I took DE because it meant my parents could get insurance for me less expensively. However, as the youngest person in my year, I only had a learner's permit ... and the others in my group were all older boys who already had their licenses. I never got to do any driving at all - the teacher took the easy way out and had them do all the driving, since they already knew how (and were only taking the class for the less-expensive insurance).

I cannot parallel park. It distresses Hubby that I can't do it.

Trick to parallel parking is to remember that "bumper" has the word "bump" right in it.

which car is required to back up when on a one lane incline.

Er... is it the downhill one? I know I knew this at some point.

I can parallel park big cars and trucks with trailers behind them. Comes from growing up on a farm.

Trick to parallel parking is to remember that "bumper" has the word "bump" right in it.

I'm always afraid of triggering an air bag.

I got beautiful flowers at work from my sweetie! Thank you!

This day just keeps getting better.

I disagree with that teaching technique.

it sure made the lesson stick in my head. I did not complete the turn but it was the middle of the day in a quiet residential neighborhood with no traffic coming the other way. Teach said that had I made the turn he would have calmly instructed me to pull over and ask me what I did wrong. He said he used to give the direction and if the driver started to turn he'd say, "OK wait, don't" but the students would argue with him that they would have figured it out before turning so he let his pupils go through with the turn to prove the point.

Trick to parallel parking is to remember that "bumper" has the word "bump" right in it.

It's been a long time since I hit another car while parallel parking (I rarely get the chance out here) but I can't do it without thinking, "Chicago two-touch"!

The Waiter recently posted about Jersey drivers.

The moment an adolescent New Jerseyan gets his or her learning permit they automatically know how to speed, blow through yellow lights a millisecond before they turn red, dodge State Troopers, flip people the bird, thread the EZ-Pass tollbooth doing fifty, and bob and weave through traffic like a NASCAR driver. Manhattanites may look down their noses at us “bridge and tunnel” people, but when we drive in Manhattan it’s like throwing piranhas into a goldfish bowl. Even the taxi drivers fear us.

Happy birthday, Kristin, Maria, and Charles Darwin!

Happy birthday Kristin and Maria! And Darwin, and Lincoln. And my brother. The 12th is a busy birthing day.

I know I've mentioned somewhere on this board that the first day we had behind-the-wheel driving time in drivers' ed happened to be right after what we all knew would be the last snow of the winter, so the instructor had us practicing how to steer out of a skid on the side street next to the school, which hadn't been plowed yet. That'll wake you up on a Saturday morning!

My first driving test was a close one--I came within one point of flunking. But, I did better than both of my siblings, who both flunked and had to retake theirs.

Parallel parking does require constant practice. I got really good at it when I lived in Oak Park and had to park on the street every night, but now that I've got a lot to park in, I'm losing my touch. I need a lot more space to maneuver!

Everyone's stories of their driving lessons are starting to make me nervous. I'm finally going to take driving lessons & get my license this spring.