Learning to wash may be more challenging than learning to
drive
Warning: another teen is now officially behind the wheel in
Hollister. This is a public service announcement from a concerned
parent and fellow driver who a few weeks ago wrote about his
15-and-a-half-year-old son itching to drive.
That young man is now officially permitted by the State of
California to handle a vehicle on public roadways as long as he is
accompanied by a licensed driver over the age of 25. So if you see
some punk kid in a baseball hat holding tight with both hands to
the steering wheel of a Ford truck with a frightened dad sitting
next to him
– ever vigilant – you’ll know to get out of the way.
Learning to wash may be more challenging than learning to drive
Warning: another teen is now officially behind the wheel in Hollister. This is a public service announcement from a concerned parent and fellow driver who a few weeks ago wrote about his 15-and-a-half-year-old son itching to drive.
That young man is now officially permitted by the State of California to handle a vehicle on public roadways as long as he is accompanied by a licensed driver over the age of 25. So if you see some punk kid in a baseball hat holding tight with both hands to the steering wheel of a Ford truck with a frightened dad sitting next to him – ever vigilant – you’ll know to get out of the way.
After I wrote about giving my son driving lessons on an abandoned stretch of roadway, the newspaper received a letter of concern from a person who reminded me that my son would be better served to follow the proper process and sign up for driver’s training. I am no scofflaw and I am not raising one, so we of course have followed the law and gone through the proper channels to make sure another teen gets to handle a two-ton vehicle on our local roadways.
My son is a smart kid – straight A’s, perfect attendance, that sort of thing – but he admittedly lacks common sense in some situations, such as emptying the pockets of his jeans before they are washed. Now that my oldest boy is starting to carry more important documents, I’m concerned.
His wallet has been washed at least two times; countless pieces of paper have become unidentifiable, hardened globs after going through the washer and dryer; and he has alternately had his work permit and associated student body card go through the spin cycle by accident this year.
Two weeks ago, the day he bought a Tim Lincecum rookie baseball card at Bill’s Bullpen, the two-time Cy Young Award winner went for a spin and a tumble in our washer and dryer by accident. Thankfully, Timmy was encased in plastic and miraculously came through without incident.
Because my son does have about as much wisdom as a soon-to-be-sophomore can be expected to have, he is beginning to learn from his mistakes – I think – and being more cognizant of washing only things that he can wear, not things that he can write on or that cost money, or fall apart in water, or require Mom or Dad to stand in line to get replacement copies for.
The driver’s permit, something he seems to treasure more than his report card or trophies, is encased in plastic that is sealed with red duct tape. It is air-tight and seemingly waterproof. More importantly, it is way too large to accidentally be left in his jeans and go through the washing machine.
Now that he has his permit, my son suddenly is all too happy to accompany me to the grocery store when we need milk and eggs, as long as he can drive. Mom needs gas in the car? Let’s go, Dad, I’ve got the keys.
He even surprised me recently by washing and vacuuming the truck in the driveway without being asked. I told him that once he is behind the wheel, he’ll want his ride to be as clean as possible.
The first few weeks of driving with dad have been incident-free for my son, thank goodness. No fender-benders or near-collisions. No being flipped off or honked at by angry drivers. No air bag deployments.
We are taking this teaching and learning to drive thing slowly. It’s a wonderful opportunity and privilege as well as a challenge for all involved. One of the biggest challenges, it seems, will be to keep the permit and later, the license, out of the washing machine.
Adam Breen writes a blog at http://thebreenblog.blogspot.com. He teaches newspaper and yearbook classes at San Benito High School and is a reporter for The Pinnacle. He is former editor of The Free Lance.
