She is taking driving lesson

[jrmejia 31]

Morning all,

My fiancee just SMS me to let me know her first driving lesson went well. My assumption is that if she can drive in the Philippines, she can drives anywhere. Driving there is not a piece of cake comparing to the town where I live.

I guess the more she learns to drive there, the less lessons she will need to take here when she comes.

Soon, I will be in cars shopping mode!

[gretchen_darren 67]

LOL, I would RATHER my fiance learn in the US then in the Philippines. Many of the same driving rules apply. BUT, even I will not drive in the Philippines and I have driven cross country 4 times, with more then 450,000 miles since I started driving (I put 200,000 miles on a ford ranger 4x4 in 12 years). Plus I was in the Ukraine. Nothing scares me as much as the Philippines. Filipinos are VERY aggressive, fast drivers. I have yet to see someone pulled over in the Philippines for "traffic" violations.

Best of luck on her learning, but expect a lot of training here regarding the laws of the US. Plus be ready for her frustration when she has to follow those laws. (Besides a ticket or two.) :bonk: (and a few "corrupt policeman" statements...)

[jrmejia 31]

LOL, I would RATHER my fiance learn in the US then in the Philippines. Many of the same driving rules apply. BUT, even I will not drive in the Philippines and I have driven cross country 4 times, with more then 450,000 miles since I started driving (I put 200,000 miles on a ford ranger 4x4 in 12 years). Plus I was in the Ukraine. Nothing scares me as much as the Philippines. Filipinos are VERY aggressive, fast drivers. I have yet to see someone pulled over in the Philippines for "traffic" violations.

Best of luck on her learning, but expect a lot of training here regarding the laws of the US. Plus be ready for her frustration when she has to follow those laws. (Besides a ticket or two.) :bonk: (and a few "corrupt policeman" statements...)

Of course she will takes driving lessons when she comes here. I think I mentioned on my initial post. I saw those guys driving there and I don't think it was funny at all. It is as if each drivers has his/her own rule.

Edited June 8, 2011 by jrmejia

[Kish.2328 9]

LOL, I would RATHER my fiance learn in the US then in the Philippines. Many of the same driving rules apply. BUT, even I will not drive in the Philippines and I have driven cross country 4 times, with more then 450,000 miles since I started driving (I put 200,000 miles on a ford ranger 4x4 in 12 years). Plus I was in the Ukraine. Nothing scares me as much as the Philippines. Filipinos are VERY aggressive, fast drivers. I have yet to see someone pulled over in the Philippines for "traffic" violations.

My fiancé complains the same thing :rofl:

[Messybrownhair 251]

I think its a good idea. Having driven in Manila gave me the confidence to drive here.

Another tip, have her apply for an international driver's license. I have one so I am able to drive here for a year even without a US driver's license. The wait for the green card or EAD can be long, so having an intl license can be real handy.

To get one, she has to have a valid Philippines license, then she will go to the AAP (Automobile Association of the Philippines) and fill up the form and pay Php1800.

[DaveE111 10]

Yep, they are making my hair turn gray. Wife had a license from the Philippines, but elected to get a learners permit in Georgia to practice. We have a 16 year old daughter practicing, and my step daugher from the Philippines will be 15 next month and ready to get her learners permit on her birthday. Wife does really well, but I have to remind her that stop signs are not optional,(even if no one is coming the other way).

Actually, my wife thinks we drive fast in the states. Being from Las Pinas in Manila, life is a perpetual traffic jam. Here we cruise along at 80 mph on the freeway with very little traffic.

[PhilAmTx 14]

i agree what you all said.. i drive motorbike,big or small,i drive car too and i have my own rules hahahaha... joke... but no rules in my small town... but when i went to bigger places whos very strict with the rules,i can apply easily because i know the rules...

[gretchen_darren 67]

I think you forgot, stop signs are optional in California and Washington, D.C..... and in the rural south......

[Markieboy 104]

LOL, I would RATHER my fiance learn in the US then in the Philippines.

Yeah, I agree with you on this. IMHO, it would be better to learn driving here in USA. In the Philippines, there really are no driving rules. Drivers don't stay in their lanes, weave in and out of traffic...without any regard for others. Most have no clue what a turn signal is for...or a horn for that matter. Alot of drivers are ignorant with the traffic signs and lights. Pedestrian crossings are a road decoration...nice to look at, but really mean nothing. With perfectly working traffic lights, you still see police direct traffic! Why? Because most drivers don't stop at a red light.

I first learned driving here in US, and was shocked when learning how to drive Pinoy style. IMHO, I would not advise learning to drive in Philippines first. She may bring alot of bad driving habits over. And that may cost you.

Only my two cents.

[Jubi & Tony 3]

This was a great post and to have my fiancee get her international drivers license was golden. I live in the suburbs and she was telling me "Hon teach me how to get around by using the bus" I was embarassed to reply that we don't have bus routes in the suburbs...Hon you are going to have to learn how to drive ....hehehe but getting the international lic helps prevent the long wait for the other paperwork to allow her to get a US drivers license. Thanks for I want her to be able to get out and about so she doesn't get bored.

[sunandmoon 450]

[EthanJM 0]

Morning all,

My fiancee just SMS me to let me know her first driving lesson went well. My assumption is that if she can drive in the Philippines, she can drives anywhere. Driving there is not a piece of cake comparing to the town where I live.

I guess the more she learns to drive there, the less lessons she will need to take here when she comes.

Soon, I will be in cars shopping mode!

I had my Mom enroll in a driving school in our town so that she already has some basic skills when she gets here. If she will have her Non Professional license in time then she can also use it temporarily to be able to drive around for one year. I will eventually have her go to the DMV and get a license once she gets her Green Card.

Correct me if I am wrong but you don't need to have an "International Driver's License" from the Philippines to drive in California in particular.

Edited June 8, 2011 by EthanJM

[sunandmoon 450]

I had my Mom enroll in a driving school in our town so that she already has some basic skills when she gets here. If she will have her Non Professional license in time then she can also use it temporarily to be able to drive around for one year. I will eventually have her go to the DMV and get a license once she gets her Green Card.

Correct me if I am wrong but you don't need to have an "International Driver's License" from the Philippines to drive in California in particular.

International Driving Permits

The State of California does not recognize an International Driving Permit (IDP) as a valid driver license. California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.

The IDP is only a translation of information contained on a person’s foreign driver license and is not required to operate a motor vehicle in California. Citations issued to a person in California who has an IDP, but does not have a California driver license will be placed on the Department of Motor Vehicle database.

The IDP is also called an International Driver License, International License, etc.

http://dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm

[gretchen_darren 67]

All I tell my fiance when she comes here, is where do you want to go hon?

Fortunately, her family is close to where I presently work. So she can ride with me to work, then go out with them during the day. then we can meet up after work and go home, or go out and do something. if she gets too bored, I can always see about my 11 year old and 4 year old sons staying at the house during the day...THAT would make things really interesting.... DDDDAAAADDD, she served rice for breakfast AAANNNNDDDD for Lunch.... She didn't even take us to McDonalds because they had no rice....

DAAADDDD, she took us to the zoo, but we spent time in the reptiles and fish area. She kept on asking what each fish tasted like..... and if rattlesnake was ACTUALLY edible...

of course my kids would LOVE the Philippine drivers... just like being in NASCAR.... hmmm, maybe I should NOT leave her the keys to the car..... DDDAAADDDD, we want her to drive this time......

[JeWcHee 3]

Should my fiance get an SSN when she gets here and so she can apply for CA drivers licence and ID? Will they grant it?