h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm teaching Shorty+ to drive. Nerve wracking? Oh yeah, of course it is. But she's doing really well. The state of Pennsylvania gives all kids who get their learner's permit a little book to record how much time they've spent behind the wheel since they're required to put in at least 50 hours during the 6 months between when they get their learner's permit and when they're allowed to take their driving test. We started on the afternoon of April 3rd, after she passed her learner's permit test.

Problem is, I don't know where they're finding the kinds of roads they're talking about in that little book.

First off they want you to spend 2 *hours* going over the systems and controls in the car with your kid. Two *hours*?!?? I think we've spent about 15 minutes, grand total. If we go over all the controls in the other cars with her (she drives the old car), and go over how to change a tire, plus make her wash all the cars, we might have 2 hours covered. On to the next lesson... parking lot time at 15 mph or less, 3 hours. Ok, we did that... or close to 3 hours, I think.

Then on to neighborhood driving, and on lightly traveled roads, maximum speed of 35 mph, minimum of 6 hours. Sounds easy enough to find roads like that. Except that the neighborhoods are full of cars parked out on the street with not quite enough room for two cars to pass between them, and kids playing in the street, and with all the little curves and stops, it's hard to ever build your speed up to 35 mph safely. So we were off, out to other "lightly traveled roads". Except that the other lightly traveled roads around here are either so incredibly narrow that two cars can barely fit on them, with *no* shoulder before dropping off into a ditch that those were really scary for a new driver, not to mention the mom trying to teach her kid to drive. So we moved up to slightly more heavily traveled roads, but they're not consistent with the speed limits (anywhere from 25 mph -which would be fine - on up to 45 mph, which means most other drivers push you if you're driving less than 5mph over the speed limit) and in order to stay on roads with speeds under 35 mph, we'd have to switch drivers about every half mile or less. No way. The next lesson involves moving up to roads that have speeds up to 40 mph. Hmmm... doing that already, and then some, since PennDOT seems to have so much fun changing the speed limits on the roads every half mile or so. Oh well... guess we'll just sort of use the book for recording time, since it's no good at all for what's to be covered in each "lesson", including things like lane changes, parking in parking lots, and 3 point turns - they've been coming up, long before they're supposed to be covered in the lessons.

Thought we were going to get a chance to drive in snow since it snowed one day last week, but it had all melted off the roads by the time school was over for the day. Since she'll probably get her license in October, it doesn't look like we'll get a chance to do snow, but it's been raining a lot, so she's had to deal with rain slicked roads, at least.

Just another 5 months and about 2-1/2 weeks of this to go to meet the 6 month requirement, even though she'll have the 50 hours covered by the end of May since she's already put in over 12-1/2 hours in the last 11 days.

Bless you, Lady Scott.
You are so conscientious.
So was my father, though taking driving lessons
from him made me nervous enough to finally go
to Garber Driving School and pay for lessons
from them. I must say everything worked out fine
as a result. Whatever works....

We're probably going to also get her some professional type lessons from AAA, since we're not exactly professionals at this and could be instilling some really bad driving habits in her.

Back in the old days, I got my learner's permit on a Monday and had my license by Friday.

My dad had me drive out to a PennDOT driving course, go through all the paces there (K-turn, serpentine, ect.) and drive home.

Since I didn't kill myself or crash the car, he figured I was ready to get on with it already...

These new restrictions sound pretty rough.

hmmm I never got a permit...just took drivers ed at school and went and got my license...before the licence I just made sure I didn't get pulled over


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Yeah, the new rules are pretty strict, here.

Which is a good thing, I guess... even though most of us managed to learn to drive just fine without all the new rules.

In Maryland where I grew up, you could get your learner's permit as early as age 15-1/2, and test for your license the day you turned 16. If you waited until you turned 16 to get your permit, you could try for your license in as little as a month. Now they require that you show a certificate stating that you've had professional behind the wheel training before you can take your test, although the age 15-1/2 learner's permit still seems to be in effect. My nephew, who turned 16 in January, is just waiting for the driving school to send the DMV the proper forms before he can get his license.

I used to wonder why you get to start driving lessons at 16 in the US, untill I went there on holiday. I think my parents would be BEGGING me to take a driving test if we lived there!

Most people from the UK or Europe wonder how in the world we can be so dependant on cars in the US - but this country is so vast, most of the towns are so far apart, we have so few sidewalks outside of the cities, and our public transportation is so lacking that there really isn't much choice. We have to drive, or else we're stuck right where we are. They never seem to really understand what we're talking about until they visit here, get out into the country a bit and see that there's just no other way.

You can get away with not driving if you happen to live in a large city like NY, or even if you live in a small city if you just happen to live very near both shopping and work, but those are about the only times you don't need to be able to drive.

I'm trying to persudede my brother to have driving lessons... He argues he can't afford a car, but I think now its just so important you can* drive, even if you don't do it that* much, so many jobs now seem to want a full clean driving licence... plus I can then goad him into driving me about

Good idea!

And you could point out that if he knows how to drive, there'll be one driver in your family in case of emergencies...

OK, so that argument's never worked on me, but still...

Well it would be handy for us, as my Dad doesn't drive... Plus, as i told my brother, it will be easier learning whilst he is younger

hmmm well if anyone needs offroading and unconvenital drive training...like jumping railroad tracks, best way to 180 into a parking spot, or even how to handle an ambush while driving then let me know


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Noooo.... I don't think so....

awww come on


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Easter would stop me from comeing down this weekend but next is open for classes


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Your car or theirs?

hmmm good question...I've been nice to my car sense I got it...well as nice as can be expected so prob theirs


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No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

We'll use *your* car. It needs the practice.

oh are you wanting classes lady scott?


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