Honestly, I never expected to be the one sitting in the passenger side of a vehicle, giving driving lessons to my kids, two of whom are now in the middle of learning. Remember once upon a time when you hired someone to teach your kids to drive? Those driving lessons are much needed before a teen finally earns that coveted license and is free to set out on the road and hopefully not create mayhem.
This really has been an eye opener for me. Several driving schools are cutting their lesson offerings or are closing their doors, but why? Not from a shortage of kids trying to book lessons. According to one driving school I had a conversation with, the demand is so high that their problem is finding driving teachers! They can’t find them and can’t keep them. My son was able to book three lessons only by doing so months in advance because of the backlog and demand.
“What?” was my response. But everything comes down to economics, and when you add in a pandemic and the accompanying social distancing rules, it’s no wonder driving teachers don’t want to be in a car with students. Also, businesses can’t expect to keep staff who can’t even afford to keep their jobs, with the cost of housing having skyrocketed during this pandemic. Housing just isn’t available, and that’s driving away the workforce that would fill those low-paying positions, such as driving instructors.
Nevertheless, here I am now, sitting in the passenger side, and let me tell you that when you’re teaching out in the middle of traffic with another driver behind the wheel, you see a lot of things you may not when you’re driving. I’ve lost count of the drivers that far exceed the speed limit, driving up and riding on my son’s bumper to intimidate him. He’s had to pull over too many times to count. I also notice the sheer number who don’t use their signal lights, or their brake lights don’t work, or their headlights are burnt out. There are those who cut my son off, too.
I could go on, but the short of it is that I often find myself white knuckled in the passenger side because being in a car where someone is actually following the traffic rules is a rare occurrence. Worse, he’s a new driver with just a learner’s license, which means he has to have a neon L decal on the back of the vehicle so every driver behind him can see it. I just didn’t expect the aggression that has come at him from so many other drivers.
I remember a trip with my sister last June, when the world had opened up a bit. She was in the passenger side of my SUV as we were driving from Calgary to a resort community just over the BC border, in Invermere, where she has an RV at a small campground. I was driving on a narrow highway, which, believe it or not, I had never driven before, only heard stories about. It was a single lane in the mountains, and the speed limit was 90 km an hour, roughly 45 miles, give or take.
It was a gorgeous drive until I had a line of cars right on my bumper because I wasn’t speeding! When I say on my bumper, I mean I could see the red and white Alberta plates each car had, inches behind me, and it was terrifying. It wasn’t as if I could pull over, because there was no place to stop. It was narrow and winding, with only slight breaks where a smart driver wouldn’t try to pass, as doing so would put anyone coming the other way in grave danger.
I counted in horror, really looking at the drivers, the makes and models of their high-end cars, and their plates as they rode up on me and weaved side to side behind me. If I had slammed the brakes, every one would have rear-ended me. When they did get around me, it was done dangerously, passing me so fast it was as if I were standing still, only to be replaced by yet another driver riding up on my bumper, inches from it, as if trying to push me out of the way. If they could have gotten closer and nudged me, they would have.
I had never experienced that kind of aggression, and it went on and on for the entire drive. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that when I finally peeled them off after that horrific drive, they ached. Did I panic during that drive? Yeah, a bit. My sister kept reminding me the same things I say to my son, “Don’t look at them,” “Ignore them.”
During that horrific drive, one thing I saw over and over was a sign I had never seen on any other highway: The speed limit sign said that drivers found going thirty km over the speed limit would have their vehicles automatically impounded. I mused to myself that apparently that highway had an issue with excessive speeds. It was the one time I had wished traffic cops were actually out there, doing something right, yet they were nowhere to be found. In theory, every one of those vehicles would have been impounded. They wouldn’t have had enough tow trucks. Not one vehicle was driving at a reasonable speed. Not one!
Like, what is your hurry? was what continued to go through my mind.
Now, I sit in the passenger side with a completely different outlook. Where I live, the excessive speeds the likes of which I saw on that highway from Calgary to Invermere don’t happen, especially in such sheer numbers. But, having said that, going the posted speed limit seems to be something no one wants to do even here.
When you come up on a car with a neon L on the back, give the driver some room. It’s a scary thing for a new driver trying to get his or her license, getting behind that wheel. Remember that our kids need to learn how to safely navigate the road.
Recent Release
“Throw in some shady characters, hidden secrets, questionable legal decisions, and small town politics and you have an amazing whodunit. This book is well written and keeps you guessing.” ★★★★★ Reading Susan, Amazon Reviewer
The Cold Case
What happens when you stumble across a case that should never have been closed?
Detective Mark Friessen uncovers a disturbing mystery: A little girl was taken, but when evidence disappeared, the case was closed.
More info →
March Giveaways
Enter to win this month’s Great Giveaway, the NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE WITH AUDIBLE! Simply click here to vote for your favorite audiobook. Contest ends March 31, 2021 at 3:00 a.m. PST. Good luck!
And don’t miss the latest BookSweeps multi-author promotion–win THE THIRD CALL plus 50+ exciting Cowboy, Firefighter & Hero romances from a great collection of authors…AND a brand new eReader! Click here to enter.
Contest ends March 24, 2021.
Free Audio Codes
Get a FREE US or UK Audible code for these Kate & Walker titles. First come, first served. Please take only if you intend to listen as the number of promo codes are limited. Codes are valid for 48 hours only; after this time, the code may be reissued to another requester. Honest reviews are appreciated. Happy listening!
***Before claiming your audiobook code please make sure you are signed into your Audible account. You do not need to have a paid membership to have an Audible account or claim FREE audiobook codes.
