I've noticed over the years that the pubic schools do not offer Driver Education anymore. When I was 15, public schools were the place for this. We used to call it "Driver's Training", although the official title was Driver Education. Our unfortunate "Driver's Training" instructor was Mr. Sanders, our biology teacher. He probably was stuck with this dangerous task because he lost while drawing straws with the other high school teachers to determine who would be the poor sap assigned this dangerous undertaking. Our "Driver's Training" vehicle was a 2 tone green 1965 Rambler "Ambassador". Since none of us guys would be caught dead driving this make of car on our own, I imagine the local Rambler dealer probably donated it to the school since sales were no doubt very low. More than likely, it was only sold to little old ladies. It had 2 sets of pedals on both sides. Since it had an automatic transmission, it had an accelerator and brake on both the driver's side and the passenger side where Mr. Sanders always sat. Because our "Driver's Training" vehicle had an automatic transmission as all of them everywhere probably always had, I believe that is why women don't know how to drive with a manual transmission. For guys it comes naturally to drive a "stick shift". All of us aspiring young drivers were in Mr. Sanders' class. He showed us movies about proper driving techniques and went through our textbook. Our textbook was very outdated. I think one chapter had instructions on how to start a Model T if you lost the crank. When it was time to "go out on the road" the class was broken down into small groups. I always wondered how I ended up with 2 girls. More than likely Mr. Sanders figured I would not show off and try to impress them. I guess his reason was valid, since I didn't even think about it.

 

Since I was only 15 when I started "Driver's Training", I had to get a "learner's permit" from the license bureau which required one to be 15 or older. Now it can be told. Tim and I drove before we even started "Driver's Training" and before we obtained a "Learner's Permit". When we were 14, our mother, for some inexplicable reason, occasionally let us drive her 1961 Opal to and from our place to Berlin Heights for a total distance of about a mile and a half one way. She was with us, of course. If we were ever caught, she told us her phony excuse would be that she suddenly got a migraine headache and one of us had to drive her home. Now that I think about it, after living with Tim and me for 14 years, her sudden onset of a real migraine headache was a definite possibility!

 

From the very first time, I did exceptionally well on our "Driver's Training" "go on the road" actual driving since unbeknownst to Mr. Sanders and law enforcement officials; I was already a seasoned "experienced" driver before being old enough to obtain a "Learner's Permit".

 

Apparently, the "Driver's Training" class prepared me well for my first written test to obtain my permanent driver's license since I passed it the first time with "flying colors". I can remember the driver's examination test in detail.  My mother drove me to Monroeville to take the test. This time she drove since it would not have looked too good if the examination officials caught me driving on the way to my test! The driver's examination location was a little red brick building. Whenever I pass that building now, I always get flashbacks of that day nearly 43 years ago. UGGGGH, I wished I hadn't have mentioned that, it sure makes me feel old!!!!!

 

When we entered the building, we met with the license examiner. He was a little overweight, had black bags under his eyes, and was chain smoking. He was wearing a plastic nametag that indicated his last name was O'Neil. At that time, I didn't know his first name, but in those days, knowing any adult's first name was forbidden knowledge for 16 year olds. When my mother saw him, she addressed him by his first name and I wondered how she knew that. He then replied, "Hi Dorothy!" I found out later they were classmates at Norwalk High School. I immediately was struck by the fact that he had a very pessimistic attitude and he acted as though giving me a driver's license would be a death warrant. I made the comment that after I got my driver's license; I wanted to buy a motorcycle. He then cynically said, "A motorcycle! You can get killed fast enough on 4 wheels let alone 2! He first gave me the written test, which I passed with "flying colors"; because "Driver's Training" class was the first class I ever paid any attention to throughout my entire 12 school years.

 

After the written test came the parallel parking test. Since I had my mother's Opel, which was a very small German vehicle, I had no problem with the parking test. I was sure glad that my mother didn't own a Cadillac.

 

Then came the dreaded road test in which my success on getting my driver's license rested solely in the hands of a very pessimistic and cynical examiner. During the road test I was nervously driving around "downtown" Monroeville, such as it is. During the test he told me to keep closer to the right side of the road. I somehow misinterpreted this as keep further away from the right side of the road. Therefore, as a result, I drove closer to the centerline. When the test was finally completed, as we were exiting the vehicle, he didn't say anything to me. As we both entered the building, he sat down at his desk, started filling out a form, and then went to his typewriter. He finally handed me my license, looked at my mother, and said, "He drove a little left of center, but I passed him anyway". He also told my mother, "You're going to have to slow him down, Dorothy." I wonder to this day if he passed me just because he knew my mother. More than likely he passed me since my mother was very attractive, from whom I no doubt got my handsome features from.

 

On they way out, I just couldn't contain my excitement and immediately said, "I'll drive!!!" On the way home, it was wonderful to be at last driving legally and being very confident that the possibility of my mother suddenly coming down with a "migraine headache" was now nonexistent. As I started driving alone in her vehicle and later mine, then the real migraine headaches hit her!

 

Incidentally, the one thing that "Driver's Training" didn't teach us was how to drag race. We had to learn this on our own J. The community "drag strip" was on Route 61 just north of Berlin Heights where the section of the road is straight and flat for about a mile or so. The official starting line was Bob Deehr's mailbox.  I learned a lot of humility in those days trying to drag race guys in a 1961 Opel with a very small 4 cylinder engine that barely had more power than a lawnmower engine! Later on that year, I purchased a very fast 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. Since it was previously owned by a mechanic, the engine had some extra modifications. When I got that vehicle, I didn't loose very many drag races on Route 61. As a matter of fact, I don't recall that I ever lost any drag races. In those days, I was "The King of the  Route 61 drag strip". I have written many previous stories about my experiences with this vehicle. If you want to take the time (of course you do), you can check them out below. Now that I'm much older, my street drag racing days are long over. Now days the only thing I do is to "drag" myself into my trusty Jeep Wrangler. Unfortunately, time marches on, however in my present condition with arthritis in both knees, time hobbles on! Alas, I'm not "growing old gracefully!" On the other hand, as I always say, "Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional."