We REALLY want to call "shotgun" for enthusiasm
&austen's passenger seat—we have a feeling it would be a very entertaining ride.—Sparkitors
Ah, winter. A time for slaying Christmas trees and possibly some skaters at the local ice rink. At least, that’s what my winters tend to look like…what? Like you’ve never taken anyone out with an epic butt-slide/blade-in-face combo before. Oh, you haven’t? Well then…*awkwardly hums Harry Potter theme to diffuse the tension* Anyway. That’s not really the main point of winter. And it’s not Christmas either (please insert your gasps here). Oh no. The main point of winter is…the roads. The slipping, the sliding, the get-stuck-ing! Who doesn’t love it?! Oh, right. Most normal people. Myself included. But today, as I slowly trekked my way across the frozen tundra of Michigan to the local movie theater, I began to reflect on another, even more horrifying driving condition I once suffered: the pre-license era, that dreaded period of being almost 16 and still having no idea how to deal with the four-way stops of doom, the yield signs of confusion, and WHAT THE HECK IS A ROUNDABOUT??? (It’s a British torture device, in case you were wondering.) But fear not, noble Sparklers: I have come to your rescue. Because I too once lived in those days. And I survived. So, without further ado, I give you my own personal quintessential Do's & Don'ts of Novice Driving.
Do consider the fact that Mom & Dad will never be as laid-back as your crazy driving instructor. Plan your braking distance accordingly.
Don't say "I know" when your mom tries to supply you with important information. Just don't. It never ends well. Ever.
Do remember that this is the only time in your life where you have a legitimate excuse for driving badly. Also, do remember to mention this fact loudly and often.
Don't sing while on the road, unless you want to get...instructed...on why that's not a good idea at this stage of your driving.
Do try to retain as much as possible of the pointless trivia tidbits you pick up in driver's ed. This information can make for great on-road conversation when you're in the passenger's seat. In my opinion at least—my mother did not agree.
Don't forget that as soon as you let someone drive with you, you are giving them implied consent to comment on your driving—every rolling stop, every pothole, and every traffic cone you've hit in the past. (It was an accident, ok? Kinda like that one time at the ice rink…)
Do keep in mind that little siblings find the entire situation incredibly entertaining, and will perform spontaneous karaoke in the backseat. (In my car, the lineup usually included Shut Up and Drive, Thriller, and Jesus, Take the Wheel.)
Above all, don't get discouraged if you have a few less-than-NASCAR-quality moments. It doesn't come naturally to everyone—in fact, there will be moments when you're pretty sure it's not going to come at all, naturally or otherwise. Just don’t give up! You could be a late bloomer, just like me! (And really, after reading this article, who wouldn’t want to be just like me? Think of the power you could have over traffic cones!)
We TOTALLY lurve this post—probably because we were too terrified to even take our driver's test until we'd turned 18. Yep. Embarrassing.
Related post: Driving Test Perils
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