7 year old driver

Did you see this on CNN.com?
7 year old driver takes police on high speed chase.

On the live report, they said that the boy learned how to drive by playing car driving games. They said he'd slide off the seat and hit the gas, then sat back up to steer. They also said that is why he did not slow down around the corners, he never hit the brakes.

I am personally happy that he did not kill anyone, and I am happy that he didn't hurt himself.

You would think at this moment I would be saying something like, how wrong he was, or how wrong the parents were for leaving the keys out. But it sparked a memory and I had to share it with you.

I remember at 7 years old asking my father how to drive a car (we did not have video games back then), how the gears worked, what the clutch was, how every thing worked. He explained everything to me. From that time on, I would sit out in our old Chevy truck and pretend "driving". I did this process until I could actually push in the clutch, then I would switch the gears. So from age 7 until age 13 I was pretending driving and switching the gears.

For those that don't know, my father was the Preacher for Landmark Baptist Church for 31 years, our house sat on one side of the church and the office sat on the other. So the parking lot joined our house with the office. (you can see the picture below - love Google maps - if you grab the N with your mouse, you can move the picture) *note* my grandfather built that steeple on the church, he and his brother installed it on top of it.


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I remember this one day that my father was going to his office. I went out with him and asked if I could try. Sure enough he let me. The first couple of times was ruff. I had learned how to shift, but my timing was off. It did not take me long to figure it out. I think I have gotten pretty good at it now. I still drive a stick shift.

So from the age of 13 to 14 I was driving my father to his office and back.

At age 15 I was with my Uncle in Arkansas, we were on a main highway to go see my grandmother. My Uncle was driving at the time, I was talking, and looked over and about freaked out, I nudged my Uncle, he had fallen asleep. He woke up and looked around, he said "I think its your turn to drive" I looked at him with confidence. I was excited and scared at the same time. I took over driving, I was happy that my Uncle let me drive so that he would not kill us.

The entire time I was think of what kind of excuse I was going to tell a cop. At the time I didn't have I.D. and I surely didn't look my age. I drove under the speed limit and we made it to my grandmother's just fine. My Uncle did take back over, but it was hours later.

From 15 to 18 years old most would have had their permits and were already driving on the road. But not me, I had been driving since I was 13, around the church. For what ever reason, I just didn't have the desire to get a license, until I hit 18 then I needed one for work.

At 18 I didn't just get a license, I got a chauffeur license. The chauffeur's license was for work. I must have been a sight to see: a "skinny little kid" driving a Semi truck.

It took me the longest time, to figure out the timing with it, cause it had a push/pull leaver to go in to the higher gears. It took me a couple of days to figure it out completely. The biggest problem I had was backing it up, and pulling out of a dock, (docks are slopped).

Have a great day,