I had a mostly positive experience at 911 Tri-Cities Driving School, as the majority of my instructors were kind, patient, and professional. However, one instructor - Jeff Gerig - stood out as a significantly negative experience.
During my drive with him, he was unnecessarily rude and impatient in a way that made the session genuinely stressful. He raised his voice at me multiple times in situations that did not warrant it, and his communication style was more demeaning than instructional. For someone working with young, inexperienced drivers, he showed a clear lack of patience and understanding of how to effectively teach and support a student who is still learning.
After that session, I was genuinely hoping not to be assigned to him again. Good driving instruction should build a student's confidence - not undermine it.
It is also worth noting that my sibling attended this school before me and was assigned to Jeff on multiple drives. They described him the same way - unnecessarily rude and disrespectful. This was not an isolated incident or a one-off bad day.
The school itself was fine, and I do not want this to reflect on all the other instructors assigned to me with the rest of my drives who were genuinely great. But I'd encourage the school to reflect on whether Jeff Gerig's approach is appropriate for working with young students, and I'd encourage other students to request a different instructor if possible. read more
