My son, Grizz, has his Driving Theory Test booked this Saturday...
"Am I bovvered?!"
You'll bet I am... For while he can't drive, we at least have a handle on where he is most of the time.
We live in a very rural location - It's a two mile walk, sans a pavement, to the nearest public bus stop... The Post Bus, (the Queen's own Royal Mail service - A van you can hitch a lift by), visits us once a week, to take us eight miles to the nearest town, should you wish...
And it occasionally brings you back. Think of it as a stagecoach... Sometimes there are hold-ups!
...So it's fair to say that we rely heavily upon our two family cars... We try to double up, my husband and I, to ensure that we are saving on our miles, the planet's energy, diminishing our carbon footprint - Hippy tree-huggers that we are!
But we do have two cars, as my husband has a company car that he needs to use for work, and we have my 4X4, (PSV - do you say over the Pond?), for when he is working away from home, or abroad, or it's the winter, when if we don't have a 4X4 we end up in the country ditches...
When I say 'we', it's a little like the Royal 'We', I mean I!
...Well, it's happened to me twice.
And twice is two times too many for Fhina...
So once Number One Son passes his driving test, he will have greater liberty and scope to explore, to visit friends who live on more rural farms, and to offer to be the Designated Driver occasionally when his friends are out on the town...
Heck, there might even be a bit of this going on!
And you know all the reasons I am scared, right?
Because you've worried about all of them yourselves at one time or another... Or you're about to at some as yet unspecified point in the future, I know...
I've had me Teenage Terrorist mum's crystal ball out, see...
Your fear, like mine, will involve fear of the roads, which around here can be treacherous and are particularly narrow country roads with all kinds of hazard perception challenges - Mad Chickens, a startled Pheasant Family, seasonal frogs, log wagons and loopy farmer's dogs; Fear of other people's incredibly mad and erratic driving - particularly on Freaky Fridays when people are just desperate for the weekend;
Fear of letting go of him...
Just fear of letting go and letting be in general...
Any tips, chaps and chapesses?
Any bons mots, mes bloggy gold milk-bottle tops?
Oh, and I'll scream if I ever see him in one of these!
...Update to say, in spite of cramming all his Theory learning into three hours, and not spotting the driving hazards, (Chickens - Well, they're not hazards in the countryside, are they, you just mow them down with your 4 X 4's bull-bars - Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!), shown on the online testing game...he passed three points short of the full score...
Gulp! I'm thinking of emigrating... Cuba would be far enough away, right?! Anyone fancy coming with me?
Heck, I'd even throw in a cigar!
Sigh...I'm right there with you my dear. So grateful to commiserate...I just hope the only thing my son smokes is tires...
ReplyDeletexxoosink
PSV? Where did you come up with that one? It's SUV but I can't quite remember what the letters mean.
ReplyDeleteThe Queenager, who is all of 16, has taken all the necessary driving lessons over here, has clocked fifty hours of supervised driving with parents, and is all ready to take her test. Aagghh! Fortunately, there are very strict laws and curfews here (in the land of the free) which may serve to keep her safe. But quite frankly, I rarely use my car so there's no need for her drive much, unless I fancy a glass of wine, in which case....:-)
LOL...my tall girl, passed her theory 8 weeks ago..boasted about it on MSN, where l saw her byline 'passed theory test' mentioned it to her and she said she was blagging is all..she hadnt taken it yet.. So why lie???? she let it slip at dinner last weekend ad we were so, really, thats very cool lying..to what end eh??kids..! teens!!
ReplyDeleteNow we are about to have a meeting about the test proper...she has been told t book it..to what l dunno, she wont have a car for years at the rate she saves...
by the way, l wanna nick that last picture of you and me smokin' away!!..
grin and bear it..
fff xx
Sports Utility Vehicle. . .
ReplyDeleteMy oldest was in three accidents within her first year of getting her driver's license.
After that, I just stopped worrying.. .to save my sanity, that is. . .
Thank you - PSV = Passenger Service Vehicle - Sorry, my late mum used to drive one, a bus that is!
ReplyDeleteLiz, I really feel for you, always - And 3 accidents = Yikes! I think I must prepare myself, and start to take those tablets, sharpish! x
Saz: So she hadn't told you she'd taken her test? How bizarre our children are, non?! As for the pic of us in Havana, steal away, my precious! What's mine is yours, non?! xox
Expatique: We couldn't have hacked the fifty hours of supervised driving with parents - No! I would have strangled him, right and proper by now, is all! I just recently heard of your state curfews for teens - A pretty good idea, methinks! We don't have those here... Oh dearie me... x
SUV, darling. Sport Utility Vehicle.
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised how many of them you'll find driving around here in the flat streets of suburbia, all capable of off-road driving and not a one of them has actually ever been off the road. Go figure. It's a status symbol here.
Bloggus, same over here, my dahlink sis'! x
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