This morning we wake up to weather. School is delayed two hours. They had snow. Here...we had ice. Getting here to there - priceless? Great opportunity tho to pass along some driving instructions to the one who will be in Driver's Ed this spring...
As we start out I demonstrate the lack of control one has on ice. Wheeeee, that was fun. Can we stop and spin cookies? No.
Back to driving 101. I talk about tail gating being an absolute NO, also about looking ahead, getting the "big" picture, about keeping a cushion around you, about leaving a way out. Our half hour trip turns into 45 minutes. Lots of opportunities to point out driving errors along the way. And I distinctly remember telling him "it's not just about you or your ability to control the car, at least half of it is being able to anticipate and watch out for the other guy. Make sure you're aware not only of what is going on in front of you, but beside you and behind you."
Then we start down a hill.
"Okay, so we're going to go very slowly, we're going increase our distance from that car in front of us, and we're going to look for a way to get around him in case we can't stop at the bottom where everyone is waiting for the light to turn."
The Youngest gives me the old "yeh, yeh, yeh." I am boring him to tears. We proceed and I'm going to be able to stop at the bottom - barely. I look behind me.
Here come two teenagers in a white car. It, however, is not going to stop in time. I tap the gas and as they skid toward us in agonizing, slow motion, our vehicle crawls to the right shoulder and beside the car that was in front of us. The "boys" slide to a stop in the very place I was 2 seconds ago.
"Yup," I say, "Just like that."
There were a couple more interesting incidents before we got to school.
But you know...he looked like he was listening now.
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