On Sep 30, 2011, at 10:56 PM, Cotty wrote: > On 30/9/11, John Francis, discombobulated, unleashed: > >> I was going to send him a Christmas card, but I wasn't sure >> if the joke still worked. > > Never heard of that one! Having said that, I grew up in the USA so > that's not surprising. My first driver's license was in 1976 in California.
What a coincidence! > >> (For the non-UK/non-OZ/non-SG residents; back when I took my test in the UK >> learners had to display what was known as an L-plate; a red letter "L" on >> a white background. >> >> Thus, when you passed your driving test, you qualified for "No 'L'". >> >> >> I was under a certain amount of pressure to pass my test; I had opted >> to take the test in my mother's car, rather than in the driving school >> car - the dual controls in their Vauxhall Viva made the footwell a bit >> cramped for my feet. But my mother had to get back to work (teaching) >> before the test would be completed. She got a ride back to the school >> with one of her colleagues, but getting back to pick me up would have >> been harder to arrange. Fortunately I passed, and so I was able to >> drive the ten miles from the test location to her school. > > Stef had all his lessons with an instructor. I've never even been a > passenger with him yet! I've been teaching performance driving, on the racetrack, for a bit over 20 years. That involves riding in cars, driven at speed, usually by people who have an inaccurately high estimation of their abilities as a driver. Those, of course, are often the ones driving cars with upwards of 300 or 400 horsepower. Teaching on the track, however, is like lounging poolside with a good book and a cold drink compared to teaching people to drive on the street. Stress levels are compounded when the student is one's romantic partner, or a member of the immediate family. In short, Cotty, having a trained professional, who is not related to Stef, teach him to drive, rather than taking on the task yourself, may be one of the smartest decisions you have made, and undoubtably worth every penny. When I taught my ex-wife to drive (after several people had given up in years previous) she would often practice as we carpooled to work. I did not have her practice on Hwy 17, a four lane road that tourists white knuckle at the 50 MPH speedlimit, and commuters draft at 65. Instead, we took a more sedate, scenic road. Bear Creek. I've attempted to include a couple of links to goole maps in street view. If they don't work, type in an address somewhere between 21000 and 24000 Bear Creek Road, click on street view and look around. the two listed are: 20952 Bear Creek Road, Los Gatos, CA 21360 Bear Creek Road, Los Gatos, CA http://maps.google.com/maps?q=20952+Bear+Creek+Road,+Los+Gatos,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.168158,-122.016625&spn=0.0076,0.00795&sll=37.168186,-122.016600&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&layer=c&cbp=13,45.44,,0,17.7&cbll=37.168158,-122.016625&hnear=20952+Bear+Creek+Rd,+Los+Gatos,+California+95033&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=0&panoid=EdPGYFnzzKU38Dr43KtCig http://maps.google.com/maps?q=21360+Bear+Creek+Road,+Los+Gatos,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.167456,-122.034202&spn=0.007601,0.00795&sll=37.166096,-122.030457&sspn=0.007601,0.00795&vpsrc=0&hnear=21360+Bear+Creek+Rd,+Los+Gatos,+California+95033&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=37.167419,-122.034085&panoid=bKLrQeYrGV95cHFGOi7dmg&cbp=13,165.26,,0,2.69 When looking at them, keep in mind that almost the entirety of Melissa's experience on that road, was riding with me, after nearly a decade of road racing experience, driving my MGB. And also keep in mind that commuters, on these roads, are very good at pulling off for faster drivers. This, it seems, gave her a somewhat skewed calibration for what a reasonable speed to drive the road was. Now remember that I was on the outside, riding with a very new driver, in a beat up Toyota Corolla. > -- Larry Colen [email protected] sent from i4est -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
