Happy Sweet 16!

Dearest Cassie,

You're a few days shy of turning 16, which means you soon will be taking your driver's test. And as your older, wiser cousin, it's my duty to prepare you for this big day. Consider the following advice an early birthday present.

Rule #1
Turn right on red does not mean you can roll through a red light without stopping first. I learned the hard way, doll. I was a few blocks away from finishing and approaching a red light, when Ben's voice popped into my head, "Turn right on red." I paused briefly, looked to the left and right, smiled and continued on to the finish line. The big guy sitting next to me with a white mustache yelled and was likely a few Whoppers away from cardiac arrest. He failed me. I sulked. I'm not sure if running the red light was an automatic failure, or if the general inability to park contributed.

Rule #2
Don't let the supervisor tag along. You're doomed before your hands even touch the wheel. This happened to me for driver's test No. 2. Any mistake, even the micro ones, result in red ink. The guy in the front with you is under extreme pressure. He has to be extra observant. And for what he would normally let slide, he ends up taking additional points. Sans supervisor, the post-test conversation would go like this -- in a perfect world:

Driver: I'm sorry about hitting those orange cones.
Tester: So the parallel parking and 90-degree backing up were challenging? That's OK.
Driver: And I didn't mean to drive over the curb.
Tester: That's OK, too. I'm passing you anyway. I believe young drivers learn by experience, so here's a license to give you just that.
Driver: So you don't care that I almost ran over that lady in the crosswalk?

In a perfect world...

Rule #3: Third time's the charm, my dear. It was for me anyway. If you must test a third time, I recommend going to Ivanhoe. There are no stoplights, no opportunity to run those annoying red lights. Heck, the town -- or should I say village -- has very few stop signs. It's hard to fail in Ivanhoe. The only point where you might encounter trouble is trying to locate the car you came in. Know its unique features -- license plate number, dents, random items inside the car. That's what helped me when I realized I was sitting inside the wrong green Ford Tarus. I knew my great aunt Dorothy did not own CDs. And her car certainly wasn't dirty when I left it. Who knew Ivanhoe had so many green Ford Taruses sitting in front of the courthouse?

Getting your license will be one of the happiest days in your life. When I heard those magic words "You passed" six months after my 16th birthday and a few days before my permit expired, I rejoiced. I ran to the courthouse, hugged my mom, jumped up and down. I almost cried. It was beautiful.

If you heed my words of advice, I'm sure you'll be just as happy the first -- and for your sake I hope the last -- time you have to take your driver's test.

Love,

Your big cousin Brady