The worst part of Drivers Ed

"norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback" (norskracer98)
10/21/2014 at 19:53 • Filed to: Drivers Ed

Here is where I tell you the thing I like the least of Drivers Ed. It's the driving portion.
I know you must be thinking, Norske why as an enthusiast would you dislike the driving portion. I shall tell you,

One of the reason is the car. It's a newer Dodge Charger 2.7 V6. It's not too bad of a car but I feel like it isn't the right choice for drivers ed. It's massive and has massive blind spots. Driving it's not too bad but it has not communication through anything. It is the most numb thing I've ever driven. The steering feels to be way too light for the size/weight of the car. It also doesn't have a comfortable steering wheel but that is kind of a minor not too bad issue. Also being shoved in the back with 2 guys that are around 6' isn't comfortable for roughly an hour.

Second is the stresses of being told how to drive. I know there's a "proper" way to drive a car and I know how to drive pretty well. But I'm a person who can get frustrated/stressed easily and quickly. So when parallel parking on Saturday morning I did one good park and a bunch of not so good because of not being used to the car. My instructor was getting kinda frustrated with how I was doing things and it got me frustrated because of my shortcomings. So being already frustrated and getting yelled at wasn't making anything easier. Not to mention that it was raining, which wasn't an issue since most paralleling I've done has been at night and some in between two cars. Being used to the Subaru Impreza it was difficult to park the Charger for the first time. Also being used to the more compact wheel of the Subaru affected things. I expect myself to do better the next time we are taken for parallel practice though.

Finally, it's the time at which I have the driving session. I have it every Saturday until around January 24th at 9 AM. After a long week of waking up at around 6:30 AM for school the last thing I want to start my weekend doing is Drivers Ed. Now we had a choice of when our drives were but being one of the youngest in the class, turned 16 in May, I was left none of the slots I wanted during the week. Usually this wouldn't be an issue but because of some personal stuff it bothers me to have it on Saturday mornings. Of course that's why I chose the earliest slot against my true wants. Of course I must deal with this because it's a requirement to get my DJ (Junior Drivers) License in New York. I know that it's only until January but would rather do other stuff with my Saturday mornings. The only good thing is that I've got a couple friends in my group and that makes things a little bit easier. That and I'm closer to getting my license to drive freely.

This is the thing that I don't like about Drivers Ed. I hope you enjoyed reading my complaints about this.

DISCUSSION (35)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 19:58

Just do what you need to to get through the test, then forget all the bullshit and just drive how you want as long as its safely. For example when parralel parking I was told to feed the wheel, use reference points etc etc. Now its spin the wheel to full lock with my palm, edge in then spin the wheel back and straighten it out. They teach you a lot of useless stuff.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/21/2014 at 20:02

I was told I have to keep like two hands on the wheel when reversing to parallel, it is so uncomfortable to do like that when trying to look to make sure I don't hit anything. I know it's how you're *supposed* to do it but the way I was doing it was more comfortable and easier for me, but the DMV need to "Make sure you have control of the car in the quickest time" you mean the pot hole laden city where you have to weave around to not break your car isn't showing car control? *Sighs* I do feel that with the Subaru I'll do really well on the driving test to get my license.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:02

My first drive, my instructor started to tell me about how the dashboard works, Kinda made me wanna shoot myself for a second. What idiot doesnt know what a speedometer is? If you dont know, you shouldnt be at the wheel

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 20:04

They did that the first day, I was thinking "Honestly if you don't know how the speedo works I don't understand how you live life..."

Leadbull > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:06

I kind of liked my experience.

It was at 6:30am before school, and almost no one was out on the streets. Three of us went out together with the instructor, so I did my 20 minute stint then slept in the back for the rest of the time.

We drove a '90s Malibu with horrible windscreen wipers, but it wasn't too bad. Plus, I already knew how to drive stick and parallel park by then, so every "challenge" was super easy to me.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:06

I had a late 90's Cavalier for drivers ed. Shit was scary on the freeway on that thing.

My teacher was weird. She would have us run errands for her while driving, as would bring up situations that would end in you killing large numbers of infants...

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Leadbull
10/21/2014 at 20:08

I know how to parallel but that Charger and being talked to while trying to concentrate was throwing me off a bit, such blind spots and that boat wheel.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
10/21/2014 at 20:08

Wut, that sounds interesting....

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:15

Back in my day, you went out for in-cars 6 times and one of those times involved the teacher snatching the keys out of the ignition to see if you could safely pull over to the side of the road without power assists and get the car restarted.

Guess they were preparing us to drive Cobalts.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:17

Oh god the two hands on the wheel all the time thing is ridiculous. I did my test in a manual and every time I left my hand off the wheel slightly too long after a shift theyd stare at me.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:17

One example.

You pull up to a red light and are not a car length away from the car ahead of you. Teacher brings up a situation where you are rear ended and pushed into car in front of you. She then says the car in front of you has a large quantity of baby's in it and it gets pushed into cross traffic and then are all killed and how it could have been prevented with a cars length of space. 15 year old me isnt really sure how to respond, so I just dont.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:18

Exactly, I realize they were required to teach me that but come on, Im not an idiot

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
10/21/2014 at 20:20

Holy shit, I don't know who the hell could even think of saying something like that. Honestly as confused and freaked out by that I'd probably start to laugh or have a cheesy grin on my face from it.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:20

Youre lucky they teach you to parallel park, I had to ask for that. They let me take one hand off the wheel to reverse though, but doing that at any other time, I got yelled at

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/21/2014 at 20:22

I got yelled at for having my hands like half way around because I was going around a corner and was told that was wrong. Seriously was I supposed to over turn the wheel to make the corner more tightly that I already did? FFS. I do this everyday in the Subaru and have never felt out of control of the car... Our car is auto because my mom won't buy a Manual car.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:24

In hindsight you would. If it came out of the blue like it did there you would have just been like "wait... wut?"

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
10/21/2014 at 20:26

It would be kinda an awkward laugh like "What the hell just happened here"

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 20:28

It's hard being like the only one who actually cares about cars there. It seems like I've known most of this stuff since I was 5. We also can't tell the driver anything when we're not driving so when someone left the hi-beams on during the day and I could see the light you don't know how bad that drove me insane.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 20:31

They told me I had to do the "Push pull thing" while reversing and parallel parking. How the hell am I supposed to make minor adjustments like that while reversing. Cars don't work this way... I can't keep both hands on the wheel and look over my shoulder comfortably

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:49

You know what really sucks? Forgetting that other people dont know cars like you do and they give you blank stares like you just spoke latin to them when you talk about cars. Today when I went to go see that merkur and passed that defender, my mom had no idea what I was talking about when I said merker, nor when I said "Oh look a defender". I cant possibly fathom what was going through her head when she heard what I said.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:53

Ive known the basic mechanics of how a manual transmission works since I was 6, among other things. The controls of a car are second nature to me. I really dont know about other people, but for me this is normal so I have no idea if there are people out there who genuinely dont know these things. Maybe there is, or maybe Drivers ed instructors just go into this thinking were all idiots, I dont know.

M-Powwerr Drives a Ford > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:53

I would say my behind the wheel sessions aren't bad, though part of it may be driving a smaller car, which I prefer to a SUV, however being expected to learn in a car you aren't used to can be difficult. One thing that annoys me though is I can't use the cruise control, so I'm stuck modulating the throttle which feels like it has distinct settings instead of being infinite within idle and floored. (Too Slow- Too fast)

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 20:53

Wow, that sounds kinda dumb. How could the possibly expect you to do that?

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 20:57

Exactly, there's maybe 3 or 4 others in my class that kinda know/like cars. We were talking about "Vehicle systems" aka things that do stuff in cars. We got to talking about child locks and I shared about the time where I got stuck in a car because the child locks were on and we were at a race and a Porsche lost it's engine while is was in the car and I saw the smoke from the engine and was upset. I bet most people there were confused as to why that upset me. Oh and their talking about ignitions being different because car and you already know. And the swtichblade keys. And being able to identify random cars in the videos they show you. The life of an enthusiast...

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 21:00

I don't know, I think to us it's just something we've spent our lives studying and we've swarmed to each other and we are so used to others knowing what we're talking about that when we go to the "real world" we forget no one know what we're talking about.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/21/2014 at 21:01

Thus is why I was getting frustrated.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > M-Powwerr Drives a Ford
10/21/2014 at 21:02

I'm so used to the Subaru that the Charger being so much bigger throws me off. I've driven an Equinox and it felt not much different to the Subaru but just had a bit more weight to it.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 21:03

I watched a video in my drivers ed class form the early 90s, they said to make sure your car has abs. What? They also had a celebrity that said she was injured by drunk driver drag racing. I dont think that a drunk driver could keep the car straight enough to drag race, if he tried his quarter mile time would be awful because he would be swerving horribly. That kinda pissed me off. Why would they think we'd be stupid enough to think that actually happened. Now after that class I googled her, she was hit by a drunk driver and was paralyzed form the waist down for 8 months, but it was one drunk driver and he wasnt drag racing.

Edit: I found the video, I'll make a post. keep a look out

M-Powwerr Drives a Ford > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/21/2014 at 21:11

I've driven a '12 CR-V, '06 Pilot, '13 535xi, '11 x3 and the driver's ed kia. The Pilot is too big, but is reasonably powerful, the CR-V has better steering but is slower. The X3 is the "sportiest" thing i've driven, but really it's too high. The 535i was the car that has felt most natural to me, even though I've only driven it a few times. The kia is a cheap, plasticy mess

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > M-Powwerr Drives a Ford
10/21/2014 at 21:14

I've driven the Subaru, a 2013 Equinox, 2008 Prius, 2004 Mercury Mountaineer, and a 2010 Sonota, along with the Charger. Most are pretty comfortable to me. The Equinox I just need to lower the seat a bit to be comfortably seated, Not a bad vehicle to drive actually. The Mercury, Subaru, and Equinox are my favorite. Mercury because V8, Subie because it drives well, and Equinox because it's newer and drives well. Funnily enough the things I like the most are all AWD.

Decay buys too many beaters > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/22/2014 at 17:44

My instructor knew me as the "kid who would always lock up the brakes within the first minute of each lesson".

Why? Because the driver's ed car was missing a clutch.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Decay buys too many beaters
10/22/2014 at 17:45

Let me guess you'd go to clutch and just slam on the brakes instead?

Decay buys too many beaters > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/22/2014 at 17:50

Yessir, and had a giant fucking rectangle of a brake pedal that impeded on the space usually reserved for a clutch. Plus, since my left foot was not used to brake modulation it would just stay planted until we came to a stop.

Pretty sure I scared some of my classmates half to death :)

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Decay buys too many beaters
10/22/2014 at 17:54

Lol, that's funny.

Decay buys too many beaters > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
10/22/2014 at 17:58

I thought so too, sadly my instructor didn't find much humor in it.