What I learned from my online defensive driving class

So clearly the picture is Ironic and not me,,, but I was amused.. (cause you know I never put on lipstick in the car,, mostly cuz I forget lipstick often,,, but I know you are all aware of my custom molded earpiece for my cell phone so I'm hands free and comfortable (mine is pink but it looks like this)


So per Geico,, since I'm paying WAY too much for car insurance, and since they have till March when I'll be a 'premier customer,,, aka owed them my life for 5 yrs" when if they dont match my other offers I'll be out! So per GEICO I can take a defensive driving class and reduce my rate and the class keeps the rate low for a few years (three I think).. One of the perks of being a GEICO member is a cheaper rate for the online driving class.

but becuz NYS mandates this class, it must fulfill certain guidelines..
apparently the most important is that I sit in front of the computer for no less than 6 hours.. And they do this by not letting you move forward thru the slides until a certain little clock has timed down to zero. Often times I could have read the slide 10 times in the amount of time alotted which you think might be helpful in making snacks..

its not , and the reasons is becuz every random bit of time they require you to either answer a question that you've answered before for accuracy, , or (and this makes me insane) call a randomized number, give them a random student ID number and read verbally aloud a list of two-digit numbers... apparently to match your voice sample from the beginning. So you really cant move from the computer. Plus you have to take a test after each module to prove you read/learned stuff. Which is actually not impossible but after you've been learning and 'stuff' for 2-3hrs' really what is maintained its not like I'm in college or something anymore. I'm not taking notes here!!!

So anyway,, there have been some things that I have learned from this class.. and as this may not shock you.. i use the word 'learned' very loosely. In fact,, anyone who did not know these things should have their license revoked and I dare any of you to contest!
I'll only do a Top Ten unless I cant contain myself

1) What should you do if you come upon wildlife?- Well if your driving you should avoid wildlife of various sizes and shapes.

2) How should you drive differently in snow?- Try to avoid driving in poor weather conditions.

3) How should you drive differently in rain?- Try to avoid driving in poor weather conditions

4) How should you drive differently in sleet? (no joke people) Try to avoid driving in poor weather conditions.

5) What about flash floods? They then give some random % which I did not maintain cuz ITS USELESS about how often these occur and then the same line of 'try to avoid driving in poor weather conditons.

(to be fair they usually give one or two other suggestions besides avoidance but I almost screamed at the computer but of course no one would hear me like the tree falling in the forest... so why bother!)

6) Does everyone have to wear a seatbelt? (this was after they spent seriously 10 slides explaining the benefits of seatbelts),, NYS law mandates the use of seatbelts or carseats for all passengers.

7) Do I have to wear my seatbelt if I have airbags (duh)

8) I dont want to wear a seatbelt because then I won't escape if my car is submerged- someone stupid made this statement and why they chose to honor it is ridiculous but their point 'by wearing the seatbelt you are more likely to maintain consciousness after the point of impact which will allow you to escape the crash versus those who do not wear belts would be unconscious and have no chance of escaping' (valid)!

9) Look both ways before moving into an intersection (if you dont know this return your car keys now)

10) Reduce your speed on wet roads (again if your not smart enough to do this or 'avoid driving in bad weather'.. well you shouldnt live in NYS in the first place and second of all,, return your keys.

PS I'm still in this class and its way past my bedtime..let this torture end soon!


UPDATE: the torture continued TWO more hours past the blog.. for a total of FOUR HOURS this evening,

also duly noted that 'what should I be looking for while driving near a playground'.. was indeed a slide,,,and you maybe shocked but 'careless children' wasnt the first obvious thing to look for.. 'other cars slowing'... was... yeah not the dodge durango,,, dont dodge the child!
D