every family has the space to work in and there is a certain maturity level that goes along with it as well that some kids may not be ready for, but with all the talk there was a few years ago about increasing the driving age, I believe allowing a driver permit sooner might be more beneficial...more time to get used to being behind the wheel of a car with supervision. I know it's radical thinking, but it seems to make sense (I think).
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There was no drivers permit required when I was 11, just that a licensed driver be with you on the road. We had about a half mile of road that went across our farm to the mailbox and I made many trips there by myself. My older sister and I drove for a number of years before our 16th birthday when we went down to St. Albans to take our written and driving tests. Drivers Ed was not a requirement back in those days either.
Interestingly enough, I have an aunt who will turn 90 years old and lives up in Canada. She got her license by mailing in her form and sending the money. No written or driving tests required. I couldn't believe it when she told me.
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Henry,
It's not just Canada, my great aunt, turned 90 a few months ago. She lives outside Orlando, she was provided a new drivers license good for 7 years.. She is good to drive until she is 97 -- No Questions asked --
She drives herself to the Suepermarket, doctor appointments and the like -- Very independent .
Mike M