Drivers’ Ed. I’m not sure you can find a more useless waste of time, then Drivers’ Ed class. Obviously I am in favor of people learning to drive. And obviously I am in favor of people receiving the proper instruction on how to do so. But c’mon. 30 HOURS of classroom instruction??? Driving is about doing. You have to learn how to drive by driving! Not by sitting in a classroom and watching gory accident videos and taking silly tests over and over. Driving is learned out on the open road! Or in a random parking lot.
That is of course, not without it’s risks…
I still remember when my older sister was learning to drive. I was in junior high school and she had just obtained her learner’s permit. I needed to go down to city hall to get a dance card for the local dances that were put on for kids my age (I’ll have you know I cleaned up at those dances. Even then the ladies loved my clever cartoonist charm…-cough-).
My dad decided this would be a good opportunity for my sister to drive. So we piled into the minivan–my father, sister, and my youngest brother who was only at the tender age of 4. In hindsight, I have to wonder about my father’s judgement on this particular day, what with risking the lives of two of his sons and all, but I guess we can chalk that up to the stresses of parenthood.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember too much about the trip to City Hall and back, other than my life flashing before my eyes. Somehow my father managed to remain calm when my sister drove us over a curb, into the wrong lane, and towards oncoming traffic. Somehow he managed to coach her into maneuvering the car so as NOT to kill us, all while my 4-year old brother screamed at the top of his lungs, “SISTERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DRIVE!!!” Somehow we all survived that perilous day.
And now, my sister drives just fine [almost].
So you see? THAT is how people learn how to drive. Out on the road. With the wheel in their hands and the horns of oncoming traffic blaring in their ears. Yessir. You can’t teach THAT in a classroom.
I used to be afraid of roller coasters until my son got his learner’s permit. Then I realized nothing was as frightening as barreling down the freeway at 65 MPH with an inexperienced 15-year-old behind the wheel. Now I yawn through roller coaster rides.
I so agree.