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Miscellany, Inc. => Ensign First Class Blather => Topic started by: jcompton on April 04, 2006, 03:25:48 PM

Title: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: jcompton on April 04, 2006, 03:25:48 PM
While a good understanding of the rules of the road and proper, supervised practice is no doubt a valuable difference between safe and irresponsible drivers, the fact of the matter is that because so much of the material is designed for a least-common-denominator audience, much of driver's ed is extremely dull and tedious.

What did (or do) you do to alleviate the boredom? I recently got back in touch with one of my friends who took the class with me and although I remembered some of the fun we had, I'd forgotten the best bit: our reinterpretation of the SIPDE process.

The books tell you that SIPDE stands for

Search
Identify
Predict
Decide
Execute

Sean and I, however, worked out that it actually stood for:

Search
Intercept
Plow (into)
Destroy
Evade

And this rediscovery has had me chortling to myself for a good 10 minutes now.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Alarielle on April 04, 2006, 03:30:07 PM
We don't have classes in driving (have to take lessons from a private instructor) and my instructor was very astute, so unfortunately I didn't have any 'dumbed down' moments to amuse myself with  :(
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Evaine Dian on April 04, 2006, 04:14:56 PM
I had classes, but they were not boring. Six or seven boys and me. Every lesson, we had to fill out a form with questions about speed limits, what the signs mean, how the engine/gear shift/etc works, what to do in certain situations, etc. Afterwards, the driving instructor read through them, quoted wrong answers and asked the class to correct them. He did it with a smirk and in a very ironic way. I realized quickly that throughout all the lessons I took, all the wrong answers he quoted were mine. :)
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: the bigg on April 04, 2006, 04:29:47 PM
Well, I have the license since 2 years and something and it already feels like ages ago - guess I'm starting to age  :o

Still, if I ever were to have my license nullified and have to go back to driving school (in Italy, it can happen if you're caught speeding by more than 40 km/h), I think I'll spend my first lesson showing my 1337ness doing turns and otherwise scaring to hell passengers  ;D
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Eral on April 04, 2006, 05:37:27 PM
My brother-in-law comes from Indonesia, and had to go sit for his Australian driver's licence. We don't have classes, either, it's a road rule test, individual instruction behind the wheel, and then the driving test. He was horrified when he saw the road rules. "So many? What for?"
He was very impressed with the idea that if a cop pulls you over, it's not to supplement his income with a bribe, but took a while to adapt to the idea of following road rules. When he went for his test, the instructor/tester commented on how alert my brother-in-law is when he drives, how aware of the other traffic, and his confidence and air of imperturbability.
He used to work as a driver for an ex-pat in Jakarta.
He loves driving here. He is particularly charmed that people indicate before changing lanes and that "Give Way" is a rule.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Bons on April 04, 2006, 07:40:51 PM
Oh, oh, oh! It's all coming back to me now! My class instructor was obsessed with cement trucks. Every example, there was a cement truck playing obstacle or havoc with the safe drivers in the city.

Did anyone else get the brains-on-the-pavement films, or did those get phased out because of the violence? Some of my friends and I were so freaked, we didn't go to get our licenses when we turned 16. I put it off until the next December, because I wanted to live.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Bex on April 04, 2006, 08:36:58 PM
Fun fact: I have never learned to drive.

Eral's anecdote is great.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: cirerrek on April 04, 2006, 10:48:59 PM
Hmmm, driving school. 

My mother finds the steepest hill in a parking lot that she knows of nearby (a steep straight run behind the high school) 
Drives us to it and then halfway up the hill.
Puts the car in neutral and sets the emergency break. 
Then we both get out of the car and switch places.
Once I'm in the drivers seat and she in the passenger seat and we are both safely buckled up, she says "Okay, release the emergency break and drive us up the hill".

Oh, keep in mind this in a 85 Ford Tempo with a stick shift and a 4-banger.

I'll let you use your imagination in coming up with the number of tries it took me, but I will say this; once you know how to feather the clutch properly in a stick shift (depending on the grade of hill your are on at the moment) the rest is easy ;)

Cirerrek     
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: cirerrek on April 04, 2006, 11:17:28 PM
Oh, oh, oh! It's all coming back to me now! My class instructor was obsessed with cement trucks. Every example, there was a cement truck playing obstacle or havoc with the safe drivers in the city.

Well, I don't know about cement trucks, but on my way home from passing my driver's examine, there were two dump trucks parked diagonally to each other on either side of a small two lane road that I didn't notice until I turned onto the road.  I squeezed between without a nick and just about squeezed out something else as well  ;D

Oh more fun facts.  Often a state will let you just exchange your license if they have I think they call it reciprocity??? with the other state.  Missouri dosen't have reciprocity with states that aren't bordering it.  They don't call it the Show Me State for nothing!

So, when I moved here, I had to take the written examine to get my MO license.  As you could imagine, I put this off as long as legally possible, and maybe a wee bit longer, then took the examine cold.  Whatever it was that you needed to pass, I got one less than that.  And I know it was that stupid question about "On a motor vehicle, brake lights must be visible from a distance of? Brake lights are not required, 100ft, 250ft, 500ft, or 1000ft"

While ranting about it later at work, one of my colleagues pointed out to me that it was a completely vaild question for all the Billy Bobs and Sara Mays born and raised in the boot heel of Mizzourah.  Right, I'd never envisioned myself needing to jury rig a brake light on a hay wagon.  In that light it does become a cromulent question. 

So I sucked it up, got a copy of the driving book and went back and aced the written examine, answering correctly this time that On a motor vehicle, brake lights must be visible from a distance of 500ft.  Then 10 minutes out of the gate with my newly minted MO drivers license, I rear ended an ex-St. Louis fire chief.  :o

Cirerrek     
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Ghreyfain on April 05, 2006, 12:37:52 AM
I'll let you use your imagination in coming up with the number of tries it took me, but I will say this; once you know how to feather the clutch properly in a stick shift (depending on the grade of hill your are on at the moment) the rest is easy ;)

Hehehe, that reminds me of when I just got my car and the underground parking at work just opened up. The ramp up to the exit is pretty steep, and the door doesn't open fast enough to be able to coast through, so you've got to stop there. For about the next four shifts I peeled rubber every time I was about to go home. It was pretty embarrassing, especially the one time a co-worker was right behind me.

But I can do hill starts now, at least.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Kismet on April 05, 2006, 07:04:51 AM
Did anyone else get the brains-on-the-pavement films, or did those get phased out because of the violence? Some of my friends and I were so freaked, we didn't go to get our licenses when we turned 16. I put it off until the next December, because I wanted to live.

Ahh, that brings back memories.  I think ours was called "Red Asphalt" and graphically showed you the benefit of wearing your seatbelt and obeying the speed limits. 
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: discharger12 on April 05, 2006, 07:23:38 AM
I just passed driver's ed and the teacher wasn't too bad in entertaining us because it was an especially long period. Though if you're looking for passing time, sleeping always works. 
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Andyr on April 05, 2006, 07:44:36 AM
From JC/Discharger's posts, am I correct in assuming that in the USA you get taught how to drive in school?
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Kismet on April 05, 2006, 07:49:09 AM
I think most schools (in the US) have a driver's ed course you can take but I don't recall it being mandatory.  It's been a really long time since I've been 15 but I think the course was either after school or on the weekend and not part of the regular school day.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: melora on April 05, 2006, 08:16:40 AM
i dont remember driver's ed...it was much too long ago.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: LizDiggory on April 05, 2006, 02:05:48 PM
It's been awhile since I took Driver's Ed, but when I took it, it was part of the regular school day.  However, it wasn't mandatory, and you had to sign up for it early b/c it filled up fast.  ;D
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: cmorgan on April 05, 2006, 03:25:36 PM
I don't remember much about Driver's Ed (the course), which wasn't mandatory from the school's point of view; from the social point of view, it was definitely mandatory. Problem was, most of us had learned early, driving farm equipment around upstate Vermont (USA) farms, so everyone pretty much slept through everything except the prep for the written portion.

Learning hill starts, though... THAT is a memorable event! I managed to burn the clutch of a 1978 Volvo stationwagon clear down to the scoring plate. I just could not figure out why I could not feather in the clutch and balance the accelleration without stalling, until my father finally leaned over and put the emergency brake ALL the way down...

ahh, the smell of burning rubber!
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Andyr on April 05, 2006, 03:51:39 PM
I think most schools (in the US) have a driver's ed course you can take but I don't recall it being mandatory.  It's been a really long time since I've been 15 but I think the course was either after school or on the weekend and not part of the regular school day.

Over here you have to pay through the nose to get lessons... Probably wasted* the best part of a grand on mine! :)


*Ok, wasted may not be the best word to choose, though since I can't afford a car I think I might rather still have the money right now.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Jon on April 05, 2006, 05:24:55 PM
Public schools do have driver's ed classes after school but they're not mandatory. I haven't taken it but I know that 90% of the thing is spent in a classroom watching videos and taking notes and tests. And I think it's cheaper to get them at school than outside of school. Not sure.

As far as I'm concerned you just need to know these things:

Don't drive terribly faster or slower than the rest of traffic.
Slow down for turns.
Check your mirrors.
Have a general understanding of road signs.
Have some kind of emergency-mannual in the glove compartment.
Be sure your vision, coordination and decison-making skills are in decent order.

There you go. That's my ten-second driver's ed session.

Oh, and wear your seatbelt.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Bons on April 05, 2006, 10:42:46 PM
Driver's Ed was a semester course for me. I think it replaced PE. Everyone also got a week behind the wheel with an instructor either before or after school for cruising downtown and practicing parallel parking in the school's luxury Taurus. :)

Ah, hill starts. This is how my brother tried to teach me a stick shift. He's a very patient guy, my brother.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: jcompton on April 06, 2006, 11:58:38 AM
Driver's Ed was a semester course for me. I think it replaced PE.

I think it replaced lunch for us (we'd bring it to the classroom.) Nothing except a semester of health class (that's another thread) replaced PE in my school system, which has the interesting distinction of requiring more PE (7 semesters) than English (6 semesters) in order to meet diploma requirements.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Lord Doomhammer on April 09, 2006, 11:44:11 PM
Driver's Ed was an optional course for us, and one I was never particularly interested in. I'm 18 and I don't even have my learners, I take the bus. I have zero interest in cars and driving, but apparently here you need to have a driver's license before you can get a pilot's licesnse so I suppose there goes my dream about being the next Biggles.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Ghreyfain on April 10, 2006, 12:36:33 AM
Driver's Ed was an optional course for us, and one I was never particularly interested in. I'm 18 and I don't even have my learners, I take the bus. I have zero interest in cars and driving, but apparently here you need to have a driver's license before you can get a pilot's licesnse so I suppose there goes my dream about being the next Biggles.

That brings up a good point, actually. While I am philosophically opposed to cars (and hypocritically addicted to mine), it's a good idea to get licensed as soon as possible to avoid complications further down the road. For instance, in Alberta they've introduced a graduated licensing program where you're put on a probationary period of two years with each level of license you get. So you have your class 7--learners--for two years, then your class 5--that's the regular license--for two years, and only then can you get more advanced classes.

I'm 24 years old and I'm still a "probationary" driver. I've got restrictions like being unable to drive past midnight without a "trained driver" (i.e. someone not on probation) in the car, and probably other things I ignore, too. It's a real hassle, and I still can't get my class 4, which allows me to legally drive with a passenger for commercial purposes. Such are the flaws in a system designed with the assumption that you get your learners at 14, your drivers at 16, and then you'll complete your probation at 18. How I despise our car culture. :( It's good for hauling stuff, though, I will admit.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: AnnabelleRose on April 10, 2006, 02:38:37 AM
Did anyone else get the brains-on-the-pavement films, or did those get phased out because of the violence? Some of my friends and I were so freaked, we didn't go to get our licenses when we turned 16. I put it off until the next December, because I wanted to live.

My favorite part of the class.

Allthough it did get me detention when I asked aloud after one of those videos; "Did anyone else get wood from that?"

Ahh.... good times.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Lord 342 on April 19, 2006, 03:30:15 AM
Ah...  Driver's ed.  six years gone by now, but I remember what took place.  The guy who taught us was really cool.  He had been a Marine in 'Nam and then a state cop, but he was really good-natured.  We did get the "Red Asphalt" tapes, but he also showed us "World's wildest police chases" while he graded the tests.  Anyway the day came to take the actual road test, which in MA is done with a state trooper in the car.  So we all pile into the little weedy Driving school Chevy Cavalier, and head off to the testing site.  One lady, who could've been anywhere between 25 and 40, kept asking how the defogger, radio, and other trivial equipment, worked.  She was terrified of failing. (Keep in mind that operation of the deffoger, or anything of that nature, is not part of the MA liscencing test)  She ended up failing.  Why, you ask?  SPEEDING.  Oh ha ha ha ha. I cannot help but smile.

As for the original joke, I drive a Buick, or as a buddy of mine termed it, "Big Ugly Indestructible Car Killer" after I got into a bit of a bingle with it and sent the other car away on the flatty and the driver away in the ambulance (His fault for the accident and his own damn stupidity to end up in the hospital; he had previous soft tissue damage in his back and didn't wear his safety belt.  What a dick.  I drove home with some bent sheetmetal and cracked lens.
Title: Re: Amusing yourself in driver's ed
Post by: Roland on April 19, 2006, 06:47:37 PM
Driver's Ed was offered through my high school during the summer.  I think it was the last year that high schools did it--now it's done through businesses that are much more expensive.

Michigan also has a graduated system.  Drivers under 18 can't be on the road past midnight, so it's called a cinderella license.

We didn't have any 'Highway of Blood'-type films for driver's ed, but they were shown every year before prom.  Although, my instructor was fond of predictions on how many students out of our graduating class would die in accidents and sharing grisly stories about people he knew who died in car wrecks.

And now that I think of it, he constantly repeated advice like "Snow? Go Slow!"  It's not bad advice, but he had tendancy to drawl on 'snow', so it sounded like "Snow? Go Sloooow!"

I remember one of the other students in my car left the parking brake engaged for several miles and did a fair bit of damage to them.  It was entertaining to watch my instructor pull a Bill Cosby while he tried to censor his language in the middle of chewing out the other kid..