Driving Lessons - Metro Style

I saw something funny today. A metrobus display proclaiming "driver in training." Now, I've seen that before, but what I haven't seen, or hadn't noticed, was that this bus was packed! With, presumably, other drivers in training - like, a whole class of them. In uniform, just chilling on the bus while this woman - fear set in her eyes - tried to maneuver a right hand turn around the corner of 17th and I Streets NW at lunchtime.

I wondered if this was their final test, the 85th class of metrobus drivers or something like that, and if they all took turns driving around the city until all had their share of precarious situations on the streets of D.C.

It reminded me of my driving lessons at age 16 (NJ) and how in one particular instance, the instructor decided to take two of us out at the same time and we switched off the driving. I wonder now if this is even legal, or if it is whether is should be. I'm fairly certain this other girl had never been behind the wheel before and I think that I had had maybe one other lesson. The area that I grew up in was very flat, bordered by a lot of farm land, but on this day we wound up in the hilly section of town and this girl was accelerating, full speed, DOWN the hills. I was in the back of some cheapo American car that at the time only had those lap belt seat belts which tended to save the passenger's life but leave them with paralysis.

I hope that the metrobus drivers today do not encounter any scary, life-threatening moments as they entrust their fellow classmates to guide a 40 foot vehicle along 335 routes to 12,301 bus stops. May the force be with you and maybe I'll see you on the S line someday.