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Driving School Reccomendations

My eldest child is about to turn 16 in a few days. We've put off taking him to even get his temps, but we won't be able to stall much longer. When I got my license, drivers training was offered through school, but since that's no longer an option, we'll have to put him in a local driving instruction school.

Do any of you have any personal experiences with any of the local ones? Good or bad? I've called around and the prices are pretty much the same, so I guess I'm looking to find out if one is better than the rest?

Thanks in advance for any and all input!

created by justsimplyholly on Jan 07, 2009 at 02:16:03 pm     Comments: 17

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Comments ... #

They don’t offer Drivers Ed in high school anymore? What a rip, that class was a blast.

I have no suggestions other than good luck – my nerves would be shot.

posted by Ryan on Jan 07, 2009 at 02:33:31 pm     #  

Its a pretty crappy deal that they don't have it in schools anymore, not everyone can afford the $300 fee.

posted by tm2 on Jan 07, 2009 at 02:38:36 pm     #  

Our school didn't offer it at the school, but they had a contract with Master Driving School. It was a pretty good class, and the driving part was pretty educational too.

posted by lfrost2125 on Jan 07, 2009 at 03:08:09 pm     #  

We're in the same boat, Holly. Although,we did get him his "temps" and that is able to buy us a little time.

When it comes time, we will probably use Master Driving School on Tremainsville in West Toledo. A number of our friends have used this school and have been satisfied.

posted by karen on Jan 07, 2009 at 03:28:24 pm     #  

Ryan,
I'm a wreck even thinking about being in a car with him behind the wheel. Not that I think he's going to be a bad driver, I'm a wreck when hubby is behind the wheel too. It's those control issues, they get me every time...LOL!

tm2,
$300 would be nice, if I sign him up for one of the schools before the end of the month I can get him in for $350, otherwise it's $375.

lfrost2125,
I know that there is NO WAY we can teach him right, especially since I'm leery of teaching him how to drive and hubby is the one in the family with the tickets..LOL!

Karen,
At least you're a step ahead of me. His birthday is a week from today and it's exam week in school so he'll be home early that day. I plan on surprising him by taking him in that afternoon to get his temp since he "claims" he's been studying the book. Masters is probably the one we're going to end up going with, they have a location just down the road from where I work.

posted by justsimplyholly on Jan 07, 2009 at 04:33:32 pm     #  

Holy big bucks batman, $300? What is included in that mortgage.

I'll teach him how to drive for less than that,lol.

posted by hockeyfan on Jan 07, 2009 at 06:38:06 pm     #  

Some kid....messing with his Driving Instructors

VIDEO:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=J_T2nj-sczo&feature=related

posted by WalterAnthony on Jan 07, 2009 at 07:24:18 pm     #  

I'm only 18 and went to the Masters Driving School in Sylvania when I was 16. It was alright but you don't learn much unless you really don't know the basics. You basically sit there for 6 hours a day watching videos about drunk drivers, can you keep counting the monkeys on the screen while a ball is bouncing, and why not to do drugs. The driving exam to pass the class was an easy class exam. The driving hours which I think you need 8 hours before you can take the real test was really easy. I received the highest score on all of them and they even let me do several two hour sessions which normally the max you can do is an hour. Let's just say the two hour session was one hour spent driving and the other hour just going to Wildwood Park and watching the birds. I have heard the same thing for several of my friends who also went to a few Master Driving schools in different locations. Two years later still accident and ticket free, but like always it depends on how the individual drives behind the wheel cause someone I finished and passed the class with got into an accident two weeks after passing the class because he ran a stop sign. Doubt this helps but it was just my input on the experience of one of the Master Driving schools.

posted by justphillips on Jan 07, 2009 at 08:54:52 pm     #  

justsimplyholly-

In my day we had Drivers Ed in school as well so I have no advice to offer.

I do however offer this..........Good Luck! It can be a very trying time. How my parents ever survived it is beyond me!

posted by angryconsumer on Jan 08, 2009 at 08:17:48 am     #  

Holly, I don't have any recommendation either but, we based our kids' driving on achievement. Thus, by the time they met all criteria they were seventeen and waited until they were eighteen to get their licenses. This took time, patience, nerve and inconvenience but it is an option.

posted by Offshore on Jan 08, 2009 at 09:09:58 am     #  

Holly, sorry i should have said it was $300 when i checked into it about a year and a half ago 8-)

posted by tm2 on Jan 08, 2009 at 10:39:07 am     #  

I think Bedford might offer driver's ed. I saw a car sporting the "Student Driver" and "Bedford HS" signs containing three teenagers and an adult. The car, that is, not the signs. The adult was riding shotgun and talking on his cell phone while the student driver hogged the left lane on Alexis.

Back in the 1960s at good old Sylvania High School there was an old man named Zechman who taught driver's education. One day he loaded up the Chevvy Impala with four students, put one student behind the wheel and headed North on US 23. Traffic was light, the day was pretty and warm...

and Zechman fell asleep.

No, I'm not kidding. He fell asleep right there with four irresponsible teenagers in the car while Northbound on US 23, headed for - you guessed it! - Ann Arbor, that Babylon of licentious, lewd, lascivious hippies, war protesters and ne'er do wells that our mothers warned us about.

The kids kept driving, and pretty soon is was time to get off the breezeway and park the car, and take the keys, and get some lunch, and stroll around downtown Ann Arbor a little, and spin the cube, and come up with a plan for when the kids had to go back to the car.

So the kids did that.

When the kids returned to the car they found that old Zechman had awakened from his little siesta and was trying to explain himself to the Ann Arbor PD. Zechman was not amused at the situation. Neither was the Sylvania High School assistant principal, whose name was Smiling Ed Murbough (I think).

The kids got a very stern lecture and might have got more, but one had the wit to go on the attack, pointing the finger of fate at Zechman and saying, "What about him, falling asleep and all?" Which drew silence from Smiling Ed.

So the kids got a holiday, the class got a good story that everyone will deny, and Zechman got to keep his pension.

posted by madjack on Jan 08, 2009 at 04:06:30 pm     #  

I was reading the news paper for my hometown online last night and clicked on the obituaries and found out that my drivers ed teacher just passed away. Do you think this is some sort of sign? LOL!

And yes MadJack, my drivers ed teacher fell asleep often, leaving all of us kids in a complete panic at first, but once we were more comfortable, we actually enjoyed it...LOL!

posted by justsimplyholly on Jan 08, 2009 at 05:46:33 pm     #  

MadJack, I went to Sylvania too and remember that! My teacher was Hickman, he always made sure there was at least one cheerleader in our car. I didn't mind!

posted by Offshore on Jan 09, 2009 at 09:08:38 am     #  

Hickman!? Was he kind of short and sometimes taught English? My memory is lousy at times, but I think I had a man named Hickman for English class. Not a bad teacher, generally treated the kids pretty well.

I graduated in the class of 1970. You?

posted by madjack on Jan 09, 2009 at 10:07:56 am     #  

'72, the year the 60s ended!

posted by Offshore on Jan 09, 2009 at 10:15:12 am     #  

1972 - I remember it vaguely. I think my English teacher was Harshman.

posted by madjack on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:48:11 pm     #  

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