Tag Archives: Teen Driving

So I gave MC another driving lesson.  This one was a 40 minute drive home from a sleepover.  A long and winding road she had not traveled before.  That’s always fun.  I came to the conclusion that a good fallback job for her would be a driving a street cleaning truck because that chick can hug a curb like a security blanket!  Which is actually much better than the alternative of driving down the center of a two lane road. 

I had to pick the road with the most ruts on the side.  You know, like there’s not a sidewalk in site, just mud and gravel which other cars had veered into previously and left deep ruts.  It was a similar feeling, I suppose, to driving on the edge of a steep cliff with no guardrails.  Only we wouldn’t fall to our death…just ruin a tire or two.  Mainly on the right side.   We didn’t get into any ruts, but I bet no one could possibly have come within in the 1/10 of an inch of the ruts like she can!  That girl has some serious skills! 

It was a great ride home.  All stop signs were seen and abided by this time (yes, even the one’s with the white border around them) and I only almost passed out once when we took a turn at 35 mph and nearly ended up in on coming traffic.   And who says Jeeps roll over easily?  I can tell you first hand, you can take a turn at 35mph, over correct (twice) and NOT roll over.  Whooo Hooo!

So…MILESTONE !  Half way home from drivers ed class tonight,  Middle Child decided  she wanted to drive home. 

“Um, you do know that you’ll have to drive on the main streets…right?”

“Yep.   I don’t think there’s that ‘much’ of main street driving til we get to our house”

Pretty much the ‘conversation’ went like this the whole way home:
“Stay on your side.   On your side.  On YOUR side.”   

“Okay, sorry. ”

“Your side.  Stay over on your side”  (coming to a steep hill)  “Give it gas.  More gas.  Ya gotta give it gas.  (a line of cars behind us)  Keep on the gas.  More gas”  “Stay in your lane” 

“Oh no, I have to get in the turning lane.  I’m scared to get over into the turning lane”

“Just stay in your lane, inside the lines.  In your lane!  In your lane! ”  ((I’m sweating bullets))

“Mom… does ‘having the right-away’ mean that the person on the right…always has the right to go first?”

“No. Pay attention”

 At this point I’m thinking how different my two daughters are during the learning to drive stage.   With my oldest I was CONSTANTLY yelling….brake…brake….BRAKE!   (While grabbing at the door and bracing my leg to the dash.)  Not this kid,  I have to remind her to get going!  lol.    And just as I’m thinking that exact thought, we pull into the driveway at 25 miles an hour, kicking up a large cloud of dust at the end of the drive. 

“Brake!  You have to BRAKE!”    (Then we come to a sudden halt.  Jolting forward to the dashboard.  And…stop.)

“I didn’t know I had to brake”

And then that familiar pit was felt in my stomach.