So.... how are the driving lessons going?

[workin4somethin 0]

Anyone done driving lessons recently or have advice on how "not" to just forget about such nonsense?

[eekee 182]

Neither I nor my guy drive at all... Should be interesting when we move back, if we're in a place where it's required.

Probably it's easier for everyone if you send your wife to a driving school and have a professional teach her. That's what i'm going to do for myself, one day far in the future.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I really miss not needing a car! It felt so good to go outside and either walk or catch quick and cheap public transit for everything. But alas it's not possible here. For me, I will teach my Alla myself and save the extra money.

Neither I nor my guy drive at all... Should be interesting when we move back, if we're in a place where it's required.

Probably it's easier for everyone if you send your wife to a driving school and have a professional teach her. That's what i'm going to do for myself, one day far in the future.

[mox 298]

I really miss not needing a car! It felt so good to go outside and either walk or catch quick and cheap public transit for everything. But alas it's not possible here. For me, I will teach my Alla myself and save the extra money.

I used to live less than a 10 minute walk from my workplace, and less than a 10 minute walk from the grocery and drug stores. For over a year I was filling my car's tank about once a month. Unfortunately I moved, so I'm back to the driving thing.

Nadya wants to drive in the worst way. I'll probably teach her myself also.

I can't let this thread go without linking my favorite commercial...

Edited March 1, 2008 by mox

[Neonred 3,454]

My wife is insisting I buy her a NEW car for her birthday (in three months) however she still doesn't know how to drive.

Well...I have worked with her a little bit and she has managed to make it to the end of the street at a top speed of 5 MPH. That's as far as we have gotten in two years.

[Danno 1,228]

Well, I have started the driving lessons.

First thing you must realize is; it is possible your FSU student might have never even driven so much as a go-cart or bumper car before.

The use of gas and brake pedals mean nothing from experience, only from watching a taxi or relative drive.

After realizing this I limited the first few days instruction to simply putting the car in gear and practice working the brake pedal as the car idled forward behind wal-mart.

Don't confuse things by adding the gas pedal until the concept of stepping on the brake is a reflex to stop.

Allow the use of just one (right) foot for both brake and gas, the left foot should do nothing (unless there is a clutch).

After four or five sessions, We are now up to driving around schools (after hours) and business parks and attempts at parking.

[Don E 0]

I can relate my experience with my ex-wife. She had never driven before in her life. I wanted to just pay for a driving school. But, when she found out how much it would cost, she thought that I could teach her. I can relate to what the previous guys have said. I took it really slow and was very careful. We stayed on rural roads and school parking lots to begin with. I think that she took her driving test about three months after we started. She aced the written part, but needed to take the practical twice. She is now a very careful, safe, and good driver. It took her quite awhile to get really comfortable driving, but she did. Lessons learned......be very, very patient, don't raise your voice, and use lots of positive reinforcement. I will admit that I didn't always do so well in this regard. She learned well, but it was a very stressful experience for both of us. Again, looking back, I made it more stressful on her than I needed to or than I should have. In retrospect, I believe it would have been easier on our relationship if I had paid someone else to teach her.

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

My wife came complete with a driving license which was cool. Due to her pregnancy el doctoro said no driving lessons but we found a nice parking lot to give her the chance to frustrate me. She then took the written exam(in russian by request) passed with 100% and then we practiced some more. We bought her driving lessons (go with the package can save a little money), then when we were practicing we got an email from my attorney who informed us that the US (most states at least) honor driving licenses from Russia, so I just called my insurance company and added her to it now Im driving my 20yr old truck to work and my wife is driving my 12 year old car( if you cant tell I hate car payments) So if your SO has a license just practice a bit and make sure she is comfy behind the wheel maybe get her a lesson or two just to get her up to speed on what those pretty lights at all the intersections mean and let her drive.

[eekee 182]

My wife came complete with a driving license which was cool. Due to her pregnancy el doctoro said no driving lessons but we found a nice parking lot to give her the chance to frustrate me. She then took the written exam(in russian by request) passed with 100% and then we practiced some more. We bought her driving lessons (go with the package can save a little money), then when we were practicing we got an email from my attorney who informed us that the US (most states at least) honor driving licenses from Russia, so I just called my insurance company and added her to it now Im driving my 20yr old truck to work and my wife is driving my 12 year old car( if you cant tell I hate car payments) So if your SO has a license just practice a bit and make sure she is comfy behind the wheel maybe get her a lesson or two just to get her up to speed on what those pretty lights at all the intersections mean and let her drive.

seeing the crazy way russians drive and the fact that you can bribe your way into a driver's license, i wouldn't honor them. Driving on the sidewalk to avoid a closed road or on the streetcar tracks to avoid a traffic jam, anyone?

[workin4somethin 0]

My wife came complete with a driving license which was cool. Due to her pregnancy el doctoro said no driving lessons but we found a nice parking lot to give her the chance to frustrate me. She then took the written exam(in russian by request) passed with 100% and then we practiced some more. We bought her driving lessons (go with the package can save a little money), then when we were practicing we got an email from my attorney who informed us that the US (most states at least) honor driving licenses from Russia, so I just called my insurance company and added her to it now Im driving my 20yr old truck to work and my wife is driving my 12 year old car( if you cant tell I hate car payments) So if your SO has a license just practice a bit and make sure she is comfy behind the wheel maybe get her a lesson or two just to get her up to speed on what those pretty lights at all the intersections mean and let her drive.

Actually, I think my wife does have a Russian driving license. She was given driving lessons in Moscow about four years ago. I will have to research whether that will have a positive impact on her getting licensed here. However, I was more than a bit shaken the one time I have let her behind the wheel. It was really something to witness.

Some of these Russian women are incredulous when it comes to certain tasks. I think my wife would spend just as much time and energy trying to pack 13 eggs into a 12-egg carton as she would trying to learn to drive.

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

Well my wife is not from Moscow so i dont know about driving on the sidewalks, but its not exactly absent from behavior in the US. Quote from my wife"Why does everyone drive so fast, the limit is 25" my reply "they are in a hurry to get to their accident"

Actually my wife does very well on the roads, I dont live in a huge city so she is taking her time trying to find things. Lets see, she knows where her friend lives(who doesnt drive by the way), she knows where my mother lives(babysitting), and she knows where the mall is. I think that covers it for her hehehehe

[irish44 0]

I would like to share this clip for the Wives who wish to learn to drive.. It's scary on the roads!

Just show them the link below!

Driving is Scary!

[slim 1,514]

My wife has an international drivers license that she got prior to coming here. She claims to have gone through an instruction course although I've demanded several times that she get her money back.

"Reverse" is a foreign concept.

"Turning" is a foreign concept. (Slowing down before turning is also a foreign concept.... but let's not celebrate it.)

"Yield, Right-of-way, following distance, braking distance, signalling, parking, merging, changing lanes..." and just about every other necessary operation seems to have been left out of the core curriculum of her driving school.

And don't get me started on things like seat belts and blind-spots.

It's been a "fun" experience. We bought her a new car a couple weeks ago so she could "practice" (which must mean LEARN FOR THE FIRST TIME in Russian) driving and she's made significant improvement. While I don't think driving lessons (that you pay for) are necessary, I think it's important to stay very, very cool and allow them to take their time and learn at their own pace. It also seems that "encouragement" works better than "instruction."

[eekee 182]

Well my wife is not from Moscow so i dont know about driving on the sidewalks, but its not exactly absent from behavior in the US. Quote from my wife"Why does everyone drive so fast, the limit is 25" my reply "they are in a hurry to get to their accident"

Actually my wife does very well on the roads, I dont live in a huge city so she is taking her time trying to find things. Lets see, she knows where her friend lives(who doesnt drive by the way), she knows where my mother lives(babysitting), and she knows where the mall is. I think that covers it for her hehehehe

i wasn't talking about moscow.

[Chuckles 0]

I taught my wife to drive. We started in a huge parking lot and went REAL SLOW. Don't try and push her, and don't let her out of the parking lots until she can really drive! That is my advice.

Go at night when no one is around in one of the larger employers in the area, or shopping mall. Security may harass you, but whatever, just go home and come back the next night when a more relaxed security guard is around.

It took about a month in the parking lots before we moved to the streets. Don't do any yelling, just be calm and relaxed as you can be. She was ready for the test in about 2 months. She aced the written but had to take the practical 4 times. Each time she did not pass it was 'the end of the world' for her, but anyway... on the fourth try she got nearly 100 percent. Each time she failed she had a female instructor, she had a male instructor the time she passed. Don't know what that means, draw your own conclusions...