<p>I thought driving would be rather easy, but it actually came as a surprise today when I began driving today (I got my permit a few weeks ago). </p>
<p>I thought that pushing the gas pedal down a little would make the car move slowly. I was wrong. I went from 0 MPH to 15 MPH by just pushing the gas pedal down a little. And wow! 20 MPH seems so fast and my mom was like panicking when I went that "fast". Also I thought I would be decent at turning but I wasn't. I was able to do 90 degree turns but I didn't know at first that you had to turn the steering wheel all the way to the left or right and then quickly turn it back. </p>
<p>So to be honest I kind of suck at driving. I only drove for less than 5 minutes today but it's already starting to kind of intimidate me. </p>
<p>How about you though? Can you say anything about my experiences so far? Do you have similar experiences? And most importantly do you think that I'll eventually become accustomed to driving?</p>
<p>You need to hire a professional driving instructor, your mother is not helping your situation. It is totally worth the money to get confidence behind the wheel.</p>
<p>When I first drove a car it was rough. I didn’t realize that the car went about 10mph while in drive on its own, and my mom was being a b**** as usual. She was squealing every time I moved a muscle, which was adding lots of unnecessary stress to what was already a nervous experience, and preventing me from getting any solid practice(my mom is an idiot and flunked out of college, she has been supported by other people her entire life). </p>
<p>But I was able to get some more practice when my dad hired a driving instructor. And after ten or so hours behind the wheel, I had the hang of it. Driving is easy. Learning to follow the rules of the road with a bunch of random people is harder.</p>
<p>Well I only drove for less than 5 minutes. During the first two minutes I had like no clue what exactly to due and then I got a little better after that.</p>
<p>I don’t have a license, a permit, anything. Haven’t taken any exam (obviously) any classes.
I live in NYC so driving isn’t really a necessity.</p>
<p>I used to practice on my mom’s BMW. I also used to almost crash my mom’s BMW into various objects. I also used to consider running over people I didn’t like. </p>
<p>I no longer get to practice on anything with wheels and a motor, that includes golf carts and lawnmowers, though if I could steal a golf cart, I would still attempt to run over people I don’t like. Starting with Kim Kardashian.</p>
<p>it’s not so bad once you get used to it. i remember the first time i hit the gas, i didn’t know how hard to hit it and i went flying forward, almost hitting the garage door. hahah but i got my license after like 4 months with my permit…and with only 2 1-hour driving lessons from a professional instructor. you get used to it pretty quick</p>
<p>yeah, get a professional instructor. and practice makes perfect- i used to suck too, but kept on driving and i just got my license this past week (woot!)</p>
<p>i also learned how to drive in a mustang (the instructor used them, haha)… thatll teach you gas pedal moderation…</p>
<p>So should I get a professional driving instructor? Or should I just go to driving school? What do they teach you in driving school anyway? And is it worth it?</p>
<p>Driving school has 2 parts to it. Classroom part where you learn “the laws of the road”, and the behind the wheel portion, where an instructor sits next to you. I had to do some hours with my parents and go to driving school as part of the program here to switch from your permit to your license.</p>
<p>You learn how to anticipate traffic situations and how you should react. You learn how to judge road conditions, other drivers’ actions, how to merge on the freeway, how to change lanes in traffic, how to modulate your speed in traffic-all with an professional who doesn’t freak out when you do something that may kill the both of you. Basically, all the stuff you can’t learn from reading a book. You learn to drive confidently by practicing and spending time behind the wheel. If you lack confidence in your driving you shouldn’t be on the road. Road ragers will run you off the road in a second.</p>
<p>I went to drivers ed (its required here if under 18), and they drove with us for 6 hours.</p>
<p>I was really bad at first. I even got a “pink slip” saying they wanted my parents to ride with me, so they would know how I was doing, and they recommended an extra session. HOWEVER, I realized that the key is to be RELAXED when driving. </p>
<p>It’s been a year since then. I still have my permit, but only because I haven’t taken the time to take segment 2/road test. I’m actually a pretty good driver now
so yeah. Its not too scary, just stay calm and relaxed.</p>
<p>In California you must have a professional driving teacher. Technically you can’t even practice with your parents before that…</p>
<p>Anywho, I was super fearful of driving, but now it’s a piece of cake. Like other things, it’s just getting used to it. I think being fearful of a car (in terms of it being a potential weapon/car crash) helped me not to be a “typical teenager” who is disrespectful of the law and other drivers.</p>
<p>If you’re anxious about driving or if something is hard to do (u-turns and backing into parking spaces took me a few tries, haha), just keep practicing and getting used to the car and technicalities of it. It’s definitely like riding a bike and the scary thing is you don’t really think about driving once you get the hang of it!</p>
<p>I took driving lessons during the winter and I had to practice on the interstate when it was really icy. Needless to say, I was petrified. I got through it though, as my instructor was really patient. It may seem really hard at first, but it becomes second nature eventually.</p>
<p>My mom let me drive her car last year and I was driving in the high school parking lot but I was still an 8th grader. I was doing pretty good til’ i didn’t know how to do with the turn n’ almost hit a pole! n’ then she said I’m never letting you drive my car for fun again… I haven’t driven her car since. HAHA :P</p>
<p>Driving isn’t hard at all, even just starting. You guys clearly have not been paying attention to your parents driving while you grew up.</p>
<p>I didn’t take Driver’s Ed, nor did I have a professional driver (I’m poor, and I didn’t need it anyway). My dad was a muscle car drag racer so I must put this here to be fair, even though I doubt that had anything to do with it (acquired inheritance isn’t scientifically sound).</p>
<p>Though, the only thing I can say is practice in a hard spot first, like a big city. It’s fun and exciting. I love driving in Atlanta. It’s an adventure every time.</p>
<p>Well I’m worried that if I do start in a hard spot, I won’t be able to handle it and might crash and get into difficulties. I’d rather just start simple and work my way up from there. </p>
<p>Also, watching people drive is much different than being behind the wheel. Sure you can learn a lot from what other people do on the road, like how they respond to road signs, traffic, cars, intersections, etc. but that won’t actually teach you how to drive. </p>
<p>Really. When I watched my parents drive, it seemed really easy. Now I know that it’s harder than it seems.</p>
<p>In my state (MD), you have to pass a driver’s ed course with drivetime in order to get your license. But learning to drive really isn’t that bad. If you start in empty parking lots and practice turning and parking, it doesn’t take long until you are road ready. Oh, and try to drive with a male in the car. They tend to be less squealy.</p>
