Alert to all Ann Arbor motorists, bicycle riders, and pedestrians! The Button is 16 and has passed her road test!
First, did you KNOW that a parent has to ride in the car during the road test? I’d like to know who thought up THAT bright idea? The test took about 45 minutes, and I sat quietly in the back seat the entire time with my eyes closed, trying to come as close to a state of zen calm as possible.
It’s hard to argue with the longer, more complex driver’s ed process that kids have to undergo nowadays. The Button did six weeks of classes at All Star Driver’s Ed last year, plus several hours of road time with their instructor. Then she had to take a shorter class (again at All Star) close to her birthday this year, pass the written test, and finally the road test. PLUS we had to document that she experienced 50 hours of driving accompanied by her dad or me.
When I was a kid, driver’s ed was offered after school and taught by “moonlighting” teachers. I have very fond memories of my teacher. To this day whenever I parallel park, I can hear Coach Rayce telling me “pull forward so that your front passenger door is lined up with the rear passenger door of the car parked in front of your space.”
Anyway, despite my misgivings the Button passed her road test with flying colors – she appeared to only get marked down for failing to check her blind spot when she changed lanes on I-94. After she finished, I commented that it seemed pretty easy. “Honestly, has anyone ever actually failed?” I wondered. “Yeees!” the Button yelped, “My friend Gina failed three times! Why do think I won’t ride anywhere with her?!”
First, did you KNOW that a parent has to ride in the car during the road test? I’d like to know who thought up THAT bright idea? The test took about 45 minutes, and I sat quietly in the back seat the entire time with my eyes closed, trying to come as close to a state of zen calm as possible.
It’s hard to argue with the longer, more complex driver’s ed process that kids have to undergo nowadays. The Button did six weeks of classes at All Star Driver’s Ed last year, plus several hours of road time with their instructor. Then she had to take a shorter class (again at All Star) close to her birthday this year, pass the written test, and finally the road test. PLUS we had to document that she experienced 50 hours of driving accompanied by her dad or me.
When I was a kid, driver’s ed was offered after school and taught by “moonlighting” teachers. I have very fond memories of my teacher. To this day whenever I parallel park, I can hear Coach Rayce telling me “pull forward so that your front passenger door is lined up with the rear passenger door of the car parked in front of your space.”
Anyway, despite my misgivings the Button passed her road test with flying colors – she appeared to only get marked down for failing to check her blind spot when she changed lanes on I-94. After she finished, I commented that it seemed pretty easy. “Honestly, has anyone ever actually failed?” I wondered. “Yeees!” the Button yelped, “My friend Gina failed three times! Why do think I won’t ride anywhere with her?!”
No comments:
Post a Comment