Team-BHP - How and when did you learn to drive?

In Riyadh when i was 9 years old,used to steer my dad's Cressida and uncle's W126 Merc in the Industrial areas' bumpy roads. then properly drove a Hilux in the desert the next year but couldn't completely learn the delicate art of clutch use.
It was only when i returned to India inside our Auditorium compound that i properly mastered driving in our poor Omni,whom i tortured for three long years perfecting my driving.

- Age : 16 years (12th school holidays)
- Tutor : My cousin
- Car : Omni
- Location: Ariyalur (Small town in TN, India)

This was the first step. Then brushed up my skills when I was 18 -19.

Dad didn't have a car and still doesn't. So I didn't have the option of learning car at home. Took driving classes to learn one @

Age: 23
Car: Hyndai Santro
Tutor: Instructor from Deccan Driving School, Bangalore
Location: E-City, Hosur Road

However, I don't count the above as really learning to drive because after getting my license (10 hours of training), I didn't have a car to practice for nearly a year.

Therefore my real learning came @

Age: 25
Car: Ford Mustang
Tutor: Driving Instructor
Location: Plainsboro, New Jersey

Got my first hand ...

Age - 14 byke - Hero Puch Tutor - friend
Age - 15 car - Maruti 800 Tutor - same friend (just for the thrill)
Age - 18 car - Ford Icon Tutor - Driving School (for my passion)

Age :13
Scooter : Vespa 150
Tutor : Brother, asked me to drive when he came to pick me after 7th Std exam.
Location: Ahmednagar Cantt

Age : 22
Car : Padmini Premier
Tutor : None
Location: NH 1,

My brother was buying his first car, but he was in north east where cars were expensive. So we bought a second hand Padmini in Jabalpur and drove it all the way to Guwahati. Driver asked me if I wanted to drive, we were on NH-1, I said yes and he handed me the steering. Asked him where to slot which gear and startrd driving. Drove for over 250 Kms in the next 24 hours covering the worst roads of Bihar. That was the best learning experience.
(Cant call the driver as tutor as apart from gear slots nothing else was told by the driver.)

Age: 16
Scooter: 1970 model Lambretta
Tutor: Dad

Technically I learned car driving in 1992 (age 23), in a Premier Padmini at Deccan Driving School, Bangalore. Got my license too following that. But I can't really call it learning. The real learning happened next year.

Age: 24
Car: Pontiac Sunbird
Tutor: Driving Instructor in NJ

Age: 9
Car (rather bus): School Bus
Tutor: School Bus driver

Actually, from 1st Std onwards, I used to sit next to the driver in Swaraj Mazda, and change gears while the driver did the rest. And one fine day, in my 4th Std, he made me sit on his lap and let me handle the steering wheel too. It was an amazing experience to be driving. Exhilarating !

Interesting thread !

The legal age for driving on public roads is 18, I guess that doesn't restrict one from learning to drive at an earlier age, as long as we are not doing it on a public road.

'Ideal' place to learn driving, with minimal chances of causing harm to anyone else, would be an open (empty) ground, where we have good visibility on all sides, and no other traffic/people present.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2308342)

...But you needed some skill to change from 2nd to 3rd!

agree:

Depending on the cable slack/play, it could be quite an effort for a newbie. After shifting from the 2nd gear to the neutral position, it had to be pushed up at an 'angle' !

Age: 16
Scooter: TVS Scooty
Tutor: Self

Age: 19
Bike: TVS Samurai. Friend's bike
Tutor: Friend. A birthday gift to me.

Age: 23
Car: Maruti Omni
Tutor: Dad