SCARY WORDS ON MY FRIDGE

When my daughter turned 14 about a year and a half ago, we were surprised that she didn't want to take her learner's permit test, but we didn't push it. You see, I think the worst drivers in the entire world live where we live. I literally cannot drive the four or five blocks to the post office without seeing someone do something ... ahem ... incorrectly ... while driving.

There is a two-way stop sign close to my house that people think is a four-way stop. If I'm coming up to it and see cars waiting, I automatically rest my foot lightly on my brake, ready to pounce, because there's probably a 50% chance they will think I'm going to stop and pull out in front of me. My city is also famous for people cutting their left turns way too short. Instead of waiting until they are close to the middle of the intersection before starting their left turns, they start them at the beginning, causing them to partially drive in the wrong lane. How they keep from tearing off bumpers is beyond me.

So - suffice it to say - it is scary to drive in my city even with a few or 20-some years of driving experience. I was not in a hurry to have my daughter out there as well. By the time she turned 15 about 1/2 a year ago, she had started studying for her test but still didn't ask us to take it. We told her we would take her whenever she was ready but we were not about to encourage her. Finally, about a month ago after hearing they were thinking of changing the requirements to having your learner permit for a year instead of 6 months before you can get your license, she decided to take the test.

I took her to the driver's license station after trying to find it where they recently hid it, having to stop at the workforce development office to ask for directions. She passed, only missing two questions. Her dad is now in charge of teaching her to drive and it's gone well the three times they've been out so far. However, after my daughter's creeping turns and chugging about 40 down the highway, we decided some method of advising other drivers on the road - not the most skilled or patient lot of folks - that we had a newbie in their midst was needed. So I turned to the Internet and now, these three signs proclaiming "STUDENT DRIVER" in bold black letters with bright orange backgrounds are on my fridge, waiting for the next driving lesson.

Safe driving. Please, stop texting and put your phone down. The message and conversation can wait.

-The Wordsy Woman