A few weeks ago, I finally got my driving permit. Yeah, most
people get their permit when they are fifteen and a half or so, but
I am a procrastinator when it comes to getting my license. Besides,
I take the bus to school and have my friends drive me around on
weekends, so I am doing fine without a divers license at the age of
17.
A few weeks ago, I finally got my driving permit. Yeah, most people get their permit when they are fifteen and a half or so, but I am a procrastinator when it comes to getting my license. Besides, I take the bus to school and have my friends drive me around on weekends, so I am doing fine without a divers license at the age of 17.
However, I will need a license next year to get to work and to college, so it is time for me to get my permit and learn how to drive. I don’t suppose anyone will want to drive me to and from San Jose every day. My friends don’t love me that much.
I dreaded attending driving school all day long for four days. And of course with my bad luck, the only days that were open at the driving school were the last four days of my Christmas vacation. Luckily one of my friends took the class with me. She was my comic relief during those four days.
Three weeks after driving school my mom took me to the DMV and I took my permit test. I passed. Now I was one step closer to getting my much awaited license. That just leaves actually learning how to drive, which my mom has not been looking forward to after already teaching one child. But since I have to learn how to drive, the life-threatening task of teaching an already clumsy teenager how to drive must be done.
I don’t think she ever realized before how hard is it to explain things like how far to turn the wheel when making a turn.
During my first time out driving, both my mom and I were nervous. When I started driving, I felt all right driving and I thought I was in complete control of the car, but every once in a while I would drive into another lane. I didn’t even know I was doing it. I felt discouraged that I couldn’t even drive in the middle of the lane. But my mom reassured me that I did fine for my first time driving.
I never thought that driving would be so complicated. I guess other people just make it look easy.
For my first time driving I didn’t want to go very fast because I wanted to get the feel for things first. Other cars were passing me and honking at me in anger. Right then everything that I learned about reckless driving in driving school went through my head.
My mom always told me that a car is like a weapon. At any moment if you lose control of the car, you could kill yourself or someone else. Freak accidents happen all the time, even to experienced drivers who do nothing wrong.
During driving school, we watched movies about the effects of drinking and driving. More specifically, we watched a movie called “Red Asphalt 3”. The movie like a car accident reality show. It shows the most gory, real life human bodies after a deadly car accident. The media and its fake blood couldn’t prepare me for seeing a brain splattered all over the asphalt. It made me wonder if those who drive recklessly paid attention to this movie.
The movie was made to scare new drivers into driving carefully and being responsible drivers. However, it never stops those who choose to drink and drive and kill innocent people coming home to their families. In the news I constantly hear that the drunk driver lives, and the innocent victim tragically dies even though they don’t deserve it.
I know adults and teenagers who are wonderful drivers, who always use both hands while driving and follow all the laws of the road. And, unfortunately, I know some adults and teenagers who steer with either a few of their fingers, or even their legs. They thought it was impressive to drive with their legs, but I was terrified. I wasn’t ready to die just yet.
The main reason why I have so much anxiety about driving is because I see so many accidents on the freeway and even here in town. East Main Avenue seems to always be a dangerous street to drive on. All at the same time, twice a day, hundreds of inexperienced drivers rush to get to school, and then rush to get away from school in the afternoon.
So, I will try to be as careful as possible as I continue my driving adventures. So if you see me on the road, just humor me and keep your distance.
Melissa Ballard is a senior at Live Oak High School. She alternates weekly with Chrissy Bryant in writing Teen Perspective.
