Deb's Driving School- open one day only!

Last Tues, just my 2nd day back here at the home, I was asked to teach 3 staff members how to drive. Unlike when I was 15 years old, driving lessons are not a part of the school curriculum, and they're very expensive. Even if you do have a license, it is unlikely that you actually own a car due to the costs involved. Apparently these 3 twenty-something year olds are part of the team that is teaching the "Sex, Lies, and the Truth" program designed by James Dobson(of Focus on the Family) that this mission organization has been asked to teach in the school systems. Apparently, it would help a lot if they could drive themselves to the schools and other events. So, our mission org. paid to send them to a driving school, and now that they've completed the school they only needed some add'l experience and confidence. Thus, I was asked to ride with them in some low traffic areas. However, you should understand at this point that I've NEVER driven in a 3rd world country, and the place we were starting from is not a place I'm not familiar with (and is in the city!). I don't know how to get anywhere, much less to where there's little traffic.

Before I go on, let me tell you about the 5 new traffic laws that I learned/observed that I have already entered into my person journal:

Rule #1:
It is necessary to change lanes at least every 10 seconds just to keep people guessing. It is not necessary to look into the other lanes to see if there's other traffic.

Rule #2:
If you hit another car while following rule #1, you do not need to stop. However, if you feel it is necessary, you can stop and put your now damaged mirror back in place with tape, rope, etc.

Rule #3:
There are lines only on certain roads, therefore they must only be a mere suggestion, and can be enjoyed as an artistic impression on your voyage.

Rule #4:
When making a turn at an intersection, you may turn into any lane that suits you, not necessarily the one closest to you nor the one that you started in.

Rule #5:
When you're not sure where you are or what you should do, simple stop wherever you are, even if on a fast moving highway. The speeding cars and tractor trailer behind you will sound their horns in obvious approval as they swerve to miss you. At that point, you may determine that your next stop should be the emergency room because your instructor has had a heart attack.


Yes, every one of these things happened on Tues (except the heart attack)....and I could've written so many more! We were indeed in one accident when my student driver never bothered to look into the other lane before merging into it in order to swerve around the stopped bus in front of us. So our blue car now has some white paint on it, and our passenger side mirror isn't quite up to par. When I finally got my driver to stop the car, so I could inspect the damage, I also chose to use this time as a teachable moment as I drew the incident in the dust on the hood of the car, explaining some better alternatives in similar situations. As it happens, I had 2 more teachable moments during the day where I get out of the car and drew out various scenarios. And I also chose to drive twice myself, because I could not mentally or emotionally handle one more moment of their driving (particularly as we were leaving and returning to the city). I was quite scared to drive...but I was more scared of them. So, I just went for it. This was not exactly the scenario I had in my head for my first driving experience in Latin America.

By the way, I should tell you that Teri (the administrator who arranged this insanity) apologized profusely and said that she really thought that everything would be fine since they had graduated from driving school. Ok, one more lesson leaned. And let's see....this makes the 2nd stupid things I've done since making the promise on the volcano only 10 days earlier.