learn to drive properly

and it’s going fairly well.

This past week I was chauffeuring my parents around the city because they came to visit – yes, I had 2 passengers, and they didn’t scream even once, so I must have done a decent job. -Although my mother thought it was amusing that I made “vroom vroom” noises when I did something risky, like turn left really fast before the oncoming traffic ran me over. My father found it amusing when I stalled in traffic (but secretly I think he was impressed by my quick recovery time, since I am now so proficient at stalling and restarting).

And my mom drove my car, and confirmed to me that it’s “not an especially easy car to drive”, so hah!

It’s been a month and a half since I dinged it, so hopefully she was able to get the mark out.

Ironically (or perhaps karmically), about 2 weeks ago I discovered a series of grey scrape marks on the front hood of my car. The large pickup truck that had been parked in front of me must have backed up right over my hood :-S I tried to wipe at the marks, but they didn’t come off. A few days ago we washed my car and waxed it, and finally the scratchy marks came off! Whew.

with no mishaps or awkwardness recently, although sometimes it does take me a while to park since I still avoid parallel parking on a busy street. But I don’t mind walking 2 or 3 extra blocks, it’s still a lot closer than most bus stops anyway ;-)

What an odd morning. So somehow it has come about that I, your fearless but bold, N-for-novice, crappy driver friend will be teaching someone how to drive this week!

Haaaaa!

Hopefully she knows what she’s doing already, because if not it’ll pretty much be the blind leading the blind.

I’d guess that she can already drive, because her driving test is only 2 weeks away – but her mom’s going out of town and with a learner’s permit you need to always have someone in the car who has their license. At least I qualify for that part (barely!).

And I certainly have plenty of free time these days…

So I was doing various errands yesterday, and I found myself walking by the cop shop, so I stopped in to actually ask a traffic officer if they would give me a ticket for having an N without being a new driver.

The response was, “Nah, we don’t care. There’s a place next door where they can give you an N. Go get one.” So I did!

The lovely ladies there even gave me _two of them, in case I lose one – and they were FREE! :-D

_{You know, stuff like this totally reminds me of when I was a kid, and I’d ask one of my parents for something, then if they said No, I’d walk into the other room and ask the other one, who would sometimes say Yes… haaaaaa! ;-)}

in a parking lot. I waited around in the rain for the owner to show up. Luckily she was relatively nice about it.

It wasn’t clear if the paint was scratched or not. My mirror tapped her driver’s side door. My mirror had no markings, but her door was sort of scraped-looking. It might have just been the clear coat on top of the paint. I dunno.

It stressed me out. I really hope this doesn’t cost much money. Once again, I hate cars.

_{Wish I had an N.}

In my province they have had a “graduated” licensing program, since – I don’t know maybe 8 years ago.

Student drivers have to put an “L” sign in the rear window of the car they drive, to show that they are a Learner. Newly licensed drivers have to put an “N” in their rear window.

As far as I can tell, there are 2 reasons for this: one being that police can stop and check to make sure they are following all the requirements for lerning / new drivers; and the other being that people driving behind them will know that they are new to driving, and may stall the car or do something stupid, etc.

I suspect that lots of jurisdictions have programs like this.

Anyway, my genius idea (since I am new to driving, despite having had a license for over 10 years) was to see if I can get an “N” sign to put in my window (I still stall in traffic at least once per outing).

So first I phoned the Motor Vehicles Branch to make sure my idea wasn’t illegal or problematic. The phone person said he’d check with a supervisor to make sure, then came back and said, “Nope, there’s no problem with that. If having an “N” will make you feel safer then go right ahead, the driver’s licensing office might charge you $5 for the sign though.”

So I drove to the licensing office (stalling once on the way), and they said, “No Ma’am, you can’t do that. It’s illegal. The police can give you a ticket for that.” I made her go check with her supervisor, but they said no I can’t do that.

How very annoying!!!

Cars are miserable things. I miss the incredible urban transit systems in Japan…

Sigh.

I drove out to my interview all right, but the drive home was a nightmare! The check engine light came on right when I got onto the highway – I didn’t know if that meant my car was about to explode or not..

And then I hit the most awful traffic – on the highway, we were bumper to bumper and stopping every 4 seconds. NOT FUN when you’re an inexperienced driver in a STANDARD, with your check engine light on!!!! ARgh.

Then when I got across the bridge, traffic was a tiny bit better but still heavy, and there was a cube van in front of me, so I couldn’t see the traffic lights, and a full-sized Semi right on my ass… me in my little VW Golf, trying desperately not to stall so I wouldn’t get run over by the semi.

Argh. Now that I’m home, I need a nap! :-)
And some vodka.
Feel free to send some calming drinks my way, friendly 43T-ers!!!

that I hate driving with my boyfriend in the car. He talks constantly “Shift up. Shift Down. Shift faster. Shift slower.” It’s pretty hard to take. (Especially since I was trying to follow Sheena’s advice from the other day about when to shift, which made a lot more sense to me.)

Other than that I did learn something useful from him too, which I am trying to incorporate into my driving. So I guess it was worth it. I just wish he would talk less.

_{Not that I have done any of those things. I did stall at a couple of uphill stoplights though…}