RUB Drivers

[springfox 0]

Hey all, I know driving has been a topic of conversation here before, but I was curious if anyone had any huge problems teaching their SO how to drive. At first my fiancee said 'Oh, I 'll just take the bus !' Not an option. So, I have been looking at cars and all the necessary steps to get her behind the wheel, but was curious if anyone had any cultural learning experiences with this process. I think it will be fun fixing the car and watching the insurance go sky high.. J/K...but I am kinda excited because she has never been behind the wheel of a car.....and after this video....my wheels started turning...hmmmmmm...any tips or advice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsibNDHf3BM

Edited April 1, 2011 by springfox

[YuAndDan 153]

Video had me laughing my ash off! Looks like trying to learn to drive a big truck from the looks of it.

In my case it was a BIG challenge teaching my wife to drive, it took her 6 tries at road tests over about 2 years to finally get her DL in the state of NY, she thought i was teaching wrong so insisted on a driving school, which she failed road test after, it took 3 more tries after the driving school, and my patient training to finally get it into her head proper technique.

In my time I taught my siblings, and even did some training of drivers as to how drive an 18-wheeler, my wife was the biggest challenge.

[LvivLovers 39]

I gave my wife quite a few lessons....probably at least 10 for 2 hours+ each. I took her to an empty parking lot and had her pretend there were cars parked in various spots so she could practice parallel parking, backing in, etc. Also, just to make sure she was really good at maneuvering, I just had her drive around in reverse for about 30 minutes at a time around some little islands in the lot. I'd tell her where I wanted her to go and she'd do it. Lots of times, I'd have her park the car and get out to see what the real situation was versus what she perceived sitting behind the wheel....for example, how straight her parking really was. To make sure she could handle distractions, I cranked up Judas Priest, Megadeth, and other metal bands...it was actually more for me than her to be honest, but I wrote it into the plan... I have to say...she is one hell of a driver today! I even let her drive to Hilton Head in heavy rains with almost no visibility while I was fast asleep next to her! Overall, I think it has to do with the individual and how much patience/effort you want to put into it. Good luck!

[slim 1,525]

If you can get someone else to teach them... that's the best way!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey all, I know driving has been a topic of conversation here before, but I was curious if anyone had any huge problems teaching their SO how to drive. At first my fiancee said 'Oh, I 'll just take the bus !' Not an option. So, I have been looking at cars and all the necessary steps to get her behind the wheel, but was curious if anyone had any cultural learning experiences with this process. I think it will be fun fixing the car and watching the insurance go sky high.. J/K...but I am kinda excited because she has never been behind the wheel of a car.....and after this video....my wheels started turning...hmmmmmm...any tips or advice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsibNDHf3BM

"Huge difficulty"? No. But it is not easy. I will strongly suggest that you hire a professional instructor if you can. Alla wanted me to teach her but there were a few "Silent nights" around our house. She hit a lot o stuff she wasn't supposed to. I fixed a few neighbors mailboxes and she went into the ditch a few times in the first few days.

If you are going to teach her yourself, I suggest a small car with auto transmission. Be as patientas possible. You WILL experience moments of pure terror. You are warned.

Teaching the boys to drive was MUCH easier and they caught on very quickly.

Once she learns to drive she will lose ALL interest in riding buses. Promise.

[WARREN-IRINA 1]

Irina has her license but has not driven for a few years. I am going to take her to work on some of the contrution and demolition jobs and let her get a feel of truck driving and see some of the stupid things I see peole do while driving.

There is a truck driving school by my bosses yard so I can let her look at how the teach truck drivers. Those instructors walk beside the trucks as they teach the student driver to back and park the trucks. (I learned delivering hay in barnyards designed in the horse and wagon days.)

When I take Irina out to check out her driving skills it will be in the desert or in the forest where there is no traffic. If It looks like she needs help I will send her with my daughter and let them sort it out.

Gary you sound like you took Alla to Moab on the Steel Bender or Metal Masher 4X4 Trails.

If you go to the Easter Jeep Safari and screw up, the Red Rock 4 Wheelers will put some kind of a name on that spot forever to remember you by. Like an unsecured lunch in the back of a jeep and the hill has been called Patato Salad Hill for over 30 years now.

[ONA 133]

I have my license, I got it about 1.5 ago, but I don't do a lot of driving in Russia... that's why my fiance was scared to death when i took him to his dad's house last summer i'm glad he didn't have a heart attack riding all that time in the passenger's seat. and he was not that scared on the way back, so it's all good.

he also wants me to drive with an istructor for a little while in the States.

[slim 1,525]

I don't ride with my wife. If we're going somewhere together... I drive. She's a good driver, it's just not good for our relationship!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Irina has her license but has not driven for a few years. I am going to take her to work on some of the contrution and demolition jobs and let her get a feel of truck driving and see some of the stupid things I see peole do while driving.

There is a truck driving school by my bosses yard so I can let her look at how the teach truck drivers. Those instructors walk beside the trucks as they teach the student driver to back and park the trucks. (I learned delivering hay in barnyards designed in the horse and wagon days.)

When I take Irina out to check out her driving skills it will be in the desert or in the forest where there is no traffic. If It looks like she needs help I will send her with my daughter and let them sort it out.

Gary you sound like you took Alla to Moab on the Steel Bender or Metal Masher 4X4 Trails.

If you go to the Easter Jeep Safari and screw up, the Red Rock 4 Wheelers will put some kind of a name on that spot forever to remember you by. Like an unsecured lunch in the back of a jeep and the hill has been called Patato Salad Hill for over 30 years now.

We started her driving in empty parking lots and worked up to mostly deserted roads on islands in Lake Champlain. It took about a month to get her up to driving in "the city"

She got her license after two months. She has never had an "at fault" accident with another car. She did go off the road and end up in a bog once last winter but that happens to everyone now and again, it IS Vermont and it WAS winter. No matter what, you ARE going to ditch a car every now and again. I avoided it this year, barely, but two years ago I had to be jerked out by a winch three times and once last year.

I don't ride with my wife. If we're going somewhere together... I drive. She's a good driver, it's just not good for our relationship!

Same here, if we are together, I drive. Alla still has the "Women should not really be driving" attitude. Men are preferable as drivers.

[slim 1,525]

Alla still has the "Women should not really be driving" attitude. Men are preferable as drivers.

Can't say I disagree!

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

I don't ride with my wife. If we're going somewhere together... I drive. She's a good driver, it's just not good for our relationship!

[visaveteran1 33]

This is a topical issue for me. My wife flunked her first driving test because she could not understand anything the tester said. The tester was middle eastern and my wife was nervous and just couldn't understand the commands from the tester. She never got out of the parking lot!

Her driving is actually getting pretty good but I'm concerned about her understanding the testers commands. 99% of the testers here are immigrants so we have an issue with clearly spoken English from both my wife and the testers. My wife is in Russia now for a long visit. She was supposed to take the driving test before she left but she decided to wait. She feared if she flunked again she would go to Russia feeling badly about the test. I agreed. She has two more shots. I'm hoping she lucks out and gets a good or merciful tester.

BTW, I had a Russian speaking driving instructor take her out a number of times in the beginning. Cost me quite a bit of money. He took her for her driving test and after she flunked I took over training her. It has been difficult and my blood pressure has gone pretty high but she's slowly getting better.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

This is a topical issue for me. My wife flunked her first driving test because she could not understand anything the tester said. The tester was middle eastern and my wife was nervous and just couldn't understand the commands from the tester. She never got out of the parking lot!

Her driving is actually getting pretty good but I'm concerned about her understanding the testers commands. 99% of the testers here are immigrants so we have an issue with clearly spoken English from both my wife and the testers. My wife is in Russia now for a long visit. She was supposed to take the driving test before she left but she decided to wait. She feared if she flunked again she would go to Russia feeling badly about the test. I agreed. She has two more shots. I'm hoping she lucks out and gets a good or merciful tester.

BTW, I had a Russian speaking driving instructor take her out a number of times in the beginning. Cost me quite a bit of money. He took her for her driving test and after she flunked I took over training her. It has been difficult and my blood pressure has gone pretty high but she's slowly getting better.

Is there a Visaveteran2?

Alla had a couple of issues in driving that seemed to take a long time to "cure". She got over hitting mailboxes after 3 of them were killed quickly and humanely. But she had problems with maintaining a steady speed (she hates cruise control) and she was always drifting in the lane. She stayed in the lane, but not in the middle of the lane.

Orienteering is another matter. I got her a GPS and that helps alot but she is still "discovering" places on her own. The other day she "disappeared" for several hours and when she got home she said she "discovered" that the "other end of Williston Rd. goes to 5 corners and from there, if you turn right, it goes to Marshall's and Bed, Bath and Beyond!" She said this as she unloaded bags from her hatchback.

[slim 1,525]

she could not understand anything the tester said.

In many states you're allowed a translator. Maybe in yours?

I got her a GPS

I will not buy my wife a GPS. I want her to learn her way around without needing it. I know so many folks who can't find their way up the street because they don't have their GPS.

Like Russian TV channels, I want her to learn the right way first.

[Nasturtium 500]

I will not buy my wife a GPS. I want her to learn her way around without needing it. I know so many folks who can't find their way up the street because they don't have their GPS.

Yeah, no kidding... and the same people get really pizzed if you won't cater to their GPS-dependant needs. I've never seen so many full-grown men scream and throw things over not getting their way with their GPS. Ridiculous.