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

[slim 1,530]

Wife didnt have a problem with any of those things just simple things like watching the massive potholes and hitting them

That's because in Russia there is no avoiding potholes. She'd have to hit them there, there are just too many. Why not hit them here too?

They say those that can do and those that cant teach.

That is the dumbest saying ever. I've heard it before and it never really made sense to me because I'm the type of guy that if you can't do it, or haven't done it before, then I'm not going to give you the credibility to teach me to do it. I've seen it so many times. Brand new guy is going to "teach" us how to do our job because he just got hired in to teach us.

Riiiiiight.

Or even worse, someone flunked out of the class or whatever and now they're the instructor. Couldn't pass the test but they're good enough to present the material to me?

Get the flock outta here.

Third time was the charm here. Though to be fair, the first two times were in a stick shift, and the failure was for "improper shifting." Passing was easy in an automatic.

Good reminder - we need to go to the DMV to renew her license this week.

Gas prices don't bother us much, haven't bought a tank of gas in 3 months.

I don't understand how people (girls) from another country, a country where over 75% of the vehicles are stick shift, can come here and complain that driving a stick is "too hard" and a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, must be purchased simply for ease of driving and passing the test.

What a bunch of balogna.

But, who's really the sucker? I've got a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, sitting out in the driveway. We needed another car payment like we needed an "upgraded" USCIS.

Not buying gas would be awesome. I think my Jeep eats almost as much as I do.

[eekee 182]

I don't understand how people (girls) from another country, a country where over 75% of the vehicles are stick shift, can come here and complain that driving a stick is "too hard" and a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, must be purchased simply for ease of driving and passing the test.

What a bunch of balogna.

But, who's really the sucker? I've got a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, sitting out in the driveway. We needed another car payment like we needed an "upgraded" USCIS.

Not buying gas would be awesome. I think my Jeep eats almost as much as I do.

That confuses me too. Technically, it's illegal to get a license in Russia without knowing how to drive stick shift.

[slim 1,530]

I don't understand how people (girls) from another country, a country where over 75% of the vehicles are stick shift, can come here and complain that driving a stick is "too hard" and a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, must be purchased simply for ease of driving and passing the test.

What a bunch of balogna.

But, who's really the sucker? I've got a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, sitting out in the driveway. We needed another car payment like we needed an "upgraded" USCIS.

Not buying gas would be awesome. I think my Jeep eats almost as much as I do.

That confuses me too. Technically, it's illegal to get a license in Russia without knowing how to drive stick shift.

And my wife has a license issued in Russia. She says she passed the test there with a manual transmission. But yet here, it's "impossible to drive this masheena" with a stick shift.

I had an automatic pick-up truck before, but it was "too big" to drive. It's almost like the "inability" to do it is directly connected to the "desire" to drive a car of her choosing. But, that may not be true either as the small automatic new car isn't exactly aiding her in driving well. It does make her feel better though... and when the wife is happy, everyone is happy!

[Blues Fairy 0]

I don't understand how people (girls) from another country, a country where over 75% of the vehicles are stick shift, can come here and complain that driving a stick is "too hard" and a new car, equipped with automatic transmission, must be purchased simply for ease of driving and passing the test.

That confuses me too. Technically, it's illegal to get a license in Russia without knowing how to drive stick shift.

I've driven stick for a month while studied for my license in 2000, on an antediluvian kopeika, then passed the driving test and immediately started driving an automatic shift. Later bought my own car with an AT which was quite handy in Moscow traffic jams. To drive stick again, I'd have to at least spend a few days remembering how to do it.

BTW, I noticed here in Raleigh DMV, they offer learner's books in Spanish but they don't have any in English. What's the official language in this country?!!

[mox 298]

It's almost like the "inability" to do it is directly connected to the "desire" to drive a car of her choosing.

Now that's just crazy talk right there!

BTW, I noticed here in Raleigh DMV, they offer learner's books in Spanish but they don't have any in English. What's the official language in this country?!!

Here in California you can get a drivers handbook in Russian. (PDF here.) I sent one to Nadya, but the package I sent it in disappeared. I hope some postal goon is enjoying their drivers handbook, stuffed animal, and book of bedtime stories.

[eekee 182]

BTW, I noticed here in Raleigh DMV, they offer learner's books in Spanish but they don't have any in English. What's the official language in this country?!!

There isn't any.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Amazingly true. We have no official language. FWIW, you can get the driver's materials in Russian in Ohio.

BTW, I noticed here in Raleigh DMV, they offer learner's books in Spanish but they don't have any in English. What's the official language in this country?!!

There isn't any.

[slim 1,530]

Amazingly true. We have no official language. FWIW, you can get the driver's materials in Russian in Ohio.

True, but you can't get a straight answer from the BMV testing center on whether it's required to take a written and/or practical or just a practical or just a written or just a new picture for a license from a state ID. We even had one office tell us if we were to get her a learner's permit (Temp license) then it would void her international drivers license and she'd have to start all over.

Kind of makes me yearn for the days of visiting the Social Security office and filling out the SS-5 every week.

At any rate, we went driving yesterday and it was an interesting experience. We were practicing in a big movie theater parking lot where there's a sign that says "No driver training in parking lot." Well, that didn't stop us from driving through the cones that were already set up in the driving test arrangement. (Nor did it stop the other two cars that were "not practicing") and not even when the police showed up to take a break and do paperwork were we required to stop.

Both my wife and her sister took turns (no pun intended) driving and even though I've never seen their mother drive I have a feeling that she too probably needs some instruction. So yes, it runs in the family.

I'm still amazed that it's possible for an adult person to not be able to drive a car after a few hours of practice. I realize there are things that are hard the first time or if you're not used to doing them, but I can't think of anything physical/mental etc. that would be "hard" for me to do with a few hours of practice. Anyone have anything that I can use to justify this to myself? Something that I can say "Man, she can't drive. Well, I guess I can't XXXXXX, so it's not so bad that she can't drive."

[mox 298]

I'm still amazed that it's possible for an adult person to not be able to drive a car after a few hours of practice. I realize there are things that are hard the first time or if you're not used to doing them, but I can't think of anything physical/mental etc. that would be "hard" for me to do with a few hours of practice. Anyone have anything that I can use to justify this to myself? Something that I can say "Man, she can't drive. Well, I guess I can't XXXXXX, so it's not so bad that she can't drive."

Or we could just take the low road and say that women have a harder time grasping these concepts because they have tinier brains, or all the blood rushes to their womb or something. I say that only because we've seen a real decline in visitors to the forum lately and it's starting to get all Russified again.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Standing by...

I'm still amazed that it's possible for an adult person to not be able to drive a car after a few hours of practice. I realize there are things that are hard the first time or if you're not used to doing them, but I can't think of anything physical/mental etc. that would be "hard" for me to do with a few hours of practice. Anyone have anything that I can use to justify this to myself? Something that I can say "Man, she can't drive. Well, I guess I can't XXXXXX, so it's not so bad that she can't drive."

Or we could just take the low road and say that women have a harder time grasping these concepts because they have tinier brains, or all the blood rushes to their womb or something. I say that only because we've seen a real decline in visitors to the forum lately and it's starting to get all Russified again.

[slim 1,530]

See, that's the thing though, I don't really think it's just because she's a woman. Although, it seems guys can pretty much "take the bull by the horns" on something like driving a car. I don't know if it's just masculine pride "I should be able to drive a car" or if it's a natural ability. Seems like some women either just don't care or actually think it's supposed to take a year or two of practice before they really get it down. I don't know. I'm kind of lost right now.

[russ 1]

I'm still amazed that it's possible for an adult person to not be able to drive a car after a few hours of practice.

Well, most of us grow up her spending time in cars every day. If you don't grow up in a "car culture," there are some difficult concepts to grasp.

Most people can fly an airplane after a few hours of practice as well. (I think my first solo was after 9 hours of instruction). And airplanes more knobs and buttons than cars do.

[mox 298]

I'm still amazed that it's possible for an adult person to not be able to drive a car after a few hours of practice.

Well, most of us grow up her spending time in cars every day. If you don't grow up in a "car culture," there are some difficult concepts to grasp.

Most people can fly an airplane after a few hours of practice as well. (I think my first solo was after 9 hours of instruction). And airplanes more knobs and buttons than cars do.

12 hours until solo for me. But I think it has a lot to do with how guys are brought up vs how girls are brought up. We're brought up to be interested in gears and switches and knobs (especially knobs *ahem*) while girls (esp our girls) are brought up in a softer culture. So our brains are already wired for this stuff.

[peejay 327]

I really had my hands full when my then 42 year old wife and 18 year old stepdaughter arrived in Houston in March 2004. Neither ever had a driver's license or had much experience driving. They had used public transportation all their lives in Russia and Belarus.

I took them to a neighborhood church parking lot that was empty most of the time and had no traffic. I sat in the car many times while they drove around the parking lot in circles and practiced parking for hours. It was relatively low stress and boring for me, but it gave them a feel for driving. My car had an automatic tranny which made it easier on them.

My wife and stepdaughter were fluent in English already when they arrived in the USA. I managed to get some generic Russian language driving handbooks to use along with the official Texas driver's handbook which the state only prints in English and Spanish. They took the written test in English without help or we would have had to hire an interpreter (or bring a bilingual friend) to translate the computer based test for them as per the TxDoT rules. They both passed the written test.

Once they both had their learner's permits the fun began. The stress level went way up for me when we hit the streets for them to practice in the real world. I tried to schedule our lessons when traffic was light or we would go driving in rural areas. There were several tense moments and temper tantrums during our lessons, but we managed to get through it without a divorce.

They arrived in March 2004 and both had passed their Tx driver's license tests by the end of August 2004. Of course that isn't the end of the story. My stepdaughter doesn't drive anymore because she cannot afford to own a car (or buy gas to put in it), so she takes the bus to work or her boyfriend drives her around. My wife has her own car. She is a good driver, but has some bad driving habits I have been trying to help her to get rid of (without success). It can be real scary to be a passenger in her car in dense city traffic. I have been driving in the big city for 35 years and I am well schooled in the concepts of defensive driving and driving etiquette. My wife has a lot more to learn even though she has a license. I'm thankful she works close to home and seldom travels outside our neighborhood without me to keep her out of trouble on the crazy streets of Houston.

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

Or we could just take the low road and say that women have a harder time grasping these concepts because they have tinier brains, or all the blood rushes to their womb or something.

Umm I dont think there has ever been a direct correlation between brain size and intelligence, remember that Neaderthal's had brains that we nearly 30% larger than modern humans, would that make them smarter????

I say that only because we've seen a real decline in visitors to the forum lately and it's starting to get all Russified again.

Strange comment in the Russia forum, would you prefer it get canadified, or frenchified?

See, that's the thing though, I don't really think it's just because she's a woman. Although, it seems guys can pretty much "take the bull by the horns" on something like driving a car. I don't know if it's just masculine pride "I should be able to drive a car" or if it's a natural ability. Seems like some women either just don't care or actually think it's supposed to take a year or two of practice before they really get it down. I don't know. I'm kind of lost right now.

I think women tend to be so afraid of doing it wrong and having to hear about it that fear takes over. My wife tells me she only has problems when I am in the car. Now she drives on her own and when we go somewhere together I drive, Problem solved.