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

First time I drove a car was about 3 yrs ago when my company driver landed up at our doorstep with a Old-model Honda City. He did'nt believe that I didn't know how to drive and insisted that I check out the vehicle. 30 seconds into the drive, his hand was creeping to the hand brake and his face was chalk white. Still, took the car out on outer-ring road (it was past midnight anyway), drove for about 10 mins and got it back home safe.

Never had an oppurtunity to really learn to drive till about 2 months ago when I had to buy a car. In fact, I went for "test-drives" with a friend and never touched the steering wheel :)

Finally, when I got an oppurtunity, grabbed it with both hands and learnt to drive on my own. Now I drive a Baleno and nobody believes that I am just 2 months old in this!

Age:28
Tutor : Myself (and about 5 yrs of bullet riding)
Car : Maruti 800
Location : Initial 4-5 kms in open roads at night and then the rude, crowded Bangalore roads.

First laid hands on a steering wheel while I was about 6 years old, when my dad would drive with me on his lap. He encouraged me to put my hands on the wheel as he drove. That was in a 1972 Ambasador MkII, regn. no. KLF 8657.

First learnt to drive in a Fiat 124 belonging to my dad's uncle when I was about 12. However I was never allowed to drive on the streets.

First drove solo in our Padmini as soon as I turned 18, later honed skills on a 118NE after getting my license.

First time piloting a car - as a snotty 10 year old, we went on a family trip to Hamburg and looked up a german associate of my Uncle who had a Mercedes 350SE - car had just been launched so imagine my excitement. Anyway - he took us around Hamburg, I was so taken that he drove onto a field, put me on his lap and made me steer the car !!!!!

First driving experience - started with reversing the old ambassador out of the driveway. Later graduated to driving it and beating the heck out of it - the car would never die

Age- 18
Tutor-Driving school instructor
Car- old trashed up M800 which wouldn't go past 40kmph even if u stood on the accelerator.
Location-Indiranagar roads..
The driving school didn't really help much except for getting license which is supposedly easier if one goes through driving schools... Been driving and learning from past one year.

age:4
teacher: papa
car: ambassador petrol, mark IV
location- eranakulam, kerala
period- errr....i am not able to recollect that....

i started driving by sitting in my papa's lap, and controlling the steering first.... by the age of 5, i got the hang of throttle control, and using the column shift and the brakes....by the age of 6, i started driving my uncle's yezdi- of course, he would start her up, and would sit behind me.....

nice thread.... brought back some really fond memories.....aahhh....nostalgia.....

Quote:

Probably you must be the guy who learned driving at that very young age in Team-Bhp.

i'm sure there must be many who learnt driving before i did.......

but, nice thread anyways..... brought back some nice old memories... even managed to dig up some pics.... here's some...

(my first,true love- my amby petrol mark IV, KEF 1281....)

(bless me papa- i'm going in for my driver's test....he..he..)

p.s- forgive the quality of the pics... they're quite old...

age 27 (last year)
tutor - papa ( a newbie himself)
car -zen VXi
location - a ground in jabalpur.

after returning from US (yes!! i never drove in US, or in india) we bought this new car, and i got to drive it when i went home on my first vacation. just drove it for 3-4 days.

then bought a santro for myself some 2 months back here in chennai, and am quite comfortable now.

the fact stays that I had all the theoritical knowledge I needed when i started learning.

Age 10
Tutor - dad
Bike - Luna
Location - Pune
Started driving the luna with my dad sitting behind ...

Age 13
Tutor - none
Car - 118 NE
Location - Ratnagiri
As a kid i used to sit on the front seat between my parents and would change gears ... This was when i was 8 years old ... So was pretty much sure about what rpms gear needs to be changed ... and Between age 10 and 13 i had pretty much shifted from a luna to a M50 to M80 to a Yamaha rx100 ... So driving car was very easy and then one day i was requesting dad to teach me to drive when we were in ratnagiri he said i am not teaching .. so i said then i am taking the keys and driving it .. he thot i was callin a bluf and told me go ahead and did exactly that and there i was driving the 118 for the first time .. still remember how my dad got mad at the driver thinking that he had taught me but i told him that i was not taught my anyone .. it was just experience as a kid that got me thru it .... he was impressed and after that day he wud let me go for practise drives everynite after dinner with either my driver or himself sometimes ...
Ya i agree is sure is nostalgic ...