"Stupid and lucky to be alive and not dead or in jail, but a helluva
driver."
Know what you mean. I was sixteen and had a '63 Gran Prix Coupe with a
389ci with a 4 bbl Quadra-jet, bucket seats, power antenna, console, factory
gauges...beautiful car. Bought used for $500. Wow. A few weeks after I
get my license (still on probation) I am over the speed limit heading home
when a State Cop passes me going the opposite direction. Now, I wasn't WAY
over the limit or being reckless, but I thought I had better speed up even
more in case he turned around and came after me. So I didn't look back I
just went as fast as I could 'safely' go; 65-70mph. I then decided that I
should take the back road home, just to make sure I would lose him, if he
followed me. I turned down Creek Road, and like it's namesake, it twisted
and turned just like the creek. It also was a dirt/gravel road loaded with
pot holes and blind curves. I was doing the functional limit; sliding in
the gravel, losing the rear end to wheel hop when the pot holes got too
fierce; missing the mailboxes...I mean it was a full time job, so I never
looked back. After a mile of this, the road comes to a T intersection. So
I stopped thoroughly convinced I was in the clear. As the massive cloud of
road dust swarmed over the car, I looked in my rear view mirror and it was
FULL of a blue Plymouth patrol car with a State Trooper inside. I mean he
was stopped right behind me like we had just driven one block to the next
stoplight in downtown NYC. He must have come out of my freakin' trunk. No
flashing red light, though. So I signaled a left turn and proceeded on my
way. Then he stopped me. Looked at my license, etc. Told me to keep the
speed down. "Yes, Sir!" No ticket! I guess the look on my face when I saw
him in the mirror must have been his reward. I just drove away totally
amazed.....how in the hell did he turn around and wind up right on my butt?
I bet there is a lot of your Mom that comes out of you when you are raising
your kids. I lost my father very suddenly and unexpectedly, too. It wasn't
an accident though; he had a brain hemorrhage while driving home. He pulled
over and parked the truck and got out. They found him about 20 feet in
front of it. It was on the Ohio turnpike at the time. It took quite a
while before I could function again...I almost totally failed that semester
of college.
God's peace to you.
> ----------
> From: Jeff McNeal[SMTP:jmcneal@ohms.com]
> Reply To: Jeff McNeal
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 5:18 PM
> To: Fred Thomas
> Cc: spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Tense driving lately
>
>
> Well, in my case, I'd already been driving for 2 years before taking
> "lessons". I was a bit of a rebel in my youth and grew up watching "Speed
> Racer". I wanted to drive in a bad way, so beginning at age 13, I used to
> sneak out my parents cars when they were out at the races or dinner or
> weddings or whatever. a '67 Buick Skylark and a '64 Buick Riviera with a
> 454 Wildcat engine under the hood that my father never realized the glory
> of... In fact, by 15, I was a helluva driver. Stupid and lucky to be
> alive
> and not dead or in jail, but a helluva driver.
>
> Funny that my parents never questioned how I had developed such seasoned
> driving skills...
>
> When I was 15 (and before I got my learners permit), I accidentally filled
> my mother's tank and knew that I'd have to confess, because she commented
> to
> my father the next morning that she needed to go get some gas. (I filled
> the
> tank on eight bucks, incidentally). I had tried, unsuccessfully, the
> night
> before to drain the tank in every way I could think of, to no avail. So
> the
> next morning, after my father left for work (who would have ripped me in
> half had he ever known), I confessed to my mother that I had been driving
> their cars illegally. "You weren't hot-rodding around, I hope". "No mom,
> I'm a safe driver" (actually, I HAD been hot rodding around). My mother
> let
> me know that she wasn't pleased, but capped off the conversation by saying
> "Well, thanks for filling the tank, honey." She knew that I'd learned my
> lesson and wasn't going to browbeat me over it. And she never did tell my
> father.
>
> God, I miss that woman.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff in San Diego
> www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Fred Thomas <vafred@erols.com>
> To: Jeff McNeal <jmcneal@ohms.com>
> Cc: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 2:26 PM
> Subject: Re: Tense driving lately
>
>
> > Oh how soon we all forget we were once also beginners at driving, wonder
> > what our folks said then about us, my how time flies when you are having
> > =====@#$ "FT"
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Jeff McNeal <jmcneal@ohms.com>
> > To: Simmons, Reid W <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>; Spitfire List
> > <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 4:51 PM
> > Subject: Re: Tense driving lately
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Reid, Reid, Reid,
> > >
> > > I DO know -- HOWEVER, our local high schools no longer offer driver's
> ed.
> > > courses. I had to pay fifty bucks for my son to take a "class" that
> > prepped
> > > him for the written exam. Now, I have to pay the same outfit for a
> total
> > of
> > > six hours of "behind the wheel" (again, the high schools out here no
> > longer
> > > offer this, which I think is a crime). Apparently, in his first two
> hours
> > > behind the wheel, his instructer never had him pull over to the curb
> or
> > park
> > > in even a diagonal parking spot. We were told that he'd be ready to
> start
> > > carting us around after his first two-hour session. Beyond that, we,
> his
> > > parents, are obligated to let him clock 50 hours behind the wheel
> before
> > he
> > > can get his license in six months.
> > >
> > > So in other words, we are STUCK. Oh, he'll be just fine and we'll
> survive
> > > this, but it's a dicey proposition for the next six months, for sure.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Jeff in San Diego
> > > www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
> > >
> > > P.S. I'm not EVEN going to try to teach him how to manually shift
> until
> > he's
> > > been driving for a good six months or longer. Even then, there's no
> way
> > > I'll let him (or anybody else!) drive my Spitfire.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Simmons, Reid W <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>
> > > To: 'Jeff McNeal' <jmcneal@ohms.com>; Spitfire List
> > > <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> > > Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 1:30 PM
> > > Subject: RE: Tense driving lately
> > >
> > >
> > > > Jeff, Jeff, Jeff;
> > > >
> > > > Don't you know, you NEVER give driving lessons to a family member,
> close
> > > > relative, or friend. It is very unhealthful for you the instructor,
> the
> > > > student, and your vehicle. Let a third party (High School Driver's
> Ed?)
> > > to
> > > > do it, and this is the really important part, using a car that does
> not
> > > > belong to you. :-)
> > > >
> > > > I taught my girl friend (now my wife of 19 years) to drive a
> standard
> > > > transmission using my Spitfire, which was my only means of
> > transportation
> > > at
> > > > the time. Well, I dodged a bullet on that one because she learned,
> no
> > > angry
> > > > comments were exchanged, and neither the car nor myself suffered any
> > > damage.
> > > > In fact the Spitfire still has its original clutch and transmission!
> > > >
> > > > My wife taught our daughter Tammi to drive using our relatively new
> > Dodge
> > > > Caravan. Well, Tammi also did the "curb thing", and that cost me a
> new
> > > > wheel, CV joint, miscellaneous parts, and front end alignment! The
> > > Driver's
> > > > Ed course would have been only a small fraction of what the repairs
> cost
> > > me.
> > > > :-(
> > > >
> > > > Reid
> > > > '79 Spitfire (original owner)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Jeff McNeal [mailto:jmcneal@ohms.com]
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 9:00 PM
> > > > To: Spitfire List
> > > > Subject: Tense driving lately
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Then, this
> > > > evening, I let my 15-year-old son drive me around in our 12-year-old
> > > Maxima
> > > > so he can gain some experience. He JUST got his learners permit two
> > days
> > > > ago and I am NOT used to being a passenger for anyone, let alone a
> 15
> > and
> > > a
> > > > half year old kid who's still wet behind the ears. He drove over the
> > curb
> > > > when I asked him to pull over (" I haven't learned how to do that
> yet,
> > > > Dad!") and I had to reach over three times to yank on the wheel to
> keep
> > > him
> > > > from driving into the curb again. This life flashing before my eyes
> > stuff
> > > > is getting old! I see a rash of gray hairs coming on FAST!
> > > >
> > > > Calgon, take me away!
> > > >
> > > > Cheers,
> > > >
> > > > Jeff in San Diego
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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