Learning to drive

The Model A arrived at the JJK Rancho during my 12/13 year old summer. Mike and Tom were responsible for getting it running and for painting it red and yellow. McDonalds colors before we saw a McDonalds.

At that time the JJK Rancho was all one piece, it wasn't until later that the state put Hwy 53 through the middle of the property. That was significant because it meant that the big open field could be reached without crossing any roads and the road from the gate to the house was about 3/4 miles long. My brothers and I were "expected" to learn how to drive and to be good at it. It was never a question. I was allowed to drive down the internal gravel road to the gate and to drive around in the field. The Model A was rather easy to drive actually, and within reason, it was hard to get into much difficulty in that space. No traffic experience, but all of the starting, stopping, turning etc. that you wanted. Eventually, Aunt May would make up reasons to send me off in the A - "go down to the creek and get some gravel and fix up the road from the gate" etc. This got me familiar with all of the proceedural and mechanical aspects of driving and eventually, all of the aspects of keeping a cranky old car going.

15 1/2 => learner's permit. Driver's Education classes - after school and weekends. The instructor was Mr. Terry. We drove a dual control Ford sedan (he sat in the right front seat with a separate set of controls - steering wheel, brakes etc.). I do remember some of the theory - why you need to turn into a slide - the fastest way to go through a turn - how to judge if you should stop when a traffic signal turns yellow - and - of course - the obligatory scary movie of wrecked cars and injured/killed teenagers.

The "final exam" for the driving course was a trip across the SF Bay Bridge. This was before the bridge configuration was changed to one-way traffic on each deck. In 1960 the upper deck of the bridge was six lanes of traffic (three each way) - its only five lanes now and all the same direction. Those lanes were narrow and scary.

After this, I was really expected to drive whenever we went somewhere, either with my parents or with my Aunts. I drove the San Francisco to/from JJK Rancho trip many times.

License at 16. That involved a behind-the-wheel test in San Francisco in the '55 Oldsmobile. I think the DMV tradition was to try to fail all of the teen-age boys at least once. But I had practiced and knew what to do, so even the "parallel park on the hill" went OK and I passed the first time (my only behind the wheel test that I recall).