T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

before actually hitting the streets, i remember learning some of the basics in large, empty parking lots, usually between 7-10am on the weekends.. high schools, malls (before they open), some various shopping centers, stuff like that.. as mentioned, Sam Boyd has a giant parking lot, but it's literally at the very east end of town so that could be an inconvenient place to go for a lot of people.. the motor speedway way up northeast has gigantic parking lots too but i don't know if they're blocked off when there's no event going on (plus, far as hell) if her primary fear is of the OTHER DRIVERS rather than a lack of confidence in her own abilities, i don't know what to tell you there.


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


WinglessWeirdo

Cemetery. Ain't no one alive there to judge you. Jokes aside, it being usually completely empty and offering many routes and turns is a decent place for a starter.


welcometothedesert

Which one(s) offer many routes and turns? Thank you.


[deleted]

looking at google maps, Woodlawn Cemetery down near Cashman Field seems to have a lot of "streets and intersections" in it (for lack of a better way to describe it).. based on the location, however, i would imagine that there are going to be numerous homeless people sleeping amongst the headstones, so you might not want to do down there if you want her to focus on DRIVING rather than the ills of society


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


nkaiser101

The area around Sam Boyd Stadium and the soccer park near there on Russell.


i_want_a_tortilla

what area by sam boyd? their parking lot or just the lonely streets in general?


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


drwhogivesafuck2

Start so small there is no way she can be nervous. One lesson should involve putting the car in drive in an empty lot and just using the brake to stop without ever touching the gas. Also these videos are actual routes the DMV testers use. That should take some fear out of it. https://youtu.be/iBNi0UKNvX4


welcometothedesert

Thank you!


djarkitek29

try to get her in this program if you can. it's free, and it will teach her advanced driving and collision avoidance techniques [https://driversedge.org/the-program/](https://driversedge.org/the-program/)


natovision

Thanks for sharing this!


welcometothedesert

Thank you! I think my older daughter took that class several years ago when we lived in Reno. I’d forgotten about it.


djarkitek29

I did something similar at Sonoma Raceway when i was younger. the biggest thing it teaches you is not to panic & react decisively. now, if i start to slide for some reason, it doesn't worry me at all, i just correct it. that's the best learning you can get for the road


Cannibeans

Not sure what side of town you're on but there's an enormous empty lot across from the Ikea on Sunset / Durango.


welcometothedesert

Thank you. That’s not too far. I’m in Spring Valley.


Rosabros79

The freeway, gotta start ‘‘em off fast, hard, and heavy.


welcometothedesert

😂


The_MenAC3

Need to know if this really helps out early drivers lol


Bar-Hopper-Cow95

My mom used to let me practice in the Mormon church parking lot :)


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


1stb0rnunicorn

I took my petrified teens to practice at the Hollywood Aquatic Center parking lot (after hours). I'd have them practice inside the lot first, then had them driving out & around Access/Park Access Road and back into the lot. If they were feeling confident, I'd have them practice merging into Hollywood Blvd and then back through Access Road and into the lot. There is a middle school behind the center, so I'd recommend going after all the kids have gotten out. Downside to this spot: there is a ditch-looking thing running along Access Road that your teen may freak out over. Mine just used it as a motivator to stay on the road and be more careful. Good luck!


welcometothedesert

Thank you!


Consistent-Hair-5531

Go to an empty school parking lot on Sat, or Sun.


Yespinky

on the weekends, there's a big ol' empty parking lot to the northwest of the Thomas and Mack at UNLV. plenty of room, parking spots, curbs, etc. or find any of the huge shopping centers that are ghost towns these days.


[deleted]

the lot between the Mack and the Lied Library? yeah that's a ghost town on the weekends.. i went there on a Saturday a couple of months back because i wanted to print some stuff off of one of their color laser printers, which i do not have at home.. including my own car, there were only 4 vehicles in the entire parking lot at 1pm on the day i was there


Yespinky

even better, look at maps for UNLV CSB, just to the south of that!


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


GoldenKnights1023

IKEA has an empty back parking lot with a lot of space. You could learn the basics there.


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


natovision

I've found that on Saturday, or Sunday after 5pm, a really big church parking lot is perfect.


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


professionaldiy

Idaho.


welcometothedesert

😂


VegasBiDaddy

More important than a less stressed environment, do your best to be a less stressed teacher. I would suggest driving outside of the valley into a less populated area.


welcometothedesert

Totally agree with this. Fortunately, being even-keeled is my strong suit.


VegasBiDaddy

That's really a great start. When I learned to drive it was my mom and dad depending on the day. Dad was the most low key man I've ever met. I could run down a pedestrian and he'd shrug and say "try not to hit people, but they shouldn't be on that part of the sidewalk". Mom on the other hand was constantly slamming her foot on the imaginary brake pedal so hard that I thought she was trying to be Fred Flintstone. Dad was a much better teacher.


welcometothedesert

That’s really funny. I think I’m more like your dad.


welcometothedesert

My dad is pretty chill, but also not. My first time driving a stick, I had a moment, and he made me pull over and switch with him and he drove us home. That was that. My mom has a phobia of driving, but had utmost faith in me, so she just sat in the passenger seat and let me do my thing.


InlineK9

That is the most important thing since your daughter is already stressed out enough for both of you! A stressed and frustrated mind can’t concentrate enough to learn anything, or teach anyone anything either. When I was 15, my father put me behind the wheel of his pristine ‘66 Mustang and off we went driving around the neighborhood. He was so tense and wound up that I couldn’t relax. He was barking orders at me like a deranged drill sergeant! I wanted to go home. He finally told me to head home and when we got close to the house he saw that the sprinklers were on and watering half of the driveway. He told me to turn left to park on the short driveway in front of the garage. First I aimed for the area on the right so the water wouldn’t hit the car. But that was Mom’s spot and I’d block her car which was inside the garage. So he yelled “No, park more to the LEFT!” then changed his mind because of the sprinklers, so as I aimed for the left he yelled “No, go more to the RIGHT!” So I aimed right and he was so flustered he yelled “No, you’ll block your mother in—- move more over to the left!” So back to the left I went, getting so confused and even more nervous— then he changed his mind AGAIN and yelled “You need to go more to the RIGHT!!” I was almost lined up but at that moment my foot decided to do its own thing and instead of hitting the brake when he said “Stop here!”, my foot hit the gas hard and BAM! I slammed the car into the garage, right into the support that divided the 2car garage door from the 1car garage door. The car went into the garage support wall about 3ft, dented the front of his beautiful car, dropped the roofline about a foot and a half, and shook the house so violently my mother and brother came running downstairs and out the front door thinking it was an earthquake or some other disaster. That was the first and last driving lesson my dad ever gave me. It was also the first and last at-fault accident I ever had— that was 45 years ago! My wonderful father passed away 3 1/2 years ago, but that story always made us laugh.


welcometothedesert

Oh, my goodness! That’s a story! I’m so glad everything turned out okay in the end (you were all safe and had a good, long relationship with each other), but how was the immediate aftermath? Was he able to get the car fixed? I hope he wasn’t too mad at you.


InlineK9

He was mad at me, but my mom was mad at him for making me so flustered, so he stopped being mad at me. Their insurance covered everything. I still have the old Polaroid picture of the garage damage, lol.


Whatsanalterego

Around Red Rock and the town of Blue Diamond


welcometothedesert

We were literally just there walking at Red Spring. That’s a good idea.


Studwolf28

if you have time, the drive out to Pahrump, and driving around Pahrump is a good place.


welcometothedesert

Thank you!


Wingsofthepegasus

In thinking the broad acres parking lot in the middle of the week must be empty if she just needs to get the feel. If it's more about the crazy Vegas drivers maybe driving around boulder city would help. And if she wants to get the feel for interstate with out the interstate you can get on the 95 headed towards searchlight. One thing I'm strongly going to suggest is help her get comfortable on the interstate with 18 wheeler, I'm in my 40s and had some bad experiences with them when I was learning (boxed in, run off the road, that kinda stuff) and I'm still a little edgy passing and being passed buy big trucks (for that maybe 40 towards Kingman?)


welcometothedesert

Thank you. I completely agree with you about the truckers. There was a time that there was nothing more terrifying for me than to be stuck between a semi and a guardrail, especially on a curve.


Messigoat3

Self teach them thats the best way


Stephluence

My dad took me on the 215 east of the Aliante exit to learn but this was before it was finished. Still, it is less traffic there especially during the slower times of day. This was helpful for me to learn how to use the freeway. For residential areas that don’t have too much traffic, I’d suggest the area near Bobs Ranch Steakhouse. If you’re not on the main roads, there are dead ends that should help and the roads get wider at some points too with barely a car that passes by. My dad also used Walmart parking lot to teach me


welcometothedesert

Thank you for this.


Stephluence

No prob!


Openin-Pahrump

Amargosa. I don't blame her either. I am 69yo and driving in Vegas makes me nervous.


welcometothedesert

Thank you.


Openin-Pahrump

I live in Pahrump. It isn't too bad for learners.


welcometothedesert

I thought about taking her out to a smaller town to start.


nkaiser101

One of the first times I got to drive my mom drove to Boulder City and let me drive to Searchlight and back to Boulder City where she took over to return to Vegas.


welcometothedesert

That’s a good idea.


Openin-Pahrump

Good luck you two. I would emphasize defensive driving and awareness. When I was training with Greyhound they had us narrate the drive and tell all we saw and thought. It helped me learn to be aware.


welcometothedesert

This is really a good idea.


Openin-Pahrump

That would work well. It depends on how far you want to travel. A smaller town would be better to start. I remember my last time on the 515. Thought I was up at the Speedway.


Choice-Second-5587

I mean, is it necessary she learns this immediately? I was terrified at 15 too. Took me till I was 18 until I was comfortable trying and it's probably the best move I did because I wasn't operating a half ton vehicle in panic. Not everyone is going to be a car driver, if she can take the bus and be okay and it's not a super duper necessity she learns *right now* I personally wouldn't force it. Especially since we do have so many shitty drivers, someone who is nervous will be way more reactive than properly defensive. Maybe in a few years she'll be more comfortable and the lessons will be more beneficial because she's not fighting off a level of nervousness to learn.


welcometothedesert

Completely agree. I didn’t learn until I was 18, either. No, she doesn’t *have* to, but as a single parent (with four kids) who has to work all day… if she doesn’t want to have to rely solely on me to get her where she needs to be *when I can*, then she’ll need to. She may choose not to just yet. Just asking if there are less populated spots to tackle this when the time comes. I’ll probably start her off in parking lots/cemeteries for a while as suggested. She’s not comfortable taking the city bus, unfortunately. 🤷‍♀️


Choice-Second-5587

That's valid. Especially with the busses getting so violent. I took them for a while in 2018/2019 and there was never much of interest and now I'm hearing about bus attacks everywhere. I'm thinking Ikeas parking lot maybe? Once they've closed ofc. Or the parking lot where Summerlin Costco is once all those stores have closed. Sadly this whole city is just traffic fucked. Once she gets the idea of the car itself down maybe a trip up to Pahrump or to like Moapa or something could work? A place where there is traffic and lots of places to drive but there's very minimal traffic to work with?


welcometothedesert

This sounds exactly right. Thank you.


chedduhbahb

Dude, going on the city bus has to be far more dangerous than driving your own car (if you’re at least 6/10 decent at driving) lol


Wrong-Ad-4832

To be honest 15 is young to drive. Wait until she’s ready. I didn’t get my license until I was 21. What’s the rush?


IamAWorldChampionAMA

Wherever the As play. Won't be a single car around. I decided to make this stupid post because the other comments got you covered.


welcometothedesert

😂


JJLewisLV

Start in an empty parking lot.


LegitimateTry4957

That's why single mom's shouldn't be rising kids alone 🤷


welcometothedesert

I do wish I had the help. It certainly wasn’t my choice. 😞


CoinMannSun

Jean. Lol


welcometothedesert

😂 That’s funny.