28 — Friday, July 2, 1999 — North Shore News

ONE of ICEC’s latest ad campaigns insists that today’s new dri-

ver’s get better training.

Really now?

. Truth be known, ICBC has only r.ianaged to regulate the duration of the learning process, not the process itself.

And while a token effort has been made to promote “professional” driving instruc- tion; parents today are often

Ing SC:

too overwhelmed by choices when it comes to driving

schools: Cut-throat hacks offering a driver's ed class cheaper than your last oil change; the more expensive “quality assured” institutions of good status that stil! man- age to create a nightmare for parents with one bad instruc- tor or a mishandled booking; or fair Priced little schools that can’t be found for the aforementioned mass lack of class.

It’s no wonder parents are

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opting to teach their kids to drive without the help of TEBC endorsed “profession- als,

Statistically speaking, the vast majority of parents and guardians take this task upon themselves, in spite of the fact that there are about a zillion driving schools out there that will cut 2 kid’s mandatory learning period in half.

Sull, this does not excuse those parents who insist on teaching their kids to drive bur teach them imprenerly.

. There are a few tell-tale signs that a parent/guardian is mishandling their role as

’ teacher as they dawdle along

the road and here’s your first

clue: A big, fat piece of paper

upon which has been scrawled in jiffy marker the words °

ty. . No particle board! we offer a

designs i in solid woods & wrought iron

“New location of | Al & Shannon | and the Dancing Dogs

just minutes over the Second Narrows Bridge

Suite Dreams Baenicure poe...

“nEw dRIvEr,” or a variation thereof, and pasted dead-cen- tre to the rear window of daddy's Oldsmobile.

To many, such signage merely states that daddy had the courtesy of warning other’s about little Johnny’s potential ineptitude, as if the cute little magnetic “N” sign issued by ICBC is too vague.

But this hand-made, two- word sign spcaks volumes: It. means that daddy hasn’t clued into the fact that: a) Little.

.Johony can’t see squat out

the rar window for the big 2.” poster; b) Johnny hasn’t a care in the world for what may be coming up behind him; and c) Johnny may very well never know the imp r= tance of that crucial li

device called the rear- view mirror. .

First of all, folks, “New Driver” or “Student Driver” signs’are not required of you - {but they are for ‘driving:

. : schools). :.

jake for headaches ©

Never were. Only the magnetic diamonds with the N or L, which is a good thing. Aside from their ability to obstruct Johnny’s view, paper signs have a tendency to inake other drivers treat you differently, usually rudely, and therefore misleading Johnny as to the true nuances of driving on the roads today.

Secondly, if you feel you must use such a sign, if only to deflect the angry glares of other drivers away from you, the brave teacher/passenger, to Johnny the novice Klatz, make-it a small, legible sign. placed in the bottom comer: of the rear window on the” driver’s side. Lettering need . be no more than two inches ~ high (the dsiving schoot stan- dard) to be legible. Such, a- size and placement offers the feast amount of rear- view . obstruction; if any. =

While you're reat it, start.

Dedicated t to making your car, es in appearance, : :