Driving update

[NewDay2006]

my wife has been getting behind the wheel for months now and driving to the supermarket, but it wasn't until last month that I started to let her drive to work. She has about 20 or more missions under her belt.

 

She is doing better and I'm getting more confidence in her. I don't keep my hand near the emergency brakes anymore( I still know where it is though).

 

We will have to practice on things like parking and stuff more. She has driven in rain, and it was startling to her. She couldn't turn the wipers on high.

 

Last night was her first time driving at night. mostly it went well, kinda.

 

She has in her mind that she must stop for yellow lights even though I have told her millions of time, she doesn't have to stop it she is close to them, last night she slammed on the brakes when we were right on top of the intersection at a yellow light:huh: ... she inventually listened and went throught he light, other wise we would have been sitting at a yellow light.

 

She doesn't tend to pay attention to where she has gone or been before. Anyway, we got to the street that leads to our home and she needed to make a left and she wouldn't turn. She was afraid and once she finally did turn, she was on the wrong side of the street... Very scary. I know where her weaknesses are, so we must work on them.

 

She has told me that she is scared when she drives(me too), I try to relax her, but talking calm and telling her of turns ahead of time. I checked her pulse and it was going fast. I'm in no rush for her to get her liscense. Hopefully she can get it by next year when I'm ready to get her a car.

 

She is doing good, but she does have set backs. Maybe she will be one of those people who will do better when I'm not in the car... I don't know, but I'm not ready to turn her loose yet.

[chilton747]

Hey brother C, glad to see that you are giving updates so I know when it's safe to go on that side of town.

 

Looks like I will be in your shoes before too long.

[NewDay2006]

Hey brother C, glad to see that you are giving updates so I know when it's safe to go on that side of town.

 

Looks like I will be in your shoes before too long.

 

Charles, aside from my wife, I think there are many who aren't sure what they should do on the road. One day I was getting her to change lanes, but when she put on her turn signal, everyone speeded up and wouldn't let her get over, that wasn't nice, but I explained how she must put it on as she is changing lanes....it's the rule in Atl.

 

It's funny, even when I drive and I don't drive particulary fast, folks will speed around you to get to the light 5 seconds faster.

 

When it is your turn, patience is the key.

Edited August 10, 2009 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[C4Racer]

Hey brother C, glad to see that you are giving updates so I know when it's safe to go on that side of town.

 

Looks like I will be in your shoes before too long.

 

Charles, aside from my wife, I think there are many who aren't sure what they should do on the road. One day I was getting her to change lanes, but when she put on her turn signal, everyone speeded up and wouldn't let her get over, that wasn't nice, but I explained how she must put it on as she is changing lanes....it's the rule in Atl.

 

It's funny, even when I drive and I don't drive particulary fast, folks will speed around you to get to the light 5 seconds faster.

 

When it is your turn, patience is the key.

 

 

 

It does get better.She will get more comfortable as she drives more often. Now that you are no longer fondling the parking brake, maybe it is time to let her drive where ever you go. This is what I did with my wife. When she started, it was in parking lots. As she graduated to the street, we had her with a Chinese Instructor for about 8 hours worth of instruction so she could understand everything in her own langauge. Then once she was semi-comfortable, she drove anywhere and everywhere we went. This included long trips like 3 hours on a weekend getaway and 3.5 hours to my sisters. She was nervous going 55 mph on the freeway in Portland, until she drove to my sisters house. The speed limit on I-5 in Washington is 70 mph. She got comfortable toward the end of the trip doing 70 and felt that 55 was no longer a big deal. I made her learn how to navigate from West Portland to East Portland across all of the freeway bridges that can be confusing. She needed to when going to beauty school. Later, this allowed her to get a job in East Portland. Now she is a very competent driver. She can go anywhere she needs to and at any time. My philosophy was, she couldn't learn much watching me drive and I already knew how to drive. It was most important she learned how and the only way to really learn how is to do it. So she got the drivers seat no matter where we had to go. Just one thought you might consider. It worked for us. Good luck.

[Jon & Cindy]

It's just a matter of experience and time. My wife recently passed her driver's test (third time's the charm!). At least I don't have to worry about her getting a speeding ticket!

But I started her out in the parking lot just to get the basics then onto the road. I think I did kind of rush her at first because she panicked the first time someone was driving behind her and stopped in the middle of the road and I had to switch seats with her. But the next day we just started back in the parking lot and she eventually became more comfortable.

Sure there's the moments where you see your life flash before your eyes but that's half the fun! Once we were driving on this windy road, going about 45-50, and a semi-truck was coming towards us on the other lane. She freaked out a little and started driving off the road!

I remember when we started driving on the roads I would always have to tell her to speed up. It was like being in a parade! She still drives like a granny, but not dangerously slow. But most importantly is she's very careful and serious about it.

But patience is the key. She never even drove in China before so she had a lot to learn.

[usaRichard]

It's just a matter of experience and time. My wife recently passed her driver's test (third time's the charm!). At least I don't have to worry about her getting a speeding ticket!

But I started her out in the parking lot just to get the basics then onto the road. I think I did kind of rush her at first because she panicked the first time someone was driving behind her and stopped in the middle of the road and I had to switch seats with her. But the next day we just started back in the parking lot and she eventually became more comfortable.

Sure there's the moments where you see your life flash before your eyes but that's half the fun! Once we were driving on this windy road, going about 45-50, and a semi-truck was coming towards us on the other lane. She freaked out a little and started driving off the road!

I remember when we started driving on the roads I would always have to tell her to speed up. It was like being in a parade! She still drives like a granny, but not dangerously slow. But most importantly is she's very careful and serious about it.

But patience is the key. She never even drove in China before so she had a lot to learn.

 

 

I am in the same situation, my wife never drove before, she's been here 3 weeks and we've started the practicing. I can see myself in some of the situations you guys talk about, she is learning to drive, I am instructing in English and she is trying to convert my instructions to Chinese...she needs more bandwidth!

[amanda1969]

It's just a matter of experience and time. My wife recently passed her driver's test (third time's the charm!). At least I don't have to worry about her getting a speeding ticket!

But I started her out in the parking lot just to get the basics then onto the road. I think I did kind of rush her at first because she panicked the first time someone was driving behind her and stopped in the middle of the road and I had to switch seats with her. But the next day we just started back in the parking lot and she eventually became more comfortable.

Sure there's the moments where you see your life flash before your eyes but that's half the fun! Once we were driving on this windy road, going about 45-50, and a semi-truck was coming towards us on the other lane. She freaked out a little and started driving off the road!

I remember when we started driving on the roads I would always have to tell her to speed up. It was like being in a parade! She still drives like a granny, but not dangerously slow. But most importantly is she's very careful and serious about it.

But patience is the key. She never even drove in China before so she had a lot to learn.

 

 

I am in the same situation, my wife never drove before, she's been here 3 weeks and we've started the practicing. I can see myself in some of the situations you guys talk about, she is learning to drive, I am instructing in English and she is trying to convert my instructions to Chinese...she needs more bandwidth!

Yes, i do. But when I was learning to drive, I concentrated what I should, he instructed and spoke quickly in English as if I was a person whose mother tongue was English. Besides, I do not understand many words about driving because driving words are different from other words. Even if I get a chinese to teach me in chinese I still need time to learn and reflect meanings let alone english.I know I need more to learn...

[2mike&jin]

Well some of us just didn't understand that we were going to miss out on all the fun of husbands and wives trying to teach each other how to drive. I thought that the rule of marriage was hard and fast - never try to teach a spouse how to drive, fly, sail, play tennis, ski, or anything that involved complexity and motor skills of one sort or another. Add in the cultural and language differences and I can only see a churning caldron of potential emotions! All those who are engaged in this hazzardous activity are to be commended for bravery and should be held in high regard.

 

The rest of us, those who married Chinese women who had a car and drivers license, should thank their lucky stars that this "right of passage" had already taken place. I might also "fess up" and say after flying helicopters, jets, and all sorts of airplanes, boats, tractors, and cars for the last 50 years I'm the one who "DINGED" the wheel on her NEW Mercedes S550 one evening on a low curb (doing about 25 mph)....much to my chagrin and embar-ass-ment!

 

She, who would be Queen, has yet to have any scratch, ding, or bump with any of the 4 cars...including the one we have in China...which I consider a minor miracle.

 

P.S. She still lets me drive the Mercedes - but made me get the wheel fixed the very next day...Ouch!!!!

[Guest Wuhan4me]

GPS for present?

[credzba]

GPS for present?

 

I agree. a Gps that can give directions in mandarin is a great help.

[Jon & Cindy]

GPS for present?

 

 

That's a great idea! Can anyone suggest a particular model that can also gives directions in Chinese?

[warpedbored]

I've heard this one is good.

http://www.amazon.com/Besta-GPS-88-Multi-L...boutThisProduct

This one is cheap but I can't tell if one of the multi languages is Chinese or not.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014B7QW...boutThisProduct

Here's a Chinese page with a few different ones.

http://chinaecool.online411.net/cgi-bin/fr...5&hidepic=0

[Dennis143]

After she receives her license, I suggest to just stay out of the car and let her get some miles under her belt.

 

That's what I did with Leiqin. During our almost four years together, she garnered two accidents and one total loss, but today she's driving LA freeways. And, I couldn't be more proud of her.

 

I still keep my fingers crossed, but she tells me that she's no longer nervous and that, IMO, is very important to learning to drive safely.

 

You have to instill confidence, even if they fail (accidents), continue to tell them to relax and to BREATHE.

 

They just need experience. And, that comes from driving on their own and being instilled with confidence through your belief in their ability. Not unlike a parent and child, sooner or later, you need to let them go and hope and pray for their safe return.

[Guest Pommey]

I try and stay off the roads when Jin is driving

[usaRichard]

I try and stay off the roads when Jin is driving

nuff said...