My late brother and my father.

Sheryl - NJ

Mom taught me when I was 15.

My Dad taught me in a straight stick. Man, that was a screaming time! LOL I was just old enough to get my D L, must have been 16.
One time my brother was in the back seat, he thought he was going to die! What a snot! LOL He was a year younger then I. It took him 2 tries to pass the test, I past in 1 try. Tah tah!

That was also the last car I ever drove with a straight stick.

My father paid for a professional driving school, and only then would he get into a car with me at the wheel...to practice for my test (which I did pass on the 1st try)

My Dad taught me when I was about 10 or 11 - a stick shift. I passed first try when I was 16 and came home with a chauffers license as it was in September and they were 1/2 price. I decided to spend the $3.00 he gave me and get the chauffers.

Those were the days. It was a 1935 Ford.

My Mom taught me when I was 15. We shopped in 2 different towns which were both 30 miles away. Once we left the house, she would let me drive until we were on the outskirts and then she would take over. She was a great teacher. Just before taking my test when I turned 16, my Dad taught me to parallel park.

I taught myself to drive a horse and buggy. I don't drive anything else but a riding mower :)

Sue

We had Driver's Ed when I was in school so I think the first time I ever got behind the wheel of a car was with one of the football coaches. Then I learned from my Dad. My brother taught me how to drive stick.

Trish

My husband taught me. Thank goodness, that was before he took pursuit drivers training while on the police force. Otherwise, I might be a "dangerous" driver like him. LOL

Moni

Drivers Ed in high school. Later practice with my dad. Learned to drive stick in a "windowless" van on a twisty mountain road when DH kept falling asleep at the wheel and had me take over. LOL

Dad taught me when I was 15. Put me in the ancient Ford truck - stick shift, no power steering or brakes on a bumpy subdivision road. Took out a mailbox after the first block.

My driving didn't improve much for a few years.

Gracious, that was so long ago I can hardly remember, but it had to be my Dad, who wasn't a very patient man, so I'm surprised I don't remember more. Of course, that was 60 years ago! I was 20 years old and working and having to find a ride to work with someone else, which wasn't easy as we lived in the country. I finally, before I knew how to drive, bought a used orange coupe. It was a company car that had belonged to Jacobson Lawn Mower Company and that was their company color. I guess he thought it was safer to teach me to drive in my own car rather than the family vehicle. After a couple years I bought the only brand new car I ever had, a Plymouth.

A driving teacher. My folks paid for lessons as a gift to me -- I highly recommend this!

One of the high school coaches who taught drivers' ed in the summer. That was in 1952. He is long ago deceased, but I still hear his voice telling me to do "such and such" when I am driving.

When I took drivers ed in school, it was a full semester course. You spent 6 wks in a classroom before you were allowed behind the wheel of a car. Then the next 12 wks were in a car for approx 40 minutes a day, 5 days a wk, with 3 other students. I spent almost all summer that year practicing parallel parking on our land, using a set-up Dad created out of 2 x 4s. The only error I made in my driving tests (both written and driving) was I didn't think I'd parked correctly the first time, so pulled forward and did it again. The highway patrol guy said it was perfect the first time. I have NEVER actually parallel parked since then unless I can 'pull right into the space'!!

Shirley

We lived in a housing development, the only stay-at-home wife/mother who didn't drive, but we had two cars. Some of the neighbors convinced me to get my permit, and when ever any of the neighbor gals needed to go on an errand.....I got another driving lesson. They must have been good teachers. I passed the road test the first time. Dottie

My dad taught me when I was 14. Then I had to wait two years to get my license. We had a '49 Studebaker with a stick shift. He would take me out to country roads and teach me. My mom rode in the back seat and covered her eyes. I got my learner's permit on my 16th birthday and went back the next day and got my license.

My dad - I practiced pulling forward and backing up in the yard. Wasn't my fault that the septic tank was somewhere in the middle! LOL

My grandfather used to let me drive from the outskirts of town to the farm. I remember he had a brand new Dodge Desoto (?) It was gold and white and was a shiny beauty. This was the first car I drove. When we had to turn the first corner he told me to turn the steering wheel to the right--which I did. Darn it, he didn't tell me to turn the wheel BACK to the left. The beautiful car ended up in the ditch and my grandpa said some not-so-nice words. I knew he was mad because he never talked like that. But he did let me drive again.

After that I took driver training. Oh--my oldest sister wrecked the driver training car and sent the teacher to the hospital for stitches. Hmmm! Guess how happy he was to see another one of us sisters? I learned pretty good though. Never had a ticket or been pulled over.

Now learning to shift gears is a whole 'nother story.

I was 14 when dad would let me drive once in a while. I too learned on a stick shift. Mom would send me up town for a couple of groceries, or to get the mail. I didn't have my license yet, but it was a small town. At 16, I got my license, and had to do my test in Omaha. I passed the 1st try.
Leslie

My Dad taught me to drive when I was 16. My first husband (now ex-) taught ne to drive a stick-shift in 1975, the same year we split up.

I first learned to drive on a tractor. A cranky thing with stick shift and I had to stand up to reach the clutch. I must have been about 10. I had to take over the field work because my sister and brother were gone and my dad worked full time.

I officially learned to drive in HS drivers' ed. I failed my first driving test because when the examiner told me to make a panic stop, I did and he slid off the seat (LOL). Passed the second test.

My dad did bring in an instructor to teach me how to parallel park -- which I can still do on either side of the street.

My then boyfriend taught me on his 1950 something Ford stick shift. I can remember driving down one of the main roads in Houston Texas about 50 years ago and him telling me "It's okay. You can drive more than 10 mph." I've always been glad that I learned to drive on a stick shift.

Dad tried to, but at 17 driving across the CA desert to AZ at night, Dad got sleepy so I said I would drive. Guess I fell asleep, next thing I knew, we were going bump, bump etc and Daddy sure woke up in a hurry. Next driving lesson was with a professional driver down town Los Angels and he took us (mom & I ) on every new freeway, road. Sure was glad for that. By the way, first car--1936 plymoth--floor board shift and yes Daddy taught me how to speed shift. Still can do it to this day. Made all our kids learn to drive stick shift and one got a job because of it.

My late father taught me, with an automatic. I took classes in high school which consisted mainly of a goofy trailer with seats and a screen so you supposedly felt you were driving but usually they didn't work right or were broken. I never did learn how to drive a stick shift, I must be one of the very few.

I always kid my sister because she can only drive automatic transmission cars. I tell her she doesn't really drive, she just steers. I think everyone should learn on a stick shift, then you can drive anything.

Took Driver's Ed in high school, stick shift only. Nearly every car we have owned has been stick shift. Our DDs learned driving here on the farm with the truck helping their Dad haul in hay, stick shift of course.

My father, when I was 11.
In the city where we lived, there was a big Sears store set off in a large parking lot all by itself, and 'back in those days' many stores were closed on Sundays. So, we'd go early on a Sunday morning, and he'd have me drive round and round.:)

In high school, I had drivers ed. I flunked my first test by driving 5 miles too fast in a school zone.:(

But even after obtaining my license, I was too scared to go through the drive-thru of Jack-in-the-Box for something like over a year! I was afraid of hitting one of the poles and knocking down the building!:)

I vaguely remember being taught by a driver's ed teacher, who was also my history teacher. My old boyfriend a few years later attempted to teach me how to drive a stick shift.

My father, more or less. He had no patience and I had a hard time with the stick shift. Later on I had to drive to work, and I took the back roads, and so I taught myself.

My father taught me to drive a stick shift on old country roads but didn't have much patience with me. I did better in Drivers Ed.

When we were kids...our step dad would take us all out into the country. He would get in the back seat and he would make us all take turns driving on the gravel roads. Me, my older sister and my little sister. Our Mom would sit in the passenger seat, smoke cigarettes and not let us roll the windows down. He didn't really teach us to drive. He just cut us loose. I can only imagine what would have happened had we wrecked the car. He was not a very nice man and I was terrified of him.

The first vehicle I bought was a pickup truck with a 3 speed on the column. I taught myself to drive that.

I took driver's ed during the summer through the high school program. I got straight A's, was the best parallel parker in the entire class and passed my test on the first try...the only one in the class to do so. So, of course, I think I am the best driver EVER! LOL :)

A high school boyfriend.

My father wanted to teach me, but he was a very impatient person who I loved dearly - and wanted to keep on loving him so I chose momentary, current boyfriend instead *LOL*

omg these were funny. my dad tried once, with a very old ford truck, i think it was a 3 speed on the column, took him backwards in the driveway..i thought it was funny..he didnt.. the only other time hes ever rode with me was to drive the log truck..and i did ok. next was my mom with his new truck..my brother ratted us out lol, so at 14 had to have a friend teach me to drive on a stick..i wont even go there lol but thats all ill drive now. neice is turning 13, so where we live its rural and no ones around lol..so its time for the aunt to pay her daddy back for ratting me out...and her poppy needs a new clutch in our work truck anyway lol..yes im the evil child.!!! loved these stories!

Those are great stories !

My dad taught me when I was 13. I took Driver's Ed and had my school permit at 14, but no car until I was 16.

I have taught my kids to drive. They get their license's here at 14.5. They can only drive directly to school and back home alone - anywhere with an adult. It is sure nice when they can drive in!

They have been "farm driving" since they were about 10 though - brining trucks out to the field, etc. DS (12) has started driving the bigger rigs this year - tractors with wagon, etc.

When they turn 16 they get a graduated license that allows them to go anywhere between the hours of 6 am and 12:30 pm.... At 17 - they have a full license, unless they have had some violations, then it is 6 months after that.

My kids could back a truck and horse trailer into a shed at 14 - I still have trouble with that! I don't think my brain is wired for that.

My Sister, Summer, in a Volkswagen bug...we laughed hysterically! LOLOL

Mom paid for lessons when I was 15. I didn't want to waste school hours in 'Driver's Ed'.

My father taught me how to drive in the real world: Go with the traffic flow, not an arbitrary 5 MPH over the limit; be aware of traffic in front, behind and to the side; don't get distracted by conversation or the radio; don't blindly trust other drivers to follow the rules but drive defensively; leave plenty of space between your car and the one ahead.

The only other thing I can think of that my father taught me was how to open a peanut shell. We were at the Ice Capades. I was about five.

The friend of a boyfriend taught me to drive stick when I wanted to buy the Austin Healey 3000. He taught me to down-shift/brake too. He was the nicest guy -- nicer than my BF, as I would learn! (I still miss that car, or probably I miss being young IN that car! LOL)

DS was, of course, crazy to drive before he was even 15. One afternoon when he was home from school I asked if he wanted to go with me to town. He said he didn't. OK. I hopped into our smaller car and left. I've never had 'eyes in the back of my head' like some moms, but *something* made me turn around and start back home after I'd gone about a mile. Sure enough, as I made the turn into our street, there came DS driving our other car. The LOOK on his FACE! He was going about 5 MPH and the street was deserted. I managed not to laugh and made him get out and walk home while I returned the car to the garage and pocketed the keys.

"But, MOM, I wasn't going to leave our street!" Uh, huh. "Go to your room until Dad and I talk about this tonight."

I was taught to drive by my very laid back Dad. That turned out to be a very good thing!! I think I was about 13 or so and it was a stick shift.

Tammy

My Dad. I still tease him about his most famouse quote - If I was pulling out and being hesitant (Hey - I was only 16!) I would get "If you're gonna go - go!"

My highschool sweetheart in his 1969 Dodge "something."

Those were the days! He never once fussed, yelled, or criticized, not even when I backed into a tree and put a small dent in the bumper.

Im took three lessons from the EZ Method driving school and then got my license

Started off with Daddy but after the first time on the road I said, "Never again". He was leaning out the window whistling "King of the Road"! Made me nervous.

Mama ended up teaching me to drive and I took driver's ed at school.

Linda