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My 15 year old daughter got her learners permit to drive yesterday.  Here is the process:

• Pay $15 to DMV
• Parent or guardian must be present
• Show proof of age (birth certificate, for example), you must be 15 years old for a learners permit
• Pass the eye exam
• Pass the written test

That’s it.  She can now drive a vehicle (with a licensed adult in the passenger seat).

No driving test? How does the DMV know that a 15 year old even knows the difference between the gas and the break?

My wife nor I have ever taught anyone how to drive, so our daughter is learning how to drive from two people that don’t know how to teach driving skills.  I plan to teach her everything I know about driving and I’m sure my wife plans the same, but both my wife and I drive differently.

How many conflicting instructions is our new driver going to get from each “teacher”?

On the way home from the DMV, about one mile from our house, my wife hands the reins over to my daughter.  The first thing our new driver said is “Which one is the break?”  No, I’m not joking.  She asked that.  I’m sure it was nerves, but still…

I hear the garage open and I head for the door to help bring in groceries.  Our new driver storms in the house, doesn’t say anything to me as she walks by, and I proceed to the garage.  I open the door just in time to witness my wife backing the car up.  That’s weird.  Why is she backing it up inside the garage?

First thing I look for are deployed airbags.  Thankfully, none were found.

My wife is looking at me through the windshield, shaking her head. Our daughter had pulled into the garage and instead of breaking, she pressed the gas pedal.  Now, she didn’t hit anything, but my wife’s face indicated that our young driver scared the hell out of her mom.

My daughter is mad at her mom because mom was in scare mode and yelled “I am not letting you drive again!” or so I’m told.  Mom, in turn, is mad at our daughter because of the aforementioned scaring the hell out of her.

I’ll be in that passenger seat soon.  Wish me luck.