Vodka Mom posted about the trials of a 16 year old learning to drive. It brought back so many memories I had to post about this moment when one more parental finger is pried loose from their children... I'm going to use an unusual writing style this post, so I can pack in the most moments in the least amount of reading!
1. Eldest son in Drivers Ed.. I decide he should learn to know what it's like to drive a car with a stick shift. One Sunday morning, I take him up to a mall parking lot in my 1959 Ford F-100 pickup (had 4 speeds on the tree counting the creeper gear- 1st.!)With no power steering, nervous as hell, he proceeded to scare the sh*t out of me for about 30 minutes...
2. His first car. Bought out of storage for $500... The brake job to get the car working- $550... First thing he hit was my new Roadmaster, parked in the driveway...All children's' cars banned from parking in my driveway forever..He creamed that car(One half of it) first winter storm. I know people who got me another car of same make from a junkyard- welded one half to other, looked like new! Creamed again 6 months later. Totaled.
3. His second car was a beater- threatened to put a cow catcher on it if he hit one more thing..
4. Went to college, sold car for scrap, didn't drive for next 3 years.. my insurance went down..
1. Youngest boy gets through Drivers Ed, better with stick shift, got a little truck with a 5-speed for him to drive. One year later, T-boned in school parking lot by girl who just got her car back from the body shop. Her mother calls us, saying we have to take reponsibility for accident or insurance company will cancel her. Explained to her daughter hit my son, explained concept of "No Fault" insurance in Michigan, explained accidents in parking lots aren't "at fault" accidents with no ticket issued...I was left with impression her and I would never be close...
2. Second car gets front end smashed in by a concrete pilon protecting a gas pump.. Son not paying attention- talking with car load of buddies.. Informed son I wasn't turning in a claim as my insurance company(who was a number on my speed dialer for these years!) would boot me after 30 yrs with them..
These moments were not meant to alarm all you folks with kids that will someday take to the roads, but I do remember going on blood pressure medication around then...
P.S. To their credit, both are quite good drivers these days!
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20 comments:
O dear, I get to read this, when I hear that my youngest sister staying in Dubai, hit a pillar in the park & sustained multiple injuries & the car is unfixable , & that my eldest sister in Delhi had her car hit by a bus, while she was driving! Although, Thank God she had no injuries!
My son had a road accident the first month I got him a Bike! So I never allowed him to to take it with him to a super crowded pace like Delhi!
Thankfully our boys have never had a prang, though I think the floor dropped out of eldest son's first car, a mini!
hahaha...i cried and cried and cried out of frustration my first stick shift experience. my poor dad.
i am laughing my ass off right now about your eldest!!! you are cracking me up. whew. I needed a good laugh.
its your birthday tomorrow....
Mona- I am so sorry that these tragedies took place! I hope your sisters are doing well after these accidents! In the land of large cars, we just get out of the vehicles and yell at each other..
Ake- I'm happy for you, because over here we crash into people all the time..
Tanya- I have felt sorry for your dad for many reasons...Love you...
Vodka M- You started this... I didn't even embellish the stories!
DogB- Not a day to celebrate... But thanks anyway..
Buf, It is already your birthday here, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DEAR BUF!
((((HUGS))))
Mona- The American Government handed me a birthday present that cost me more money than I can believe- Dow down 777.... But thanks for your thoughts!
They rejected the bail out it seems! & the ripple effect is felt here too!
....I'm here for some BIRTH-DAY cake!!!!!!!
Buff...The market will come back!
Happy Birthday my new friend!
Cheers and some beers for you...
I do not have any kids...but I sure have had my share of nicks, scrapes and crashes.
1st experience with stick shift. I could not get out of 1st gear...ha..but happpy to report I drove one for 17yrs.
lulda- No kids? You must look great! Mine aged me...
When I think back to all the crazy shit I did when I was a new driver...It is amazing I am alive. Thank God both my girls are going to the convent at age 12. Nuns carpool.
I remember my early driving days. I also learned on a stick shift and remember getting stuck on a very steep hill--I kept drifting back. But that's how you learn, right?
Somehow, you get through it. And then you move to the city and take the subway.
oh man--my dad decided the best way for me to learn to drive a stick shift was to do deliveries with him all over southeast Michigan. I almost dropped the transmission on this poor, ancient S-10. But--after 6 hours and around 300 miles, I could shift, back up, 5 point turn, and even pass people without driving anyone into the ditch!
(He had the patience of a saint!)
UrbanV- My eldest, when at U of M, took shuttles, buses, biked and walked- he was never happier!
Tavi- My son had that S-10! Cool little truck, stripped- no options!
"...I was left with impression her and I would never be close...
" I am loling
Oh dear... I have 3 coming into driving age soon... too soon! They need rubber cars for new drivers!
Hope things there are good!
Eek! UncleBuf, My chilis may never drive after reading this!!
I learned how to drive a stick in an hour because of an emergency. My brother taught me in our jeep (that I couldn't drive for like six months prior) He was a very good teacher or I was a very fast learner. (probably a little of both)
I'm sure I will have stories to share when my chilis start driving...if I ever let them...bwahahaha!
--snow
Thanks for the good new and what I get to look forward to!
Helen- They all get through it!
Snowniece- My second car was a stick, and I learned to drive it an hour before I was to pickup my girlfriend for a date!
rog- Some do better than others!
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