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I let a 15-yr-old drive..& LIVED !!

Sandy G

Sandy G

Retired Member
Bethany turned 15 last week, & about busted a gut to get her learner's permit. She got it today, & about busted another gut to wheedle me to let her drive. Since she's been driving the Mighty Valdez up at the farm for a couple of years, & does pretty good, I got her up on the 4-lane, & let her drive most of the way to the farm-about 12 miles, & then back again. She was, of course, miffed that I wouldn't let her drive ALL the way BOTH ways, but she's still a kid, & has somewhat more "Ass" than she has "Ability"-for now, anyway. But she DIDN'T really ever terrify me, & I'm sure under my tutelege, she'll do fine.<grin> I DID check w/my insurance carrier B4 I did this, & they said as long as she has a learner's permit, & I'm in the car w/her, we're fine. When we took her home, I told her to run in & get her mama, bring her out, & I'd let her take her 'round the block, but her mama was already in her jammies & wouldn't do it. Bethany was kinda hurt, but I told her it was alrite, there'd be other times. Now I think I know a little of what you dads out there must go thru w/YOUR kids when they get THEIR permits-a mixture of pride, abject terror, & sadness. Pride, because yr child is growing up, & is learning responsibility. Sadness, because yr baby is growin' up.. & terror, for obvious reasons.
 
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Good driver or not...I always have palpatations when our 16 year-old drives off.

They're pullin' away Sandy...it's going to happen sooner or later.
 
She really doesn't have much interest in the Caddy or the Lincolns-Except, of course, for the convertible. If she's REALLY good, has all "A"s & her mama says it's OK, we'll THINK about letting her "style 'n' profile" a bit in the Lincoln-but I'll be w/her. She can't go "solo" in any case til she's 16-that's not a bad thing. I WAS very, very proud of her tonite-I told her she'd be drivin' me to Knoxville by the end of the summer. I wish I'd had a "Sandy" when I was her age...
 
Bigerik said:
So when you gonna cut her loose in 20 feet of Lincoln? :D
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I second this. When I was her age I learned about cars from my grandfather, working on and driving his old boats, we even restored (and hotrodded a bit) his old truck, which I still have. Once I got a taste for those old cars I was hooked, there was no going back. Maybe she'll take to the old boats like I did. Spending all my time back when I was in high school working on cars probably kept me out of trouble, and I learned alot hanging out with my grandfather and messing with old cars.
 
I had my older daughter learn to drive a stick shift first. Now that was fun in traffic. She is 22 now and a very good driver. You should have herd her when I put a couple of scratches in the bed of her new truck. She keeps it in top shape and it looks just like it did the day she drove it off the lot in 2003. My younger daughter is about to turn 18 now and is also a good driver. I got to go through it twice lucky me. No wonder what hair I have left is turning gray. The younger one will graduate soon and is going away to UT in Martin. It will be a sad day and a glad time for me and her mom.

Bill R
 
My girls are 18 and 21, and no tickets, so far! But lemme tell ya, the teaching part was reeeaallly something. One picked it up right away, the other was very difficult. Had no aptitude for it whatsoever.

I never yelled "NO" so many times and lunged for the steering wheel in my life. She never looked left or right before pulling into an intersection. Ever. Terrifying coupla months before she really started doing better.
 
Fisherdude said:
My girls are 18 and 21, and no tickets, so far! But lemme tell ya, the teaching part was reeeaallly something. One picked it up right away, the other was very difficult. Had no aptitude for it whatsoever.

I never yelled "NO" so many times and lunged for the steering wheel in my life. She never looked left or right before pulling into an intersection. Ever. Terrifying coupla months before she really started doing better.
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I'm living it now!!
 
I was VERY careful not to yell at her...I remember when I was learning to drive, & my old man would holler at me..As if I wasn't nervous enuff already...Her brother, Jess, was in the 2nd seat. He said, "You like drivin', Bethany?" She said, "Oh, yeah...It's great !" She didn't really go too fast, but I did have to tell her to slow down a few times when making a turn or somesuch. Mostly, I told her, "You're doin' great, kiddo !" Bethany's the kind of person who once she's made up her mind to do something, you'd better get out of her way. She's more like a boy-or a man- in that respect. The fact that she's never done it, or doesn't quite know how to, makes no difference. She'll "bullhead" her way thru it.
 
Good for you, Sandy. Reminds me of teaching my baby sister (15 years younger than me) to drive - sometimes she only had half of the rules down - she knew "right turn on red ... " but somehow missed "... after stop" - made for a thrilling moment or two.
 
Our daughter couldn't wait to drive. Once, my wife and I came home earlier than expected and the second car was missing. You should have seen the look on her face when she drove up and saw us standing there. She only had her permit.
 
Bethany's sister, Shay, is almost 17, & hasn't yet even bothered to take the test for her learner's...Bethany has been "Chompin' at the Bit" for a couple years now...Pestered me constantly to take her up to the farm & let her drive..Last summer, we had those big round hay bales in the field, I had her up there, I told her she could tap one of 'em w/the front bumper & see how far it would roll...She did, it rolled about 5' or so, she squealed in delight...We then proceeded to hit ever one of 'em...Big fun...But you know, I got about as big a kick out of doin' stuff like that w/her as anything else I do...Guess I'm just a sap...
 
I feel for ya, my boy got his learners permit after taking the required drivers ed training. Still scares me. Then again, I learned to drive offensively, I offend most everybody. :D
 
She called me earlier tonite-Said she'd driven her mama to town. They did fine. Biggest thing I saw she did "wrong" the other nite was that she "drove" the truck constantly, rather than just kinda lettin' it go...But that'll come. Everybody has to start somewhere-and I DO have almost 35 years experience ahead of her... She was a little nervous, I was, too, even tho I tried not to show it. And while I DID give her "The Talk"-"Bethany, this ain't playing or horsing around. This is SERIOUS. You can KILL somebody or yourself driving VERY easily if you're not careful...Drivin's a helluva lot of fun, but you gotta be careful & vigilant-watch out for the other guy constantly" I was also careful to praise her & not yell at her-which would served no purpose except to make her even more nervous & uptight...
 
I was a bit of an unobservant driver when I first got my license. I know I freaked my mom out once by merging without checking where I was going first and nearly ran someone off the road. I also blew a tire by motoring down the road while my friend in the passenger seat was saying 'red light. red light. RED LIGHT'. The last one got my attention and I slammed the brakes. The tire peeled right open on my 68 Beetle. I wrecked it a few months later, twiddling with the radio and not paying enough attention. Rear ended someone because I braked too late. After that I started paying more attention and I've been a fairly good driver since. There really is no better teacher than experience, especially when it comes to things like driving.
 
Sandy G said:
Bethany's sister, Shay, is almost 17, & hasn't yet even bothered to take the test for her learner's...
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She is smart. :yes: We should not be driving till we are 18.
 
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