Oh man... My dad had a better idea of my capacities and responsibilities as a teen. Lesson one was "change all four tires." Then it was the...grrr... fluids, how to use jumper cables and whatnot. Then, I had to drive the Beltway (we were in MD at the time) from both directions, exiting and entering all exits at various times of day, as well as some of the other stickier roads. I DO not even want to talk about parallel parking. He also (knowing my abilities to lock myself places) got me one of those hook things and taught me to use it (we attached it to the bottom of the car using magnets), and etc. I was really prepared and passed my driving test the first time 
The next day, my dad was like, "Okay, you've proven your abilities" and invited me to follow him someplace. He backed out of the driveway and took off. I.... backed out of the driveway into a GLASS TRUCK that was parked across the street, and it was... .well, the guy who owned the vehicle came flying out of the house. It was kind of awkward, since my dad assumed I was following him but *did* see it upon his confused return, me talking to the dude and apologizing profusely (yes, my dad also taught me to *never* accept responsibility but I've never broken that habit, as it's *usually* obviously my fault, I mean it's not worth quibbling over....) and things kind of disintegrated from there.
I did not drive for a long time after that. First, I had to pay everything off using all the money I'd saved working (fair enough) and then the driving lessons began again, starting with *how to back up eleventy-million times.*
I do wish though, that mechanics wouldn't freaking air-pressure the hell out of lug nuts these days, I can CHANGE a tire but it's unusual for me to have the strength to get the lugnuts off, I usually just (if I can) drive to the nearest air pressure station and then put tire-fix in it. Otherwise, my husband is going to get a phone call.
Also, there have been times that my husband has gotten the exact same look as my dad..... I had this one day last year (I think I had pneumonia, and didn't know it, I felt weird anyway, that's for sure) and I was driving downtown (which I avoid at all costs, usually) to deal with the ticket and sign up for driving school. First, I misread the ticket and had to pay $$ JUST to get my time extended (this felt unfair, but I get it), but in the process of parking, I thought I curbed the car but actually hit some lawyer's wife's car and didn't realize (I really thought I curbed it), and decided to park elsewhere and found what I thought was a lovely space, all far away from everyone.... Only it was a handicapped spot and I had to loiter around in court for ever and only had so many quarters.... I came back to face a ticket of $400! I guess parking in a handi-spot even by accident is a real sin here, and my meter was also expired. I bet the parking enforcement facility was *thrilled* that day. I was like, "I'm not telling husband, I'm just going to pay it.... My mother was like "Oh, yes, I would totally not say anything, Anna." LOL. Anyway, we got this letter from the lawyer demanding $1500 to fix his wife's car or face hit and run charges.... They had pics and stuff, I had no idea at all! I felt awful. Anyway, even though the letter was a bit sketchy and from a dude that had been disbarred before, there was gold contact paint on the side of my car where I hit it, so after some judicious texts from my sis the lawyer we got him to write up a "hold harmless" blah blah thing, and just paid it, since our insurance deductible is $1K anyway.... Unfortunately my husband *also* found my parking ticket laying in my stuff the same day as well.... That was not a happy day in the Anna household.
But my point is, I got to go visit my doctor(s) since my driving has improved a fair amount since my teen years, and that's how they found my pneumonia, and I think that's what saved me from more ire, pneumonia #2 that was. I look at it as: "Smoking costs can turn out more expensive than you think." I'm quite sure that if I hadn't been half dead, I would have not had all that stuff happen, I could barely function at that point.
Either that, or I belong here in Tucson, LOL.
Story number two was kind of an abberation, if I drove like that all the time, I'd probably get rid of the car and use Ubers all the time.... Way cheaper.
Anna
The next day, my dad was like, "Okay, you've proven your abilities" and invited me to follow him someplace. He backed out of the driveway and took off. I.... backed out of the driveway into a GLASS TRUCK that was parked across the street, and it was... .well, the guy who owned the vehicle came flying out of the house. It was kind of awkward, since my dad assumed I was following him but *did* see it upon his confused return, me talking to the dude and apologizing profusely (yes, my dad also taught me to *never* accept responsibility but I've never broken that habit, as it's *usually* obviously my fault, I mean it's not worth quibbling over....) and things kind of disintegrated from there.
I did not drive for a long time after that. First, I had to pay everything off using all the money I'd saved working (fair enough) and then the driving lessons began again, starting with *how to back up eleventy-million times.*
I do wish though, that mechanics wouldn't freaking air-pressure the hell out of lug nuts these days, I can CHANGE a tire but it's unusual for me to have the strength to get the lugnuts off, I usually just (if I can) drive to the nearest air pressure station and then put tire-fix in it. Otherwise, my husband is going to get a phone call.
Also, there have been times that my husband has gotten the exact same look as my dad..... I had this one day last year (I think I had pneumonia, and didn't know it, I felt weird anyway, that's for sure) and I was driving downtown (which I avoid at all costs, usually) to deal with the ticket and sign up for driving school. First, I misread the ticket and had to pay $$ JUST to get my time extended (this felt unfair, but I get it), but in the process of parking, I thought I curbed the car but actually hit some lawyer's wife's car and didn't realize (I really thought I curbed it), and decided to park elsewhere and found what I thought was a lovely space, all far away from everyone.... Only it was a handicapped spot and I had to loiter around in court for ever and only had so many quarters.... I came back to face a ticket of $400! I guess parking in a handi-spot even by accident is a real sin here, and my meter was also expired. I bet the parking enforcement facility was *thrilled* that day. I was like, "I'm not telling husband, I'm just going to pay it.... My mother was like "Oh, yes, I would totally not say anything, Anna." LOL. Anyway, we got this letter from the lawyer demanding $1500 to fix his wife's car or face hit and run charges.... They had pics and stuff, I had no idea at all! I felt awful. Anyway, even though the letter was a bit sketchy and from a dude that had been disbarred before, there was gold contact paint on the side of my car where I hit it, so after some judicious texts from my sis the lawyer we got him to write up a "hold harmless" blah blah thing, and just paid it, since our insurance deductible is $1K anyway.... Unfortunately my husband *also* found my parking ticket laying in my stuff the same day as well.... That was not a happy day in the Anna household.
But my point is, I got to go visit my doctor(s) since my driving has improved a fair amount since my teen years, and that's how they found my pneumonia, and I think that's what saved me from more ire, pneumonia #2 that was. I look at it as: "Smoking costs can turn out more expensive than you think." I'm quite sure that if I hadn't been half dead, I would have not had all that stuff happen, I could barely function at that point.
Either that, or I belong here in Tucson, LOL.
Story number two was kind of an abberation, if I drove like that all the time, I'd probably get rid of the car and use Ubers all the time.... Way cheaper.
Anna
