This weekend, I gave my niece her first 2 lessons behind the wheel. She's been taking the classroom driving instruction, but they want her to know the basics before she does time in the car marked "STUDENT DRIVER - RUN AWAY!" The whole thing is making her incredibly nervous. I'm having trouble getting her to go faster. And by faster, I mean 15 miles an hour. She's decided that 10 is her zone, and she likes it right there. Which, I hope, bodes well for her being a cautious, conscientious driver. But I keep trying to convince her that some day she may want to go on a freeway, and it would be good to be prepared.
I'm trying really hard to be calm and cool while she drives. Gentle little instructions. "Brake. Gas. That's it." Not that she's doing anything all that whacky. It just takes awhile to get used to things like excelleration and stopping. And I remember my dad acting like he was going to have a panic attack every time I did anything wrong. Hissing. Grabbing the door handle. I was totally traumatized. And I don't want my niece to have that nonsense going on. Learning to drive is tough enough.
And since I've been driving since the late Renaissance period, I'd completely forgotten just how hard it is. I'm a pretty decent driver. And I've had the same car (my beloved Barney the Wonder Truck) for years. We're like a cowgirl with her favorite cutting pony. It's almost all body/no brain by now. I don't remember how I do it. It just gets done. But she's at the point where she has to think every little thing out. And thinking can get in your way when you're driving. Try thinking about what you're doing when you back up. It will mess you up. I know there's a trick to how you get into a parking space. Damned if I remember what it is. It's tough watching her sweat it out, and not being able to breakdown the process the way she needs.
Luckily, there will be a driving instructor who will hopefully will actually tell her all the good stuff. Right now, I'm just trying to get her used being behind the wheel. And convince her that she can drive without using a sedative.
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2 comments:
You have definitely earned your angel wings for this one. My neighbor taught me how to drive a stick shift after my mom freaked out on me one too many times - stomping her foot on the imaginary brake on the floor, clutching the door handle, and screaming.
I taught my brother how to drive a stick by making him stop on a hill (we were in a parking lot). I also taught my 12 year old cousin to drive a stick shift also at the same time as my brother.
One thing you might want to teach your nice is how to anticipate a light change. I used to freak out wondering how long that green light would last before I got there. Would it turn red and I'd have to slam on the brake or speed like crazy through it? My dad taught me to look for the flashing pedestrian light to anticipate how much time I would have. One of the most useful tips I ever got.
I never learned to drive a standard. I still have PTSD from my dad yelling that I had to feel it. I still have no idea what "it" is. But evidently it's something very important about driving stick.
The light change is a good tip. My Moms (much calmer than Dad as a driving instructor) taught me how to maintain speed on the freeway and how to drive on ice. I'm hoping kind of hoping that it snows so I can teach my niece bad weather driving. There should be at least one other person in Texas who knows how.
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