Driver's education...

PALADIN85020

PALADIN85020

US Veteran
Gold Supporter
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
10,358
Reaction score
51,903
Location
Arizona
I recall going through a driver's education class in high school when I first got my learner's permit. The former Army master sergeant who ramrodded our ROTC unit was the main instructor. It was fun unleashing us on an unsuspecting public full of way more seasoned drivers.

I have a long-time friend, now retired but maintaining his status as Arizona's official state historian. He grew up in a little town called Ash Fork in northern Arizona.

We were talking one day about driver's education, and he shared his experience. He said Ash Fork high school was not well heeled, and had to make do in many ways.

He said the school was so poor that they had to teach driver's ed and sex ed in the same car... :D

John
 
Register to hide this ad
By the time I took driver's ed, I had already been driving for 6 years, starting with a Ford tractor on the farm at age 10 and graduating to the family vehicle at 14. Admittedly, not legally, but things were different back then. Nor was I alone, several friends also drove at that age. Plus, even at that age, I was totally focused when it came to driving due greatly in part to my father's and grandfather's tutelage. Driver's ed was a formality to get licensed and pacify the insurance companies.
 
PALADIN85020 said:
.

He said the school was so poor that they had to teach driver's ed and sex ed in the same car... :D

John
Click to expand...
And to save time, the classes were scheduled together. :D

Right now, due to the pandemic, and some staffing issues, NC DMV isn't even doing the road test, unless you make less than 90 on the written test, for new drivers to get their license.

I remember my driver's ed. very well. One of the HS football coaches was my instructor, the car was a 1969 Plymouth Fury III with a 383. The hood looked big enough to land a plane on, and it seemed like the car was wide enough that nobody could get past you in either direction.

Coach liked to ride with the window down and his elbow hanging out the side. One day one of the students felt crowded by oncoming traffic and took out a mailbox, which took out the right side mirror, which almost took out Coach's right elbow. He bit his fat cigar in two, and the three of us students in the car learned a few new words that day, none of which had anything to do with driving a car, but one in particular could be applied to sex education.
 
Last edited:
Don't know of it's a generational thing, geographic thing, or both. I was surprised that here in Arizona they typically don't offer driver's ed in high school. When I was a kid in Southern California I took it in summer school. The advantage of that was, because of the short calendar, instead of an hour, we had about four hours a day in the car. So the teacher (one of the football coaches making some extra summer coin) would let us drive to the beach, to the mountains, etc. I'm guessing he probably wasn't supposed to take us that far from campus, but he was really laid back and young, probably only a year or two out of college.
 
Rusty, I recall signal 30 - we watched it in 76 when drivers ed was a class you could take in school. I had been driving all kinds of things by the time I got my DL.

I was driving an old Studebaker with a 3 on the tree around my uncle's farm lanes, riding dirt bikes, driving small tractors etc. So, getting the license was a formality for me as well.
 
I took Drivers Ed as a Junior in HS. It gave my Dad a discount when he put me on his insurance. I remember I learned a lot and met a nice girlie in the process (but I digress). It also allowed me to drive at night before I was 18.

Back then, the school had several cars, all auto except one. I got stuck with the Chevy Bel Aire with the 3 on the tree. I loved it. I was the only one in the class that knew how to drive a std.

Now, as a senior citizen, I take the course every 3 years. It gives me a significant discount on my insurance.

As far as I'm concerned, the course at age 17 was valuable. The course now is simply ****. But I can't overlook the 10% insurance discount, so I smile at the instructor and tell him what he wants to hear.
 
Last edited:
Rustyt1953 said:
Our DE car was a 1966 Buick Special Deluxe with a passenger side brake pedal. It was donated to the High School by Schott (Marge) Buick which was four blocks away.

It was a barge that made dad's car seem like a go-kart.
Click to expand...

For anyone from Ohio they know Marge was a bit of a barge herself.

I can't recall what the high school DE car was but I remember being scared when some of the other kids were at the wheel. I am pretty sure it was a dedicated trainer because it had a passenger side brake pedal that got a workout when some of the other kids were driving.

Our DE instructor was Rudy Hitsman, the shop teacher and I believe he was a part time fireman too. That type of thing seemed to be common back then. I guess the teachers salaries left a little to be desired.

I took my test in a 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit! It was a quick trip around the block a parallel park then I had my ticket. My dad would have me take the Electra 225 when I borrowed the car because he knew I couldn't afford to do too much driving in that boat.
 
Last edited:
Speaking of Signal 30, I had to go to a class for a driving transgression back in the 70’s, I believe. The instructor got the movie going and immediately walked out of the room. What’s up with that I wondered. I soon found out and had to run out of the class and threw up in the hall. I had always had an idea of becoming a State Policeman but that movie always came back to haunt me and I knew I could never do the job.
 
Drivers Ed was in the summer, my instructor was also a coach. Big Chevy 4 door, 3 on the tree, with instructor brakes. Had 4 students at a time. 2 of us were farm kids so we already knew how to drive most anything. The other poor girl was scared to death every time it was her turn. And then there was the smart aleck rich kid that professed to know how to drive and did it all the time. Ha! Every time he touched the gas pedal he floored it, stopping was no better, slam on the brakes, never did get the hang of shifting. I'm sure he gave coach more than one gray hair.
 
We had the classroom part first then the driving part later. We got to drive twice a week. Every Friday was not fun as our instructor was a former Marine DI and made the girl I drove with cry every time.
 
pawngal said:
Drivers Ed was in the summer, my instructor was also a coach. Big Chevy 4 door, 3 on the tree, with instructor brakes. Had 4 students at a time. 2 of us were farm kids so we already knew how to drive most anything. The other poor girl was scared to death every time it was her turn. And then there was the smart aleck rich kid that professed to know how to drive and did it all the time. Ha! Every time he touched the gas pedal he floored it, stopping was no better, slam on the brakes, never did get the hang of shifting. I'm sure he gave coach more than one gray hair.
Click to expand...

OMG, were you in MY car?
 
Had a bit of drivers Ed at 15 then it was pa sending me off to the lumber yard with” don’t speed and don’t get caught” lol
I don’t think I had a license til I was 17 or so ;-)
 
Last edited:
My high school actually had a drivers course built. We would be in car by yourselves and be in contact with teacher via one way radio. It was pretty scarry at times, some students without much confidence or experience would run off course. We all had behind the wheel with an instructor prior to road course. Other high schools in the area would also come use. I did know that a tow truck was called once for a car that way off course and got stuck.Dont think its used anymore.Wild Times!
 
PALADIN85020 said:
We were talking one day about driver's education, and he shared his experience. He said Ash Fork high school was not well heeled, and had to make do in many ways.

He said the school was so poor that they had to teach driver's ed and sex ed in the same car... :D
Click to expand...

Being very familiar with Ash Fork, I'm pretty sure they still do... :p




When I went through driver's ed, the school was still using one of these... :eek:

_3-jpg.240272
 
Also learned to drive on the farm, old riding mower, then tractor on to pick up truck. High School had drivers Ed, started course and 1st day of driving the instructor asked why I was there, lol.
As for drivers Ed today don’t think its been taught for 40+ years cause people drive like they are blind, drunk or just plain CRAZY!
 
I don't remember the name of the movie.. was bloody mess... some got queasy... but the practice driving started on a closed course in the church parking lot near the high school.. same church my family attended... one that my mother was in the church quilting group.. tried to get them the let me use mom's car.. 1972 Buick Skylark convertible... they said no... had cruddy leftover College World Series courtesy cars.. terrible cars when I could have been ragtopping it that summer... oh well.. I did take my license driving test in the Buick... I passed.. but examiner said leave the top up... pooo
 
Rodan said:
When I went through driver's ed, the school was still using one of these... :eek:

_3-jpg.240272
Click to expand...

Me, too! Although we also got actual on the road experience. One thing lives with me to this day. I was behind the wheel and blithely drove across the nearby railroad tracks, apparently not paying adequate attention. The instructor yelled "Oh, expletive deleted," and grabbed my shoulders. I had a mini heart attack. There was no train, of course, but to this day I can't cross a track without a careful look in both directions, flashing lights or not. I consider that a lesson well taught.

On a side note, the instructor held a competition on the classroom simulators where we were timed hitting the brakes when the red light appeared on the screen. I had the class best of 0.25 seconds until the cute cheerleader had her turn and scored a 0.23 beating everyone. I was a wrestler and valued my reaction time. Jealous and in love at the same time :) This was 1969.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top