Car!

Warning: if you go on the road during the next year please be aware that you might share the road with Alison.

She is going to try to get a driver’s license, and has just passed her theoretical test and now she is the proud owner of a learner’s permit.

(For readers outside Québec/Canada: in order to get your driver’s license you first have to drive with a learner’s permit. That allows you to drive a car but under certain conditions: amongst others you’re not allowed to drive during the night and you always have to be accompanied by an experienced driver. This period lasts at least a year after which you can do a Practical Driving Test to get your ‘real’ driver’s license. In European countries you have to do all your driving lessons in an adapted car with a qualified driving instructor and can only drive your own car (with or without passengers) after you passed a very difficult practical driving test. I had to take it three times before I passed after taking more than 50 hour-long lessons costing 30 dollars each. Ouch!)

So now I have to teach her to drive. My plan is to start with a few test runs on a big empty parking lot early in the morning where I can teach her to the basics of steering, braking and shifting. After she has mastered that I’d suggest her to take a couple of lessons with a real instructor, in a car that is equipped with double brake- and gas pedals. When she is more or less comfortable in normal traffic we can continue her driver’s education in our car.
I’m not looking forward to that day since I’m sure I will be terrified. But I’ll try to be brave and behave like a man. And not shout at her. And be relaxed. And breathe through my stomach. And give her concise instructions. And be patient. And.. watch out!

Anybody has other suggestions to make this as painless as possible? And are there readers that drive manual cars and want to take Alison for a ride in our car after said lessons? I’m sure she will be much more comfortable with someone other than me sitting next to her. And I will probably too.