Any recommendations? Did you use the school, parent-taught, driver school?
quote:Not me!! Mine was 100% legit!
Did the parent taught version. It was easy. The boy watched the modules and took all the online tests. All of the scoring records and documentation printed right out. Yes you theoretically have to document the time behind the wheel but I will wager that 90% of us who went this route didn't keep track of it and just made stuff up.
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(I've lived all over America, and in my unscientific observations, we have the worst drivers I've ever seen here in Texas.
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In my unscientific observations, drivers in Los Angeles are the worse.
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I guess the advice I'd give would depend on what kind of relationship you have with your child.
I didn't grow up in Texas, and when I moved here and heard of the "parent taught" method, I found it to be laughable. To be clear, I'm sure that, for some families, it works just great. My suspicion, and it's only that, is that it works badly for most families, and because we all share the roads, it doesn't work out well for Texans in general. (I've lived all over America, and in my unscientific observations, we have the worst drivers I've ever seen here in Texas. Why? Perhaps, in part, it's because a lot of Texans "learn" to drive from their parents.)
Consider a couple things:
1. When the average 15 year old needs to learn something, it is often (but not always) the case that the two last people on earth that they would want to listen to for wisdom and guidance are Mom and Dad.
2. I personally know a substantial number of people who did the parent taught method solely for convenience -- it's a pain to drive your kid to Austin's Driving School, etc. And many of those people said that they didn't actually do all of the work; they just filled out the paperwork and signed it.
3. Do you really think you're qualified to teach your kid to drive? What makes you say that? Just because you're (presumably) a decent driver doesn't mean that you're the best-equipped person to teach your child to drive. (Just because you might be able to hit a golf ball 250 yards doesn't make you a qualified golf teacher, does it?) And the stakes here are high. Accidents can be deadly. Do you really want to teach your child to be safe with a car? Personally, I'm more comfortable leaving it to someone with training.
In short, good intentions don't always accomplish the ultimate goal, which is to ensure that your child can drive safely, both for his or her sake, and for everyone else's sake.
As I said, I'm sure that the parent method works just fine for some people. But I don't think it's a good idea overall. Just my .02.
[edited for clarity]
My son scored a 98 first try. zero accidents or tickets in first two years. Geez if we went by your 3 choice, nobody would ever be parents. Lack of confidence in one own driving ability would lead to option number 3.
I don't want somebody else teaching my kids to drive, nor about the birds and the bees, nor telling me how to raise my kids, or telling them what to eat, etc etc etc.
To each their own, but you raise and teach your child just about everything they know, except something that is possibly life or death if not trained correctly. I'll leave that option to me.
ad promise self taught is a whole lot more of a pain in the rear than taking your kid to school and dropping off and picking up.
I guess number is 1 is on how close you are to your kids.
quote:Me and my son were out of there in less than an hr, but some apparently get locked in a closet after being flogged locally and drive else where. Enough people saying this that I think it is true at times but not in all cases.
Thanks again for the input, everyone. Driver safety is my concern, not just for his sake, but also for everyone in the community . I think the written test to acquire the permit would not be a problem for him, but I want to make sure that the behind-the-wheel training is comprehensive. I like to think I am competent enough, but then again, rationalizing competency is human nature with most skills that we perform.
Edit to add--why do you say to avoid the local DPS office? It is a lot closer than Huntsville. Is it the customer service aspect? Is the test not rigorous enough?
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I guess the advice I'd give would depend on what kind of relationship you have with your child.