driving? driving! (take 10)
Jul. 29th, 2014 10:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hermionesviolinFCS-Ian and I went driving after work yesterday. He has a Ford Focus and yeah, it definitely handles differently than my parents' Toyota Corolla.
He proposed that he not talk (unless necessary) -- because when he's nervous he talks more, and that's not necessarily helpful (to me), that I know the stuff I need to practice/be careful about/whatever and him continuing to tell me doesn't necessarily help me any. I don't think it's unhelpful, but I said sure.
I briefed him on the driving practice I did with my dad on Saturday, and he said he thought it was good for me to get practice in other vehicles (and with other instructors).
I asked where he wanted me to drive (recalling that we had planned to do more trafficked streets) and he said I could go wherever I wanted. (And we did talk while I drove, he just didn't tell me where or how to drive -- much.)
I did some familiar routes (there are only so many side streets around the church) and then decided to take a right instead of the left we'd done last time, even though I suspected that would take me toward a more trafficked street (yes, Shoshana was like, "So you knew you needed to practice on more trafficked streets and you were avoiding them?"), and yup, that was Broadway coming up ahead of me. The police had pulled someone over up on the left, so instead of taking a left onto Broadway we took a right -- then a right onto Medford Street. While on Medford Street I noticed it was 6:05pm and suggested we head back since he needed to get home. He actually hadn't noticed the time at all (yay!). We took School Street to Highland and then came through Davis Square (the easiest possible way, because it's just staying to the right, but still -- and FCS-Ian did remind me to be attentive to people trying to merge into my lane as we were coming into Davis on Highland).
I was definitely like a foot and a half away from the curb when I pulled up in front of the church, but we didn't really have time for me to work on parking at that moment.
FCS-Ian said I was more confident (and [thus] a better driver) on the more trafficked roads -- which makes sense; they're wider, more predictable (you have the yellow line to your left and parked cars to your right and everyone's just doing their thing, fewer cross streets or people etc. possibly jumping into the street). I still get nervous when there are bicyclists on my right, worried I'm going to be too close to them and tragedy will ensue (since I still don't have a great sense of how much space my vehicle is taking up -- I can get into a groove on the road, but when there's something between me and what's been on my right...). He said the bicyclist and I were clearly aware of each other and I was being conscientious and he gave me permission to let go of that worry.
(It occurred to me later that I could drive us to my house -- not through the Powder House Rotary of death, but the way I bike home.)
I still haven't done a lefthand turn onto a ~major street -- oops.
Shoshana volunteered to take me parallel parking etc. once FCS-Ian is indisposed due to newborn (baby is due August 7). I think parallel parking and 3-point-turns are the things you get on the driver's test that I really don't feel equipped to do. *looks up the list online*
Page 31 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Driver's Manual says:
He proposed that he not talk (unless necessary) -- because when he's nervous he talks more, and that's not necessarily helpful (to me), that I know the stuff I need to practice/be careful about/whatever and him continuing to tell me doesn't necessarily help me any. I don't think it's unhelpful, but I said sure.
I briefed him on the driving practice I did with my dad on Saturday, and he said he thought it was good for me to get practice in other vehicles (and with other instructors).
I asked where he wanted me to drive (recalling that we had planned to do more trafficked streets) and he said I could go wherever I wanted. (And we did talk while I drove, he just didn't tell me where or how to drive -- much.)
I did some familiar routes (there are only so many side streets around the church) and then decided to take a right instead of the left we'd done last time, even though I suspected that would take me toward a more trafficked street (yes, Shoshana was like, "So you knew you needed to practice on more trafficked streets and you were avoiding them?"), and yup, that was Broadway coming up ahead of me. The police had pulled someone over up on the left, so instead of taking a left onto Broadway we took a right -- then a right onto Medford Street. While on Medford Street I noticed it was 6:05pm and suggested we head back since he needed to get home. He actually hadn't noticed the time at all (yay!). We took School Street to Highland and then came through Davis Square (the easiest possible way, because it's just staying to the right, but still -- and FCS-Ian did remind me to be attentive to people trying to merge into my lane as we were coming into Davis on Highland).
I was definitely like a foot and a half away from the curb when I pulled up in front of the church, but we didn't really have time for me to work on parking at that moment.
FCS-Ian said I was more confident (and [thus] a better driver) on the more trafficked roads -- which makes sense; they're wider, more predictable (you have the yellow line to your left and parked cars to your right and everyone's just doing their thing, fewer cross streets or people etc. possibly jumping into the street). I still get nervous when there are bicyclists on my right, worried I'm going to be too close to them and tragedy will ensue (since I still don't have a great sense of how much space my vehicle is taking up -- I can get into a groove on the road, but when there's something between me and what's been on my right...). He said the bicyclist and I were clearly aware of each other and I was being conscientious and he gave me permission to let go of that worry.
(It occurred to me later that I could drive us to my house -- not through the Powder House Rotary of death, but the way I bike home.)
I still haven't done a lefthand turn onto a ~major street -- oops.
Shoshana volunteered to take me parallel parking etc. once FCS-Ian is indisposed due to newborn (baby is due August 7). I think parallel parking and 3-point-turns are the things you get on the driver's test that I really don't feel equipped to do. *looks up the list online*
Page 31 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Driver's Manual says:
During a road test, you should be prepared to demonstrate your ability to...
• Use hand signals
• Start the engine
• Start and stop the vehicle
• Parallel Park
• Back the vehicle approximately 50 feet
• Make left - right turns
• Start, stop, and turn the vehicle on a hill
• Turn around between curbs (three point turn)
• Enter and leave intersections
• Recognize and obey traffic signs, lights and signals, and other rules of the road
• Use good driving sense
In addition to judging your overall driving skills, the examiner will note how well you follow general good-driving procedures, including whether you...
• Use good driving posture, with both hands always placed properly on the wheel
• Drive in the proper lane and look carefully and signal properly before changing lanes
• Maintain enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you
• Always drive at safe speeds to comply with speed limits and varying traffic conditions
• Properly yield the right-of-way
• Are generally aware of your actions and particularly those of other drivers