Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazrim
My wife took the AMA drivers course during the winter. One day they took her out to a big tarmac like area just outside the city and had her do these maneuvers. Doing that, plus the rest of the training, really took the fear of winter driving out of her. I'd highly recommend it!
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Way back when this geezer got my license (1996), I got taken to a dirt lot near the airport and got to drive in the "skid car". It was basically an old POS and the instructor had a dial that would turn the back wheels, effectively throwing you into a spin/skid. Fun, and actually a good skill to learn in a controlled environment.
The "school" is long gone, but it was "A Driving School" on Parkdale Blvd. There was a discount because one of my teachers at high school was a co-owner or something. Old, wood panelled office/classroom. The old Dodge Shadow that I did my regular lessons in was in horrible condition, and the brakes even went limp going down one of those now-closed roads (because they are so steep) in Crescent Heights heading down to Edmonton Trail, and required frantic pumping to bring them back.
Instructor was a massive, old slob. He would make me stop at 7-Eleven, he would disappear for 10 minutes to take a dump, and come out with two hot dogs for himself. The garbage wold be thrown in the vacant back seat along with a bunch of old ones. It was in the heat of the summer, and he would wear the same green, sweat-stained shirt each day, which has developed a faint, salty outline of the previous days' sweat.
Sorry - as soon as I remembered the skid car I couldn't stop myself.