Let me tell you an embarrassing secret. I learned how to drive a car late in life. I've always been scared of the way people drive in Metro Manila. For a time, my wife and I relied on a family driver, but the cost of hiring one had increasingly become burdensome. I needed all the courage I could muster to finally learn how to drive on my own.
My first step was to enroll in a 5-hour automatic vehicle driving class at A-1 Driving School. This package included almost eight hours of classroom instruction on driving orientation and road safety. It cost me around PHP 7,000.00. I chose their branch in SM Mall of Asia because I thought, at that time, the complex could provide a big area for practice driving.
On the first half day, students learned the basics of defensive driving. What I really appreciated about the lectures was the fact that the instructor was a former drag racer who finally wanted to do right by imparting valuable lessons about road safety. He was an automotive mechanic by trade and he was very generous on giving important tips and concepts about the inner workings of vehicles.
I had my actual driving with another instructor the following afternoon. A new Toyota Innova was assigned to me. Without a fuss, my instructor told me to drive to Manila, then to Makati, and finally to their company headquarters in Mandaluyong where parking and backing techniques were taught. It was already nighttime when we got back to SM MOA.
The following day, I attended the final hours of classroom lectures. A certificate of completion was also given to each student who finished the course. I also availed of A-1's books on defensive driving. Up to this day, I still use the road lessons I learned from this driving school. read more
