After being a driver for 27 years, you tend to think that driving is second nature, and should be easy. For example, when you're driving, you automatically, subconsciously, make the car you're driving an extension of your own body. You instinctively know how far the car extends from your own body, kind of like how a rat knows how small a hole through which if can fit.
Today was the first day on the real road. With three Saturdays and three Sundays in the parking lot behind us, I figured she was ready for the real road. She was nervous, but that's to be expected. She was afraid - expected. I, however, was not worried at all. I had great faith in her abilities, and of course in the educator with whom she's been working.
Before we hit the road, I prepped her. We planned out the route and knew exactly where we'd be going. She was ready. I was ready. I said "go forth and kill us not."
Given the time of day, about 7:30 am, there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road. An important point, when you consider that we waited at the stop light for a good three minutes before she finally pulled out onto the real road. A perfect left turn. Unfortunately, she had never had the car over about 15 miles per hour, and the speed limit here was 40. After "give it some gas" (times 3), we were up to speed and moving along.
I have to say she was doing really well. I was a little surprised.
A couple of cars passed us going in the opposite direction, and she handled that pretty well. Sure there was some drifting to the left, but she made good corrections. Just when everything was going well, mistake number 1.
A car coming in the opposite direction decided to make a left turn. We knew this, not because he turned into our lane to block us, but rather because he used his turn signal. Unfortunately, the student thought that meant that she had to stop... in the middle of the road... where everybody else was going 40 mph...
Firmly, but calmly, I advised her to continue on her way as she, in fact, had the right of way.
I'm sure I was calm. Pretty sure I was calm. At least on the outside. On the inside I saw the last 42 years flash by in an instant. My first memory of holding my mom's hand... My wedding day... The day the little girl sitting beside me was born... Then, WHAM, right back to reality. WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!!!!
Calmly.... "YOU have the right of way. Keep going." She did. We didn't die.
All in all, it was actually a pretty good trip around town. We went from a parking lot of her current high school, down a 40mph road, to a 30mph road, into our own neighborhood, through a round-a-bout, and into the parking lot of her middle school - a place to which she had previously sworn never to return. From there, we went to a major road with a 50 mph speed limit and more traffic, and then back to her high school. A total of about 10 miles.
Nicely done. No deaths. No injuries. No damages.
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