Why I'm So Glad That My Stepfather Taught Me How To Drive Backward

[Olalah ~ Marketing Strategy Pro]

When do you ever really need to know how to drive backward? I mean really, we might back up to adjust for parking, but no one ever really "drives" backward right?

When I was 15, my stepfather taught me how to drive. He insisted that I learn how to drive based on 2 fundamental principles.

Principle #1 - Learn how to drive a stick (manual) just in case you go out on a date with a guy driving a pick-up truck and he tells you "put out or get out". You can kick him in the b*lls, take his keys and drive yourself home.

Principle #2 - Learn how to drive backward. You never know when you'll be in a high speed chase with the police and your only hope is to drive in the opposite direction to get away.

Hummm, my stepfather is Italian and perhaps one too many viewings of The Godfather prompted his thinking. :o)

But I can tell you this - driving backward literally saved my life the other day.

I was leaving my subdivision and turned onto main road. In front of me was a huge delivery truck. I followed it for about 30 seconds and all of a sudden BRIGHT RED BRAKE LIGHTS and then I hear the gears go in reverse.

The driver can't see my little Camry behind him. He has no idea that I'm even here. He hits the gas and is coming at me backward at full speed. Instinctively (I mean without a pause, without a thought, without a breath), I put my Camry in reverse and drove backward doing 50 mph to get the heck out of his way.

I am sooo glad that I learned how to drive under pressure backward. Who would have thought all these years later that my stepfather might have been onto something.

While a delivery truck is no where near as fascinating as a police chase, I'm sure he's still proud.


So tell me, what did you learn as a teenager that has proved to be an interesting skill as an adult?

[Jim McNeely]

Great story, Rule #1 is funny but I can imagine very effective. Your next post should be how you put it in practice and sped away backward avoiding the police.

[Steve Hand]

Good story, O, and glad you made it out of there. I taught my kids four basic driving-related skills. The two you mentioned plus how to change a tire and ask for directions when lost. GARMIN might make the last one obsolete, though.

[Leslie Flowers]

Learned to drive my 1960 TR3 on the Hills of San Francisco. Can stop on a steep hill, engage break and then slowly disengage break while putting car in first gear without rolling!
I can double clutch too!

[Olalah ~ Marketing Strategy Pro]

Well Dan, he also taught me how to install a kitchen floor, cut firewood and repair a rag top on a convertible.