Californication (was: I've failed my driving test!)

[Beth]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "davewitley" 
<dfrankiswork at n...> wrote:
> Constance Vigilance wrote:
> 
> > It varies by state, but in my state (California), when I went to 
> school (loooog ago), Driver's Ed was a required course in High 
> School. Driver's Ed was rules of the road, which took about 1 week 
> if you go slow, and the rest of the year was "health" (sex ed). 

Then David replied 
> I find this a fascinating observation on several levels.  Leaving 
> aside the interesting fact that allegedly right wing USA provides 
> driving lessons free while good ol' corporatist sclerotic Europe 
> insists that the individual pays, there is a vast Freudian field 
of 
> study in the apparent equivalence of driving and sex.
> 
> The implication that driving is intrinsic to life, that it is 
> something only practised by adults (but in those rural areas...), 
> that there are rules, that if you disobey them...
> 
> And then there's the non-equivalence, too: one lesson versus a 
> year's worth - what does that say?  That there is more to sex than 
> driving?  That American parents are more anxious about one than 
the 
> other (but which kills more teenagers?)?
> 
> Somehow a whole society is laid bare...
> 
> David

Beth: Ah, but don't judge the entire U.S. by California! ;) 

My daughter would have had Driver's Ed as part of her class schedule 
for one quarter next year (about 9 weeks, 88 min./day) at a cost of 
$50. This is a class that's offered to everyone and it's scheduled 
by birthday. However, I didn't want it taking up a class period, so 
she's taking it this summer (after independently studying for the 
Rules of the Road test for a week and passing it. I'm not sure if I 
should be proud or scared!), at a cost of $150. If she had taken the 
class through the city, it would have cost $300, so I guess I'm 
getting a bargain in order to free up her schedule for an art 
class?? 

I'm not sure yet what costs are involved with getting the license, 
just that our insurance rates will soar!

Sex ed. was part of the required health class for 9th grade which is 
also a nine week class. 

Incidentally, my husband recently returned from a trip to Sweden and 
was impressed by the number of bicycles everywhere and still shaking 
his head over the fact that his host families would sometimes stop 
in the middle of the highway and back up to turn around. With gas 
prices climbing (although not nearly as high as there, he keeps 
pointing out), it would be wonderful if we could rely on bikes for 
transportation more often. However, I don't think our lives nor our 
city are structured in such a way to make it a practical solution. 

Beth