This is my first - and probably only - Yelp review. That's how important I feel it is to share my experience with Drive Rite Academy.
For context, I previously had a driver's license in another state, but as a busy, hustling New York pedestrian these past few years, I somehow managed to let it expire (which I will NEVER EVER do again, btw). Then, recently, due to an illness in my family, I resolved to get my license again so I could be of greater help and support.
I managed to get it done within a week, and I have Drive Rite Academy in great part to thank for that.
OK. So in New York City, unless you happen to live with parents who own a car, we are all kind of up-a-creek-without-a-paddle when it comes to practicing driving. Without a license, you cannot (A) own, or (B) rent a car. While you could borrow one from a friend - I mean, eek. What if something were to go wrong? (And many, many things can go wrong; driving in New York City is its own beast!)
That's how I landed at Drive Rite Academy's doorstep. In addition to doing their 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course some weeks prior (Dave does a great job, by the way, it's not easy to make any subject interesting for a stretch that long!) I also did their Super Rush Road Test Service, 4 brush-up lessons, and their Road Test & Car Service.
The reason I had to complete all of the driving - brush-ups and road test - within the space of a week, was that between work, travel, family and life commitments this Spring, I only had one week on my calendar where it would conceivably be possible. And this is where Drive Rite's Customer Service Team really shined (hi, Robert, thank you again for everything!). They were able to help me implement a fairly ambitious plan on an extremely tight turnaround:
Through Drive Rite's Super Rush Road Test Service, the team was able to schedule a road test appointment for me within my one-week window - set for a Friday. Then, I worked with Robert to schedule 4 lessons for the days in the run-up to the road test, one each day from Mon-Thurs. Each day I hauled it from Manhattan to Drive Rite Prospect Heights to work with Sue and Avery, and brushed up on parallel parking, 3-point turns, and general cruising.
(Something to note for folks like me, who have already had a license in the past: "being a good driver" does not automatically equate "being able to pass a NYC road test." The former is about being able to perform in a variety of circumstances; the latter is about being able to perform with exacting precision in a compressed period of time. The NYC road test is only 5-10 minutes, which might sound like a breeze, but the margin for error therefore is very, very slim. So even if you're a NASCAR-grade driver, I'm reasonably sure that a couple of refresher lessons will still prove helpful, especially if you don't have easy access to a car to practice.)
Sue and Avery were both awesome in different ways. Sue was very relaxed, and vocalized corrections as necessary. Her selective feedback helped raise my awareness to many things I had previously learned through driving experience, but forgot that I knew. Avery (AVERY JONES, to be specific!) was extremely rigorous in breaking down the mechanics of driving, and assigned a number of lighthearted catch-phrases ("ABC: Always be curious!") that were easy to remember and recall. Avery also taught me how to parallel park in a scalable manner that could be applied to almost any car or space, so I learned a host of new things, as well.
Both instructors provided valuable insights about what I could expect from both the road test itself, and the site where the test was set to take place.
On the day of the actual test, a lovely lady named Mrs. Welch served as my escort. While transporting me to the Red Hook Road Test site, she provided me with a few last-minute but important DOs and DON'Ts of the road test, answered a few outstanding questions I had, and was overall a very soothing presence. I was definitely a little nervous after investing so much time and energy in the process, and knew it would all culminate in a few brief Friday moments!
Indeed, they were brief, they were intense - and they were enough. I passed. :)
Getting a driver's license in New York City is considerably harder than it might initially seem. Your road test will (likely) be in a car you've never driven before, in a neighborhood you (very likely) don't know, and you only have 5-10 minutes to prove that you can be solid and stable, both mechanically and emotionally.
I'm really glad I did it, and I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to - especially not on such a tight timeline - without the support of Drive Rite Academy. They are a really great and caring team of people, and I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with them! read more