Tag: Driving

Driver Education

candystealer76Leave a comment

I didn’t know driver’s ed would be so hard. I imagined it would be a few paragraphs to read and then take a test about it. It’s much worse than that; there are so many subjects and so many paragraphs about them that you have to read, which are hard to memorize. I haven’t even started practicing actually driving on the road yet, which I know will be so nerve-racking. I get that once you get comfortable with driving, it eventually becomes easier and turns into muscle memory. Everyone I talk to about driving says it’s not a big deal once you get the hang of it, but I’m not sure I ever will. I really want to drive, and I can’t wait until I can start practicing, but I just know I’m not gonna be a great driver. Anytime I’m driving with someone else, I always try and figure out how they’re so comfortable with every button, turn, or exit. I know how I feel is also how most people feel, but honestly, I have no hope in myself.

“Driving Car” by Matheus Bertelli/ CC0 1.0

Drivers License

ackley4167Leave a comment

I’ve been waiting to get my license since before I can even remember. As soon as I turned 15 and a half, I immediately got my permit. When I failed the first time, it was really discouraging. But a week later, I retook the test and passed. As soon as I got my permit, I wanted to drive right away. I wasn’t aware that you were supposed to have lessons first to legally be able to drive. As soon as I got my lessons I begged my mom to drive everywhere.

My permit had been stolen from my mom’s car, and I had to do driver’s ed twice. So it hasn’t been the most positive journey, but I have gotten through all of the tough parts. The part that I am most stressed about is taking my actual license test and failing. Though more than half of people fail their first time I’m eager to drive and be on my own. I don’t know what it is about driving that I love so much, I just love doing it. The feeling of being free and being able to drive yourself to and from school feels so nice.

As soon as I get my license, I’m never going to stop driving. At least until I get sick of it, but I know that won’t happen for a while. I just believe that whatever happens is meant to happen and I’m grateful for that. I just want to be able to go see my friends and go places without worrying about rides. Ever since I was little, I have always been friends with older people. But my freshmen year is when I got friends who could drive. Which influenced me way more. Luckily my birthday is in 3 days so the time is coming closer. I couldn’t be more nervous or excited.

“Drive Car” by Humphrey Muleba/ CC0 1.0

Vlog

graypenguinLeave a comment

This week was a very slow week. One thing I had been looking forward to recently was going to eat acai bowl on the golf course. I have to say that the acai bowl there are the best I have ever had in my life. I also had my second driving school this week. This time we went out of the Town of ojai and up to the DMV in ventura. The last time we practiced was just going around the same roads so it was a lot of fun this time. I especially enjoyed driving on the highway for the first time. Driving at 100 km/h was fun, but changing lanes at that speed was very scary. I was especially scared of getting in between cars when the distance between them was very close. I am very nervous because I am going to take the test after the next practice session.

pc;https://m.facebook.com/topgolfnaperville/photos/all-things-acaid-this-bowl-is-a-great-way-to-start-the-day/1393840497420873/

My first driving

graypenguinLeave a comment

I drove on the road for the first time in my life this past Monday. The first time I drove a car was this past winter break when I circled the parking lot with my mom. It was a very short drive, but my mom was screaming that she was going to be killed. I thought to myself that the passenger in the car must be many times more scared than the driver. My parents told me to go to the second driving school after I returned to my home country because it is much easier to get a driver’s license in the U.S. than in my home country. Driving on the road for the first time was scarier than I had imagined. The scariest part is when a car follows behind you. I was worried that I might cause trouble for the people behind me because I was driving at half the speed limit for the first time. I finally got the hang of it about 20 minutes after I started. I was still very nervous about driving but it was super fun. I am already looking forward to my next driving lesson. I can’t wait to get my driver’s license so I can go out driving with my family and friends.

pc;https://www.the-sun.com/motors/5550926/learner-drivers-free-driving-lessons-disabled-motability-scheme/

first drive lesson

poofypuffyLeave a comment

I had my first driving lesson and it was kind of discouraging. I feel like I just can’t drive. All I did was drive around a neighborhood for like an hour and a half and park a couple of times. I always feel like the car is in a different place than it actually is, which makes it hard to drive it where I want it because I never know where it really is. And I can’t remember anything about the road rules or anything from driver’s ed except not to park on a crosswalk and to stop at stop signs. I just kind of freeze up behind the wheel and can’t think straight. But actually when I drove on my own with my dad in a parking lot before the lesson I felt fine, so maybe it was just the instructor’s constant stream of passive-aggressive comments throughout the lesson that’s getting me all nervous.

picture credit:https://www.mysafetysign.com/student-driver-osha-caution-sign/sku-s-1249

Driving

poofypuffyLeave a comment

When I was fifteen, I kept telling myself that I would have my license as soon as I turned sixteen. However, I didn’t start driver’s ed until I turned sixteen. I took months to start it, forget about it, and then finish it. I took the permit test two weeks ago, which was four months after I finished driver’s ed. However, I finally got behind the wheel and drove around a parking lot for the first time! Thirty seconds in I told my dad there was no way I would ever drive on the street. I don’t think I drove faster than ten mph at any point; the fact that people drive at seven times that speed every day baffles me. Driving reminded me that cars are completely operated by people (most of the time). Sitting in a car or seeing cars moving everywhere every day seems so natural and instinctive that everything almost seems automatic; it feels as if the cars move on their own the way that clouds or birds do.

Picture Credit: Darwin Vegher

yes officer i got my licenses 4 days ago

progstenLeave a comment

This story talks about how I managed to get pulled over after having my license for four days.

On a tranquil night, I departed from my house at about 11 p.m. on the 15th of September. It was another typical night, and I was going to the gym because one of my friends pressured me even though I was already sleepy and wanted to sleep so I decided to go. Now it was normal at the gym that night, some goofing around since we had the whole place to ourselves. Once we were done my friend who had biked to the gym was about to bike back but I decided to offer him a ride back since it was dark and at 2 a.m. So we decided that it would be a good idea if I drove him back. so we put his bike into the back of my Prius, which was harder than expected. Eventually, we departed into the night expecting this ride to be uneventful and quick, god had other plans. As we took a right onto the main road we drove for about 30 seconds where we passed a cop. we passed him with no issues, and I was so confident to even say, “Nothing suspicious to see the officer ” while driving by the cop. Well, Apparently, he must have heard me say that because about three seconds later while looking in my rearview mirror to make sure he doesn’t follow us he whips THE FASTEST U-Turn I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. He pulls up right behind me getting very close to my car, and just tailgates me and my friend for what feels like 10 minutes but in reality was 1-minute max, regardless that was still a while and I don’t know if he was trying to scare me into doing something illegal but I eventually take a turn towards my friend’s house and the cop follows, it’s at this point I knew I was getting pulled over. Right on cue, he turns on those lights, and I pull over. Eventually, after waiting for about a minute the cop walked up to my window (which was already down since I didn’t want to anger him by asking to roll it down). He leaned in and said, “Hey just wanted to let you know that your headlight was out nothing else was wrong but you should know and get that fixed” This was definitely one of the better things you can get pulled over for and was quite the refile knowing that I wasn’t smuggling drugs or weaving in and out of the road or something along those lines. The cop noticed that my friend in the car was a little nervous so he popped the question,” can I have your license and regressions please” Now this is a normal question; however, the DMV hasn’t sent me a license yet so I had to hand him this rinky dinky piece of paper and he looks at it and says “is this your license?” and I say “yes officer sorry I recently got my license so they haven’t sent me the card yet” he gives a shrug and says he’s going to run it through his system and heads back to the car. so he comes back and say ” So it says that you got your license 4 days ago so here’s what I could do, I could give you two tickets one for driving someone in your car and one for driving at 2 am but sense your still a new driver I don’t want to screw you over and ruin your driving career.” to cut the story a bit short he eventually lets me go after a few more embarrassing questions like ” it says you got your license on 9/11 is that correct” and I didn’t know so I just said yes and hoped it was correct. but we eventually got home say and on my way back from dropping off my friend, I passed by another cop who turned in my direction but didn’t pull me over maybe the other cop told them I already gotten got. 

please note all these quotes are from the author’s memory so they just give a rough idea not an exact

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=578888506&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS974US975&q=cops&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP9NfG-KWCAxVzIkQIHZZyD2EQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1600&bih=884&dpr=1.8#imgrc=LcV7_6FemRNvdM

Windows Down

smalltownhumanbeingLeave a comment

Although the air is frigged on this winter night, we drive around blasting music with the windows down.

Why one may ask?

Because sometimes there’s no purer form of joy than singing your favorite songs with two of your favorite people.

In that moment, all your fears and worries fly out the open window and you are living in the moment, watching two people sing and smile with every word that leaves their mouth.

This is one of the moments that you would replay over and over again when you rest your head on the pillow for nights to come.

I would not trade the little moments like this for anything.

So the simple answer to why we drive around with the windows down on a frigged winter night is simply for the joy of it, because in the end, you only have once chance to make memories like this with the ones you love.

Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/

Driving in the Rain

faithfulomnivoreLeave a comment

I went for a drive tonight.

First, I made a left turn onto the highway at 9:17pm.

It wasn’t raining yet, just a slight drizzle. The roads were just starting to get wet. I forgot how much darker it is when there’s a storm coming.

As I got closer to town, I saw some couples wandering up and down main street, bundled up in coats and jackets, strolling under yellow light and holding hands.

I watched a little boy running along the sidewalk past a restaurant, clutching the straps of his backpack tight against his sides, the pom-pom on top of his beanie bouncing up and down as he went. I wonder where he was going.

By 9:25 the rain had started to come down a bit more. I rolled down the window to feel the cold.

I rolled along to a four way stop. There was no one else waiting. So, I looked up towards the street light.

A dull orange beam perfectly showed the rain coming down, lighting up thousands of little droplets falling from the sky.

I stuck my hand out the window, felt the rain hit me for a moment, then signaled right and moved on.

A Tragic Story of Prom and Permits: Part 1

paris22Leave a comment

Photo Credit: balticassist

Bethany Yoddle, a highschool junior, just got her license right in time for prom. Bethany is an aspiring model/actress/tv show cooking competition judge/daytime talkshow host/reality tv show star. Bethany isn’t going to prom with anyone, but she just assumes they can’t handle her charismatic, multi-talented persona. But, little does she know, her best friend since 4th grade, Ben, is in love with her. Bethany and Ben have gone from swing sets to driving licenses, now they are 16 and she still has no idea.

7 pm hits, and Bethany climbs into her car to make her way to prom. Bethany’s drive to the prom site is a long one, as it’s outside of the city, but luckily she has all her favorite music to listen to on her way there.

Bethany hits the more rural part of her drive, and unfortunately, a deer ran across the road right as Bethany was singing loudly ( and ear-bleedingly bad) to her favorite song. Bethany saw the deer and she slammed the brakes, but just a second too late, and her front bumper collided with the deer.

To Be Continued