Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What do you love about driving? (Inspire me.)

Martian · 07-16-2009, 03:55 PM

I have a feeling that it's just one of those things; either you enjoy it, or you don't. I can think of half a dozen people off the top of my head who don't like to drive, and who are in various circumstances requiring to do so on a more or less regular basis. If you don't like driving now, it's quite possible that you're simply not that type of person and never really will.

Being comfortable with driving is a different animal, though, and is more about practice than anything else. You have to get a feel for the vehicle around you, how it moves and reacts to your inputs, and how much space you have. It's not very intuitive to begin with, but gets that way with enough experience.

Contrary to what most people seem to believe, driving standard isn't really more difficult than auto -- it's different, but not substantially harder. If the vehicle you're going to be driving the most is a stick shift, than I'd suggest learning on that from the get go. The caveat here is that if you have any tests ahead of you, you'll want to do those in an automatic regardless; if you show up in a standard you'll be graded on things like proper clutching and shifting technique, and you really don't need to give the tester more reasons to fail you.

Important question -- do you have your G1, or your full licence? If it's only a G1 the queen's series highways are out. I wouldn't exactly recommend them as a starting place anyway -- it's not that highway driving is hard, but when you're going 100 kph or more the stakes are a bit higher, and congestion during rush hour can be a bitch. Either way, I'd recommend getting out to the back roads first, and getting comfortable with the vehicle there. Parking lots are also good -- if you can find an empty one (possibly at 3 am on a Saturday night, if you can stay up that late without being too tired to function) you can practice braking and maneuvering at low speeds. It's a very handy skill for city drivers to have. Once you've got those skills mastered, you can try your hand at honest to goodness city roads, or if you're a G2 or higher you can get onto the 401 and get a feel for that.

Learning to drive as a city dweller is a bit more challenging in general. You have to be a bit more aggressive and a lot more aware of what's going on around you. Spend as much time as you need to driving outside the city, and get comfortable with that first. Even places like Oshawa or Whitby (or, if you don't mind a road trip, Port Perry) are good to start with, since you'll be moving a bit slower and have a bit more space around you for the most part.

07-16-2009, 03:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	I have a feeling that it's just one of those things; either you enjoy it, or you don't. I can think of half a dozen people off the top of my head who don't like to drive, and who are in various circumstances requiring to do so on a more or less regular basis. If you don't like driving now, it's quite possible that you're simply not that type of person and never really will. Being comfortable with driving is a different animal, though, and is more about practice than anything else. You have to get a feel for the vehicle around you, how it moves and reacts to your inputs, and how much space you have. It's not very intuitive to begin with, but gets that way with enough experience. Contrary to what most people seem to believe, driving standard isn't really more difficult than auto -- it's different, but not substantially harder. If the vehicle you're going to be driving the most is a stick shift, than I'd suggest learning on that from the get go. The caveat here is that if you have any tests ahead of you, you'll want to do those in an automatic regardless; if you show up in a standard you'll be graded on things like proper clutching and shifting technique, and you really don't need to give the tester more reasons to fail you. Important question -- do you have your G1, or your full licence? If it's only a G1 the queen's series highways are out. I wouldn't exactly recommend them as a starting place anyway -- it's not that highway driving is hard, but when you're going 100 kph or more the stakes are a bit higher, and congestion during rush hour can be a bitch. Either way, I'd recommend getting out to the back roads first, and getting comfortable with the vehicle there. Parking lots are also good -- if you can find an empty one (possibly at 3 am on a Saturday night, if you can stay up that late without being too tired to function) you can practice braking and maneuvering at low speeds. It's a very handy skill for city drivers to have. Once you've got those skills mastered, you can try your hand at honest to goodness city roads, or if you're a G2 or higher you can get onto the 401 and get a feel for that. Learning to drive as a city dweller is a bit more challenging in general. You have to be a bit more aggressive and a lot more aware of what's going on around you. Spend as much time as you need to driving outside the city, and get comfortable with that first. Even places like Oshawa or Whitby (or, if you don't mind a road trip, Port Perry) are good to start with, since you'll be moving a bit slower and have a bit more space around you for the most part. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame