Learning to Drive

xoxoxoBruce · 05-13-2008, 11:30 PM

Back in the day, when I walked to school, uphill, both ways...
Every HS had at least one driver ed car, with a big advertisement on the back, for the car dealer that donated the car.
The dual controls were a bolt in item... and no seatbelts.

Elspode · 05-14-2008, 12:56 AM

I started driving my folks' cars at 14, when my mom decided that she didn't want to have to drive to the store for milk and bread. My previous experience had been driving a tractor on my uncle's ranch, and operating my cousin's car. I never really found it the least bit difficult. Studied the book, took the test the day I turned 16, got my license.

I took driver's ed at 17, after I'd been driving for three years anyway. It was stupid. We had driving simulators, which were useless as they had zero feedback of any kind. There was a film projected on the wall (that all of the simulators used as their front windshield view), and it just did what it did, and you were supposed to do what it was doing. So, when the view would start to turn, you had to start to turn, and when the turn stopped, you had to stop turning...except that by the time you reacted to the film you were watching (since you weren't actually *doing* anything), you were inevitably deficient in some way. "Didn't stop fast enough" "Turned too far to the right" "Accelerated too sharply".

It was a complete waste of time.

05-13-2008, 11:30 PM	#1
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Back in the day, when I walked to school, uphill, both ways... Every HS had at least one driver ed car, with a big advertisement on the back, for the car dealer that donated the car. The dual controls were a bolt in item... and no seatbelts. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-14-2008, 12:56 AM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I started driving my folks' cars at 14, when my mom decided that she didn't want to have to drive to the store for milk and bread. My previous experience had been driving a tractor on my uncle's ranch, and operating my cousin's car. I never really found it the least bit difficult. Studied the book, took the test the day I turned 16, got my license. I took driver's ed at 17, after I'd been driving for three years anyway. It was stupid. We had driving simulators, which were useless as they had zero feedback of any kind. There was a film projected on the wall (that all of the simulators used as their front windshield view), and it just did what it did, and you were supposed to do what it was doing. So, when the view would start to turn, you had to start to turn, and when the turn stopped, you had to stop turning...except that by the time you reacted to the film you were watching (since you weren't actually doing anything), you were inevitably deficient in some way. "Didn't stop fast enough" "Turned too far to the right" "Accelerated too sharply". It was a complete waste of time. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

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