Teaching the Wife to Ride a Scooter I searched for a post on teaching someone how to ride (specifically the wife!), but there were none.
When we got married several years ago, one of my first adventures was attempting to teach my wife how to ride. Why an adventure? My wife has never learned to ride a bicycle. Plus the first day I took her out and then allowed her to sit in front, she held the handle so tightly that we ended up in a ditch! A few scratches to the bike, a small bump on the wife's head and few scratches here and there on me put a stop to any more attempts to teach her. This experience was enough to show me why married life can be perilous!
I did inquire with driving schools, but most of them didn't have lady instructors. And when they did, their charges seemed unreasonably high. It's that demand and supply thing. Their teaching methods weren't very inspiring either.
I've read on these forums that when a family member tries to teach driving, the student is often not serious enough. Unfortunately, in India at least, women don't have too much of a choice. Especially when it comes to learning a two wheeler. It helps if you have maintained a 'serious side' that your wife can recognize. They'll instantly understand that learning to ride/drive is a very serious matter. You could get killed, or you could kill someone. But that doesn't mean you don't have your fun. We've laughed so hard at the different things during the learning process. But at the end of the day, you can't say that trying to learn something from a family member does not always work. It really depends on a lot of things.
Life continued with me in the driver's/rider's seat. Married men whose wives don't know how to ride or drive can empathize with me. You've got to run around for everything. They are totally dependent on you for transport. Add to that, Bangalore is not exactly known for an efficient public transport system. And the auto drivers, gosh, the less said the better.
About 6 months back, I mustered enough courage and determination to make another attempt. You could say that the wounds had healed. We had been to Mangalore (in-laws) and there's a ground near Lal Bagh, that when not hosting exhibitions or fairs, is used by driving schools. There are a couple of lady instructors (real hefty ones) who teach women how to ride a bike. We just observed them for a while and got the idea. Most students knew how to cycle and in a matter of a day or two, they were riding on their own. Their charges are reasonable and if you are from Mangalore, they'll help till you get your license. We couldn't register with them as we had to return to Banglaore early.
Back home, we tried again. We first went to the RTO and got a learning license. We then found a deserted road. Really difficult to find deserted roads, I must say! So what we dis was practice in the night after 9 P.M. I sat behind my wife on the scooter (an Activa) and told her to hold the handle as well. Then I moved the scooter and she just held the handle (not very tightly this time!). The road had a gradual incline. So we used to go up the road by accelerating and come down with the engine switched off. Initially, it was only me doing all the steering and the balancing. Then as the days moved on, she would sit alone on the seat (with the engine switched off), she would keep both her legs on the ground and waddle to allow the scooter to roll. I would hold the scooter straight and walk behind. Then slowly, (this took several days), she started the scooter and instead of using her legs to propel it forward, gently accelerated every now and then. Both her feet were still on the ground and I'm still checking if I can hold on to 8 horses from behind! This went on for some time.
Then a friend of her's offered her Scooty to practice. This is a much lighter and shorter (in height) vehicle. In just a week of 'waddling', she had both her feet up and had learned to 'balance'.
My facebook status on that day went like this Proud of the wife, (tagged the wife)! Almost learned how to ride a two wheeler, in spite of never riding a bicycle before. Warning: ALMOST learned. Stay out of RT Nagar between 9 and 10 PM!
Her learning license was for both two and four wheelers. She enrolled herself in a driving school to learn how to drive. For those around the RT Nagar area, I would highly recommend Illiyas, the driving instructor from the New India Driving School. He's a very decent guy and knows his stuff. No touching, or any other hanky panky. (You'd be surprised at the kind of people doing this for a living. Even if it's an old man, be careful. Be very clear with them about these things.) We had to do no such thing in Illiyas's case, he kept his distance. He's a good teacher and will make sure that you get your basics right. Right from every little light on the instrument panel, to mastering the clutch, reversing and parking, he patiently works with her till she gets it. Disclaimer: I don't have any stake in this driving school, nor do I benefit in any way by recommending Illiyas.
Ever since she's started driving school, the car is driven on all kind of roads, high density traffic, narrow roads, inclined roads, bad roads, highway, yeah, you get it... and she's developed more confidence while dealing with the two wheeler. Why, initially, I had to take the scooter out of the house, start it and hand it over. Now, she takes it out on her own, rides it to the driving school, completes the practice and rides it back! All without killing someone on the way. That's what she's assured me.
Awfully proud of her. I never thought it could be done. The only sad part is that I'll now have to think of a new signature on TBHP! Damn!
Last edited by triedeverything : 5th January 2013 at 07:21.
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