Son's driving test.

[Simon TR4a]

Here in Ontario we have a graduated licensing programme, my son took his final test the other day and now is fully licensed.

Nothing unusual about that except that he took my car, with standard transmission, which he prefers to automatic, and heel and toe'd on the downshifts, which I had advised him not to do.

The examiner said he had not had anyone shift as smoothly in his many years of conducting driving tests!
Simon.

 

[Steve]

Congratulations to the youngster! You taught him well, evidently. Both of my boys prefer stick shift. Wonder why? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif How old is your boy? I for one think that tiered licensing is the way to go.

 

[GB1]

Simon

Great news, seems that the apple isn't far from the tree.

Patrick

 

[aerog]

Congrats - wish we had the same kind of tests here.

When I took my test it was in a 5-speed '80 Honda. Everytime I reached down to change gears the "examiner" yelled at me for taking a hand off the wheel. I still don't know how he figured I'd shift without touching the gear shift, but I didn't argue /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[weewillie]

Well done Simon's son

 

[Baz]

Well done Simon's son

Indeed! Glad he's got the heel-toe knack.

 

[swift6]

We have a graduated licensing program now in Colorado. CHP has already began crediting the program for a reduction in teen driving deaths.

When I took my test so many years ago I showed up in a manual transmission Toyota FJ40. The tester asked if I was sure that was what I wanted to test in. He wasn't used to people testing in manual 4wd vehicles. In the middle of my test we had a cloudburst downpour that the wipers couldn't keep up with. My tester freaked out. I got him back safe and sound and he passed me without question. Found out a week later he was the father of one of my friends girlfriends when we went boating with her family. He remembered my test drive so well that he let me drive his boat too. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Congrats to your son though. Its nice to impress those testers. They must go through heck once in a while. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[sideache]

Congrats! So which car does he get now /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[martx-5]

That's great. Sounds like he's a real natural. He's had a good teacher. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[R6MGS]

Congrats!
My oldest son recently went through the testing....No problems at all, he's still on automatic cars though....I taught him how to drive manual in the summer but he hasn't gotten that much practice in yet. But in the last year he hasn't so much as curbed a tire and logged quite a bit of mileage on his truck.

 

[aeronca65t]

Congrats!

All three of my kids took their driver's tests in manual trans cars....a rare thing to do in many places, but especially here in NJ.
And I taught all of them to heel & toe (useful for "hillholding" as well as sporty driving).

*I* on the other hand, took my driver's test in a 2-speed automatic Falcon (in '68).

 

[DrEntropy]

Skill ~and~ confidence. Great! We need more like 'im.


Nial: my "trainer" and the test-ride car was a '61 three-on-the-tree Falcon: 144CID six. Mom's grocery-gitter. PA in '67.

 

[Steve]

When I left the UK they had different tests for manual and automatic cars. Because automatics are much easier to drive, if you passed your test in one, you were not allowed to drive stick unless you re-took your driving test in a manual-transmission car.

Pass in a stick-shift though, and you were fine to drive an automatic. Since 99% of cars over there were manual shift, this wasn't usually an issue.

 

[bugimike]

Congrats to the new driver! I am reminded of the old Irish toast...May the road ahead.....etc, etc. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

My trainer was a '56 Beetle and then I took the test in what seemed like a "huge" '62 Chevy Bel Aire auto. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif