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

- Age - 18
- Tutor - Dad
- Car - HM Ambassador
- Location in India - Calcutta
- Quirks - My Dad used to say, "Learn to drive in an Ambassador and you will be able to drive pretty much anything else." I did not realise it at that time, but today if I am able to drive with ease I would like to believe, a lot of it was due to the Amby.
On an aside, he used to sit in the passenger seat and give a small whack whenever I made a mistake. I believe, today I am a safer driver because of those whacks!

Age -14
Scooter - Kinetic Honda
Tutor - Cousin

Age -18
Bike - Dad's Bajaj CT100
Tutor - self,after hearing from cousin how to ride a bike

Age - 21
Car - M-800
Tutor- Instructor at driving school,even though i know how to drive couldn't try it out like i learned bike riding as i didn't had a car at home :)

First long trip experience - From Cochin to Trivandrum on my friend's Swift Dzire as others were out completely:D

Age - 26
Car -M 800
Instructor- My neighbor
My new car was standing in the building parking. I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO DRIVEstupid:. I requested my neighbor to kindly teach me.15 mins of instuctions followed in the car. And then next day onwards, I started taking my car, cautiously of course, to my office for the next 10 days. My office happens to be inside the same campus.And as they say, the rest is history!

- Age = 9 (i dont have an option to select in the poll!)
- Tutor = Dad
- Car = 118NE = Maruti 800
- Location in India = Mumbai

I used to practice within my society till I got my driving license. By the time, I was 11-12, I was quite confident about driving alone, but I was not allowed to take the car outside the society gate. Fortunately, society was big enough to drive till 2nd gear.

Age - 21
Tutor - Driving school instructor
Car - Good old Amby
Location - Roads of Kannur.

Driving was a job requirment when i joined my company after btech as a GET in Telecom O&M. Though the initial steps were learned in Amby, the later steps were done in Gypsy. Actually driving Gypsy infused the passion of driving in me.

Age - 16
Tutor - None
Car - M800 A/C
Location - Trichy

I did not have any driving instructor when I first drove. I was sitting on the back seat for 2 hours watching my Dad learn driving with his friend. The next day I took the keys and went slow for around a couple of streets and came back.

(On a different note, I hit the back bumper on the wall when I tried parking it on the same day)

- Age - 16yrs
- Tutor - SELF a little help from the driver
- Car - sorry it was a MATADOR van.
- Location in India - Madurai, Tamilnadu

I might be one in the lot, cause it was not a car but a van where i first learnt to drive even before I took my geared bike ride.

I was always passionate about cars and bike and so I am here in TBHP.

Used to ask my dad to buy me a gear less bike from a very young age of 9.
But my dad was pretty stern that I should sit behind a wheel only after i get my license and he stuck to it.

Anyways we owned a Matador 305 and then 307.
The driver used to drive me to school once in a while and it used to be my ride to tuition every evening.
So I was learning how to handle the steering for one particular driver for about a couple of weeks obviously bribing him with few parathas.
Then came a time when that driver left and a newer driver came in, so from the first day itself i told him i know to drive, you sit aside and took the van with confidence and drove henceforth everyday after my tuition.

I drove a Matador van and learnt about gears, clutch and brake before even I rode a bike.
Those were the days.

Finally when I hit 18 and got my license my dad gave me his car AMBASSADOR and the maiden drive on it was up hill Kodaikanal.
That's some confidence for someone who only heard that I drive. :-)

All of us have been through this, some early in life, some who have just graduated to steer the wheels of the automobile. This is to share some of our experience just out of a driving school or from the guidance of your close relative/ friend after acquiring your license, your experiences of driving your car/ bike independently. I am sure most of us would have had some or the other experience may be humorous or otherwise (a small incident, nick, hit, shout) which can be shared with all to have a good laugh or to sound other of such a thing occurring to us.

Starting off I have been behind wheels since a long time so it all old memories (saving myself), that said my better half learnt her ride a couple of years ago and some of her antics are always etched in our memories (will not show her this thread ever :uncontrol).

One really funny incident is when she drove to her parents place for the first time full of pride and happiness. Parked the car, both got out and walked off. Asked her for the key and pat came the reply “in the car”. Say what? Yes, the driving school instructor always used to say, put it in first gear, engage the hand brake and step out. Did exactly as told this time as well :Frustrati. At the end of it her dad said 'so this is what you have learnt' and boy it was a sight to see her face! Alas what could be done but to have a good laugh and call my friend for help! A point on the positive side, she has been very good at braking from the early days, be it an oncoming person, vehicle or a cart saving us both from any crash!

Although not specifically me but me and my very close friend bought our first cars together. He was already married by then and his wife used to work in the same building where i used to work. One day we decided to meet up and she was going with me in my car to their place so that we could go someplace else together and she commented

"You are driving so cool and arram se, in this heavy traffic, <Friends Name> gets so worked up while driving and sabko abuse karta hai road pe".

I thought that's a nice sign of a new driver, jittery and nervous.