# Similar - here's how I learned Re: Memoir - Learning to Drive Part II

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Posted by Wetnboy on March 07, 2021 at 19:25:54

In Reply to: Memoir - Learning to Drive Part II posted by Pete on March 06, 2021 at 05:43:40:

Pete,

Growing up in a modest blue collar city of 68,0000 in N. IL I learned to drive in a Ford Maverick (that tells my age) used in 'Drivers Education' classes at the High School in Grade 10. I remember that these cars were specially equipped with a brake pedal on the right in case the student froze or did something stupid the instructor could hit the brakes. I heard that before that time they even had two steering wheels, but in my era the Maverick was a 4 door 'Compact' size car and not a big boat like the older cars so if necessary the instructor could lean over and get a hand on the steering wheel I suppose.

We were all pretty decent drivers and 3 of us would go out for the class period giving each of us about 15 mins. driving, otherwise buckled up in the back seat as another student drove.

The 'best' was the days in class when it wasn't our rotational turn to be out in the cars. We had 'Simulators' that were older than we were - at least 20+ years old dating back to those old big boat cars. They were originally set up with sensors to a station that recorded how you reacted to the 'movie' that was played but the sensors had stopped working long ago. So for instance you are driving along a residential street and a ball comes bouncing out what are you supposed to do? Heck with the sensors broke we'd floor the gas pedal and spin the wheel - and if a little old lady stepped off the curb as you were approaching we'd Grip the wheel tight and floor the gas!!! 10 points!!! It was a riot, but the doggone movie you were watching always did the right thing. In today's world an individual interactive video would have the little old lady flying into the air as you hit her doing 65 mph in a 30 mph zone!

Oh, the good times for sure! Then I actually got my license as similar to you I started working that next spring and we were a one car family but even then I was 'never' allowed to borrow the family car. So I had worked just two blocks away 'sweeping up' a mechanics shop and sometimes going up in a car on the lift if he needed to 'bleed' the brake lines after repairs and needed someone inside the car to push the brake pedal.

Well, he had a nice 6 year old VW bug that was in immaculate condition he was 'selling' for a customer. He was one of a few that worked on those as those engines were quite different. It was 'beige' color but clean as a whistle and 'stick' shift - 4 on the floor. I looked at other cars and for less money that were falling apart at car dealers. Nothing fit my budget. I ended up borrowing the money from my Grandma (Mom & Dad claimed they couldn't loan me and I had no credit yet) and my mechanic friend got the customer to take $100 less for the VW but I paid full price allowing him to replace the stock exhaust with a 'Header' system that breathed better and 'Rumbled' You could hear me coming.

Only one problem - Ford Mavericks that we learned to drive were Automatic Transmissions and I didn't know how to drive a manual stick shift car. Part of the 'deal' was my mechanic friend also took me out and taught me to drive stick shift much like Link did to you and Cole. I got it pretty quick but stalled it several times early on or let the clutch out 'too' slowly where if you did that enough you'd burn it up. A VW is pretty easy to shift and I got the hang of it.

My mechanic friend knew how to rev it up and 'pop' the clutch and with the engine in the rear on the 'bug' it would 'pop' a little 'wheelie' pulling the front wheels off the ground. I never accomplished that feat with it.

So, Your story obviously brought back detailed Memories for me too and I loved it. Hope you enjoyed my account too of learning to drive in High School.

Safe!
SLYC

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