At the age of 15, I received my Learner's Permit after completing what was then a mandatory Driver's Education class in high school. It was 1974, the same year that President Nixon imposed the nation-wide snail's pace speed limit of 55 miles per hour. In the years that preceded this, I remember looking forward to the day I could take a car up to 75 on the Interstate. The threat of oil shortages and an Act of Congress shattered this dream just before I entered the 11th grade. I wasn't happy and I wasn't alone. Nevertheless, it was now my turn to take the wheel, and my father would be teaching me. A Learner's Permit in the state of Illinois at that time allowed 15-year-old students to drive, provided a parent or guardian over the age of 21 was present.

I learned my driving skills in a 1970 Ford Maverick, a rather zippy six-cylinder coupe. I made errors along the way, as we all do. One in particular stands out in my memory: I put the car into Park before stopping. I remember my dad nearly biting the stem off of his pipe as the transmission made a horrid grinding sound followed by a scream of agony. In rather colorful vocabulary, he asked me what I was doing.....

Another habit that I still have to this day is technically incorrect, but it works. In a car with an automatic, I use both feet; the right on the accelerator, and the left for braking. It just feels more natural to me, and fortunately, the state Driver's Examiner decided that this method was acceptable. The instructors in high school, however, certainly did not, and as a result, I had no choice but to move my right foot over to the brake pedal or flunk the course!

Following issuance of my full-fledged Driver's License, I was at last on my own, and proceeded to drive like a maniac, which, unfortunately, is what many 16-year-old males do. More than three decades have passed since then. When recalling some of the stupid stunts I performed in those days, it's nothing short of a miracle that I'm writing about this today. Soon it will be my daughter's turn, and hence my turn to be nervous. But there's one advantage. Females have a tendency to possess more common sense, and for that reason, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: Learning to drive?
We want to hear your view. Write now!