I'm taking my kid out to learn to drive and wanted to know if there are any suggestions for good places to practice driving?

bull run park is a great place to start

Kena Temple has a big parking lot . . . usually empty during the week.

Excellent, thanks.

Mixing Bowl. Springfield. During Rush Hour, preferably.

Go to Centreville Korean Presbyterian -- they're learning to drive too.

Where do you live? Way back in the day, my dad took me to Our Lady of Good Counsel's in Vienna to learn. They've got an upper and lower parking lot, so if you have a stick shift as I did, it's great for learning how to do that on a hill. Of course, Saturdays and Sundays are pretty much out since it's a church, but good for after school.

Also, a lot of those office parks in Reston - Sunrise Valley/Sunset Hills are pretty good as are local high school parking lots.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/2011 09:52AM by Warhawk.

Joe B. Wrote:
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> Go to Centreville Korean Presbyterian -- they're
> learning to drive too.


7up

Compton Rd.

66? rofl

Ralph Pootawn Wrote:
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> Compton Rd.


i see wat u did thar.... he was actually one of my childhood freinds :(

the grammar police Wrote:
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> Ralph Pootawn Wrote:
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> > Compton Rd.
>
>
> i see wat u did thar.... he was actually one of my
> childhood freinds :(


http://www.news.synavista.com/fairfax-police-investigate-fatal-crash-at-compton-road-and-luton-hill-way/9377/

this guy? Wrote:
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> the grammar police Wrote:
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> > Ralph Pootawn Wrote:
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> > > Compton Rd.
> >
> >
> > i see wat u did thar.... he was actually one of
> my
> > childhood freinds :(
>
>
> http://www.news.synavista.com/fairfax-police-inves
> tigate-fatal-crash-at-compton-road-and-luton-hill-
> way/9377/

yessir

the grammar police Wrote:
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> > > > Compton Rd.
> > >
> > >
> > > i see wat u did thar.... he was actually one
> of
> > my
> > > childhood freinds :(
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.news.synavista.com/fairfax-police-inves
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> tigate-fatal-crash-at-compton-road-and-luton-hill-
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> > way/9377/
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> yessir


sad...i wont clown you like the rest of the aholes on here

What's up with that neighborhood. My brother lives their and just last winter one of his neighbors lost the 2 kids that had the accident over by the Costco. In response to the original poster, try heading out by the government center on the weekend.

Check out the VRE lots

Westfield Conference Center area - there's a full large circle to drive around with intersecting roads and stop lights - allows turns, stops, acceleration, can pull over to side of road, can turn into a parking lot and park, etc etc etc - great place to practice - and on the weekend it's relatively very light traffic.

And it's within spitting distance of the DMV.


View Larger Map

Pretty much any church or school parking lot when they aren't busy.

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DAMN!

pretty much any school parking lot on a weekend is a good place to start

If your kid really wants to learn to drive from you, make him/her get up at 6 AM on a Saturday or Sunday and take them out on the roads matching their skill level.

I am not teaching my kids to drive. When the time comes they can go learn from a professional. Learning from your parents is too emotional and stressful. The only thing I learned from driving lessons with my dad is that he is more of an asshole than I already thought he was.

Good Luck!

bright and early Wrote:
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> If your kid really wants to learn to drive from
> you, make him/her get up at 6 AM on a Saturday or
> Sunday and take them out on the roads matching
> their skill level.
>
> I am not teaching my kids to drive. When the time
> comes they can go learn from a professional.
> Learning from your parents is too emotional and
> stressful. The only thing I learned from driving
> lessons with my dad is that he is more of an
> asshole than I already thought he was.
>
> Good Luck!


You really really really need to at least take them out for a few spins. If not for your own kids sake, for the sake of the kids that will have to do ride alongs with them when theyre in drivers ed. You just cant get enough hours behind the wheel in drivers ed and its absolutely terrifying to be in the back seat when its obvious its either someones first time driving or they only drive during the class. The more hours they get the better for their safety and the safety of others.

Almost any office park on a week-end is good.

Start by parking and backing out in an empty parking lot. That gives a good "feel" for how the car operates.

you need too Wrote:
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> bright and early Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If your kid really wants to learn to drive from
> > you, make him/her get up at 6 AM on a Saturday
> or
> > Sunday and take them out on the roads matching
> > their skill level.
> >
> > I am not teaching my kids to drive. When the
> time
> > comes they can go learn from a professional.
> > Learning from your parents is too emotional and
> > stressful. The only thing I learned from
> driving
> > lessons with my dad is that he is more of an
> > asshole than I already thought he was.
> >
> > Good Luck!
>
>
> You really really really need to at least take
> them out for a few spins. If not for your own
> kids sake, for the sake of the kids that will have
> to do ride alongs with them when theyre in drivers
> ed. You just cant get enough hours behind the
> wheel in drivers ed and its absolutely terrifying
> to be in the back seat when its obvious its either
> someones first time driving or they only drive
> during the class. The more hours they get the
> better for their safety and the safety of others.


I get what you are saying. They will be prepared for the class, but the bulk of the instruction will be left to the pros. I think after the classes are over I would be more comfortable finishing the job. I had such a good experience taking behind the wheel drivers ed through Fairfax County Public Schools when I was a kid.

I agree about Behind the wheel--but I would take the kid to the parking lot first. At least let them learn to start the car and put on the brake, etc. You don't want him using his hours in "behind the wheel" learning that. Let the instructor work on the driving part.

Also, all instructors are not the same. Be sure you get a good one. Ask around first.

bright and early Wrote:

> I get what you are saying. They will be prepared
> for the class, but the bulk of the instruction
> will be left to the pros. I think after the
> classes are over I would be more comfortable
> finishing the job. I had such a good experience
> taking behind the wheel drivers ed through Fairfax
> County Public Schools when I was a kid.

Make sure they have experience before they get to the class. Take them to a school near by and just have them drive around the parking lot some. I didnt do the FCPS one so I dunno how that goes but I do remember being in the back seat with someone who had never driven before and it got so bad that we had to pull over on blake ln and switch because it was to dangerous. I felt kind of bad for the kid actually since he said he parents refused to help him learn or take him out driving at all. The instructor had to talk to the parents about it and let them know he couldnt let him back in the car until they did. Not sure what ever happened with that but never saw him again in my sessions at least

TLC parking lot-best place for a youngster to learn.

Are you fucking me? Let your kid "learn from the professionals"? Are you trying to kill an entire car full of kids + whoever they hit?

Why the fuck would you let a kid who's NEVER BEEN ON THE FUCKING ROAD DRIVE AROUND A BUNCH OF OTHER INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS?

Go fucking jump off a cliff dumbass. You never want to be in a car with a first time driver ON A MAIN FUCKING ROAD.

yup. take the fucker on the beltway and cause more of a back up. We would all love this.

The car park at WT Woodson High in Fairfax was an excellent place prior to the school's renovation. I don't know how it is now since its size has been reduced. The middle entrance off Whitacre Road (directly across from Trapp Road) provides a good slope that is an excellent place to learn how to handle a manual-shift car on a hill. I stalled my father's car many times on that slope when he taught me to drive prior to my taking a behind-the-wheel class (not through the schools, BTW).

Northern Virginia Community College on 236 (the Annandale Campus) also has an absolutely enormous car park out the back that would be a good place to practice the basics, but it doesn't have a good hill for learning the manual.

the grammar police Wrote:
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> Ralph Pootawn Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Compton Rd.
>
>
> i see wat u did thar.... he was actually one of my
> childhood freinds :(


didnt mean to offend
Attachments:

NOVA Annandale Campus parking lot during the weekend.

Parking lot of any large high school early Sunday morning.

Watching out for those flag poles.....WHOMP...another one's down.

We just got kicked off of Kena Temple parking lot. Practiced for about 15 minutes before a lady flagged us down to say it's private property and you are trespassing! She took a picture of my car (and presumably by license plate) as I left.

Cranky cranky! It's an excellent spot.

Lotte's parking lot on a busy day.

Go to any of the fine new car dealerships here in the Northern Virginia area, and take a test drive. Once you are off of the lot, switch seats with little Jr. and let him/her take the wheel.

It is far better for him/her to wreck the dealers car. You don't have to mess with the repairs, and it won't cause your insurance rates to go up.

If they give you any shit tell them the steering is bad in the car, and walk away.

GMU campus parking lot.

A Better Way Wrote:
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> Go to any of the fine new car dealerships here in
> the Northern Virginia area, and take a test drive.
> Once you are off of the lot, switch seats with
> little Jr. and let him/her take the wheel.
>
> It is far better for him/her to wreck the dealers
> car. You don't have to mess with the repairs, and
> it won't cause your insurance rates to go up.
>
> If they give you any shit tell them the steering
> is bad in the car, and walk away.

I once took a Mustang for a test drive in Tysons. Halfway through the test drive the salesman said "Don't drive it like a grandmother, drive it like you would drive it."

He had pointed me down some deadend street for the test drive.(Now where Tyson II is.) I said "Okkkkkk...." nailed the gas and burned tires. We went down a side road and I did 360. A perfect 360! After that I looked over at the salesman and with a big smile. The guy white as a ghost. I almost said "SOLD!"

I ended up buying that model but from another dealer because I got a better deal. The guy called me for about three months.

Tysons Corner on a saturday. JK


drive around the clifton area or robinson secondary parking lot. Theres a road that goes around the school so

Go out on the beltway during rush hour. Make him drink from the firehose.

FedEx Field. Practice anything imaginable driving-wise and can let it rip, but don't end up wrapped around a lightpole.

Wolftrap parking lot...

or any business park in reston on a sunday morning. Just watch for the curbs....

After a few drinks, I like to have a few more and then go driving all over Fairfax. It's good to be king!

Warning bout the Sunrisevalley area parking lots, there are security guards in each complex now. I took my daughter there because we live nearby. Had her driving through a couple office lots and after about five minutes, a rent a cop walked towards us. I had her drive forward, around the corner where we switched drivers and I got the hell outta there.

Lesson one: if a rent a cop approaches, haul ass.

Skyline Drive during a snow storm

Ill Bite..on this old thread, English Hills .. About 1 AM..on a foggy night LOL! Good Luck.

Used to drive round there bout 1971/72 Or was it some kind of weird dream??



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2017 10:50PM by Double Action Jackson.

Just make sure it's private property.

What is best place to practice driving in Virginia/Fairfax area. Any recommendations will be appreciated!