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Driver’s education in the United States is broken, but how would you fix it?
Hemmings.com ^ | 12-19-14 | Kurt Ernst

Posted on 09/16/2015 1:50:45 PM PDT by Cowman

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To: Travis T. OJustice
Learned to drive in one of these... 1963 Volvo 544 with 350,000 miles on it.

Transmission so worn, that you didn't need that pedal all the way to the left. Wipers shot, so I carried a t-shirt on a stick for rainy days. Can of ether for the carbs in the winter to help if start.

Not much of a babe magnet either.

Hard to believe I went downhill from the tricycle incident, but there it is.

61 posted on 09/16/2015 3:32:30 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Nice peice of ****! You’re lucky, or very skilled, to be alive.

I learned on farm tractors, then 6 wheel dump trucks. I drive a 10 speed split differential at 14, over state lines and all. Never killed anyone, never got caught.

I was making twice minimum wage when i was 14, that’s probably why i find all this talk about minimum wage being able to support a family so insanely stupid.


62 posted on 09/16/2015 3:50:49 PM PDT by Travis T. OJustice (I miss my dad.)
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To: Cowman
Maybe I'm getting old but I am often dismayed by the lack of automotive ability in the youngsters.

I live in Davao City, Philippines these days. The drivers here are among the worst in the world. It is a daily trip with eventful opportunities for amusement and stress!

Last week, a 6-wheeler truck was towing another of the same type. They were both LOADED with sacks of rice. Together, they probably weighed 100 tons.

They were using a ROPE as the tow method, traveling through the city at rush hour. Needless to say, the rope broke on a small hill and the toad rolled back into ten cars.

Thank God, nobody died!!!

63 posted on 09/16/2015 3:54:49 PM PDT by WVKayaker (On Scale of 1 to 5 Palins, How Likely Is Media Assault on Each GOP Candidate?)
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To: T-Bone Texan

It’s agitating constantly sitting behind drivers who won’t take a right on red when traffic is clear because it’s illegal to do so in Mexico.

I also hate that many of them don’t obey the speed limits and clop along at whatever rate (usually 1/3 below the limit) they want while they struggle to stay within the lines, in addition to wandering across 3 lanes of traffic to exit the road because that’s how it’s done in their home countries.

In the last 15 years, driving in any big city has become like driving in the two third-world countries where I lived, and more likely than not, many of the drivers are not American.


64 posted on 09/16/2015 5:07:39 PM PDT by Dexter Morgan (Everyone hides who they are.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Yep. IF they learn to drive a beast like that - then they can drive anything.

I failed my first driver's test in our '60 Impala - like steering the Titanic. Passed it next time in my aunt's Corvair!

65 posted on 09/16/2015 5:15:26 PM PDT by pa_dweller (But 'twould be an ill world for weaponless dreamers if evil men were not now and then slain - JRK)
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To: Travis T. OJustice

In truth, the thing was insanely lightweight (even before all the rust), and had twin carbs. I could beat a Camaro off the line, but after 100 yards it was all over.

I was so glad when I could afford cars that weren’t crap.

My current fave is a Honda S2000.


66 posted on 09/16/2015 6:25:35 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: stanne

I have driven in Germany. I have felt safer driving 200 km/h on the Autobahn than driving 70 mph on the New Jersey Turnpike. Or the 610 loop in Houston. Fact is, the Germans do know how to drive. They seem to be more aware of what is going on around them. And I have seen much more road courtesy there as well.


67 posted on 09/16/2015 6:32:35 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: Fred Hayek

They can’t drive without having taken real driving school.


68 posted on 09/16/2015 6:36:56 PM PDT by stanne
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To: stanne

The Germans take these things seriously. There is a story about a reporter in the pits at Le Mons when Mercedes was still racing there. He was walking through the Ferrari pit and herd the drivers telling the mechanics “That didn’t feel right — tighten up on this” and then he walked through the Lamborghini pit and the driver was telling the mechanics “the brakes feel unbalanced tighten up the right rear.” Then he wandered into the Mercedes pit and asked one of the drivers “How did the car feel?” He said,” WE are GERMAN! We measure and we measure so we KNOW. — If you want to know about feeling go and talk to the Italians.”


69 posted on 09/16/2015 9:13:44 PM PDT by Cowman (As Jerry Williams used to say --- When comes the revolution....)
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To: Cowman

That’s a good one. There are great mechanics among the Italians. I guess it’s a different approach.

Tom and Ray, the car guys, talk about cars, mechanics. They both are highly educated. They also talk about relationships, how people feel about their cars, how people’s wives feel about their cars etc.

A couple of German brothers could not pull that off.

Just an example. One woman called to ask, settle a bet between me and my husband. I say kids are safe in a car seat whether they’re by the door or in the middle of the back seat in a wreck.

The guys explained the dynamics, with info about the make and year of the car, and concluded the child was definitely safer in the middle of the seat.

She asked, ‘what if I have two kids’.

They hesitated, obviously looking at each other, then said, between laughs, ‘well, you put your favorite one in the middle’.


70 posted on 09/16/2015 10:58:05 PM PDT by stanne
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To: stanne
Tom and Ray, the car guys, talk about cars, mechanics.

I used to spend every Saturday listening to Car Talk. They guys gave up the show a few years ago and they are playing the calls that never made the air the first time around.

71 posted on 09/17/2015 9:50:57 PM PDT by Cowman (As Jerry Williams used to say --- When comes the revolution....)
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To: stanne; Cowman

Tom Magliozzi died.


72 posted on 09/17/2015 9:57:25 PM PDT by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc OÂ’Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: steve86

Don’t tell me that. Really?


73 posted on 09/17/2015 10:02:25 PM PDT by stanne
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