In Louisiana in 1994, 15 year olds could get their license. I mean WHAT?! My parents paid for me to take drivers ed, because with my September birthday, I would have had to wait until the following summer to take it from the coaches at school. The driver's ed instructor sent home their recommendation letter that I wait to get my license until I had more practice. I intercepted the letter and put it in the trash. (This story is famous in my family as the only time I, a tragic rule follower, ever pulled such a stunt.)
When it was time for my driving test, my dad took me in my mom's Lincoln Continental. I was so nervous, I backed it out of the parking spot without turning the engine on. Still passed! The test in Minden, LA consisted of one loop around the civic center on one way streets. No parking or anything. I still can't parallel park.
After I got my license, I drove other people's children around in a 1987 Jeep Cherokee that my dad proudly told me he bought for "less than a used 4-wheeler." Zero airbags, Zero car seats. How did we all survive?!
I point out that my boys can ride their bikes to their presumed high school pretty much every time we drive past it.
Yeah I think the rules have probably (hopefully?) changed because in Bryan TX (pronounce it: BRIIIINE) in 1992 I didn't actually have to take a driver's test because I had taken driver's ed. This was a high quality instructional situation located in a portable outside the high school. The day after my birthday I DROVE MYSELF to the DMV, presented my certificate showing I'd passed driver's ed with flying colors, and was issued my license on the spot. I also couldn't parallel park until I lived in DC for a while and you figure that shit out right quick when it's 3 inches of clearance or spend another hour circling.
Well now I wish I had sent in the story of taking out a barbed wire fence in my dad’s truck when i was 14!! Said dad pressured me to drive it to the corner store about a mile away down the half paved county road we lived on. I repeatedly said no I could not possibly do that. He finally demanded I do it, but to get to the road, i had to drive down our very long L shaped driveway (which was also downhill the whole way). The first part of the L went ok, but I did not properly understand how much wheel of a 1980s Ford F150 to turn to get on the next (narrower) part of the L, so I didn’t turn enough and then overcorrected and took out 4 metal fenceposts holding up barbed and electric fence wire and scratched the hell out of the hood and side of the car. I also have no idea how we stopped because those metal fence posts were small and t shaped and bent in half with almost no resistance! I had to help fix the fence, but I think my dad could only be so mad at me about it since it was his idea and he had pressured me into doing it after I had repeatedly told him I couldn’t.
This was 26/27 years ago and I still remember it so vividly and kind of get a pit in my stomach still!! So yes very stressful and on brand for my never backing down father although he definitely regretted his own choices that led to that! OH! I think one or two of my younger siblings were in the truck too!! Don't worry, none of them have ever let me forget it.
Claire, woman, I remember going 130 miles an hour down the highway in a car PILED with boys and girls. We were freshman in high school. How we lived through it I HAVE NO IDEA.
I remember TEARING down a suburban street in HS with a car full of friends, fleeing a car I had scooted past that didn't like it. We drove down to the beach parking lot where I knew there was a turnaround and I did a hard U-turn and ultimate escaped by doing a signal-less turn. I remember the woman yelling at us because we were driving recklessly and she ha da kid in the car (so why was she following us...?) I would be that woman now. I'm glad we didn't all die!
I really want to thank you for publishing this as my daughter is about to get her driver’s license! Because of COVID, she’s getting it one year later and one year more mature than she otherwise would have. But still: Gulp.
My mom and I had a fight when she was trying to teach me to back the car into the garage. She stormed into the house and I tried to prove I could do it myself, but I took the passenger side mirror off. My dad gave it to me in a box for Christmas.
When I bought my first car right after college graduation, I drove 11 hours back to my college slum house and fell asleep and smashed into a guardrail right outside town. The car was jacked up and probably should have been totaled. I'm still scared to do long drives by myself!
These are amazing. That is all.
In Louisiana in 1994, 15 year olds could get their license. I mean WHAT?! My parents paid for me to take drivers ed, because with my September birthday, I would have had to wait until the following summer to take it from the coaches at school. The driver's ed instructor sent home their recommendation letter that I wait to get my license until I had more practice. I intercepted the letter and put it in the trash. (This story is famous in my family as the only time I, a tragic rule follower, ever pulled such a stunt.)
When it was time for my driving test, my dad took me in my mom's Lincoln Continental. I was so nervous, I backed it out of the parking spot without turning the engine on. Still passed! The test in Minden, LA consisted of one loop around the civic center on one way streets. No parking or anything. I still can't parallel park.
After I got my license, I drove other people's children around in a 1987 Jeep Cherokee that my dad proudly told me he bought for "less than a used 4-wheeler." Zero airbags, Zero car seats. How did we all survive?!
I point out that my boys can ride their bikes to their presumed high school pretty much every time we drive past it.
Y are teenagers. Seriously.
I'm getting a real "Y are parents" from this thread, too, though! ha!
haha it's true! I'm glad I won't make any of these mistakes or any at all when my kids are teens.
Nope. Our main concern will be too much perfection!
Yeah I think the rules have probably (hopefully?) changed because in Bryan TX (pronounce it: BRIIIINE) in 1992 I didn't actually have to take a driver's test because I had taken driver's ed. This was a high quality instructional situation located in a portable outside the high school. The day after my birthday I DROVE MYSELF to the DMV, presented my certificate showing I'd passed driver's ed with flying colors, and was issued my license on the spot. I also couldn't parallel park until I lived in DC for a while and you figure that shit out right quick when it's 3 inches of clearance or spend another hour circling.
Well now I wish I had sent in the story of taking out a barbed wire fence in my dad’s truck when i was 14!! Said dad pressured me to drive it to the corner store about a mile away down the half paved county road we lived on. I repeatedly said no I could not possibly do that. He finally demanded I do it, but to get to the road, i had to drive down our very long L shaped driveway (which was also downhill the whole way). The first part of the L went ok, but I did not properly understand how much wheel of a 1980s Ford F150 to turn to get on the next (narrower) part of the L, so I didn’t turn enough and then overcorrected and took out 4 metal fenceposts holding up barbed and electric fence wire and scratched the hell out of the hood and side of the car. I also have no idea how we stopped because those metal fence posts were small and t shaped and bent in half with almost no resistance! I had to help fix the fence, but I think my dad could only be so mad at me about it since it was his idea and he had pressured me into doing it after I had repeatedly told him I couldn’t.
Oh my god!! This sounds so stressful. And yes this was 100% his fault.
This was 26/27 years ago and I still remember it so vividly and kind of get a pit in my stomach still!! So yes very stressful and on brand for my never backing down father although he definitely regretted his own choices that led to that! OH! I think one or two of my younger siblings were in the truck too!! Don't worry, none of them have ever let me forget it.
Claire, woman, I remember going 130 miles an hour down the highway in a car PILED with boys and girls. We were freshman in high school. How we lived through it I HAVE NO IDEA.
I remember TEARING down a suburban street in HS with a car full of friends, fleeing a car I had scooted past that didn't like it. We drove down to the beach parking lot where I knew there was a turnaround and I did a hard U-turn and ultimate escaped by doing a signal-less turn. I remember the woman yelling at us because we were driving recklessly and she ha da kid in the car (so why was she following us...?) I would be that woman now. I'm glad we didn't all die!
Were you also listening to Easy-E at top volume? And in a Ford Escort?
I really want to thank you for publishing this as my daughter is about to get her driver’s license! Because of COVID, she’s getting it one year later and one year more mature than she otherwise would have. But still: Gulp.
I hope by my kids are teens the driverless cars will take care of all our problems. Thank you Lord Musk!
My mom and I had a fight when she was trying to teach me to back the car into the garage. She stormed into the house and I tried to prove I could do it myself, but I took the passenger side mirror off. My dad gave it to me in a box for Christmas.
When I bought my first car right after college graduation, I drove 11 hours back to my college slum house and fell asleep and smashed into a guardrail right outside town. The car was jacked up and probably should have been totaled. I'm still scared to do long drives by myself!
Oh my god, that first part with your dad is Troll City USA and I am here for it.
Thes second part is horrifying--I'm so glad you are alive!