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Driving Test
updated: Jul 27, 2012, 10:02 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

I have a manual transmission car that my fiancee is not comfortable driving. Would you have any suggestions of good places in or near Santa Barbara that would allow her to practice in a stress-free, low- traffic environment?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 302121P	2012-07-27 10:05 AM
It's summer! All the school parking lots are wide, wide open and empty :)
COMMENT 302123	2012-07-27 10:08 AM
Ditto that 121P, I learned to drive in the lower parking lot at San Marcos High School. A big empty parking lot is perfect.
COMMENT 302124	2012-07-27 10:09 AM
After hours at places like K-Mart parking lot, Industrial Park roads around Hollister and Los carneros, etc. That's how my dad taught me when I was just 13 years old. I loved it!
COMMENT 302127	2012-07-27 10:10 AM
La Cumbre Mall parking lot, Saturday or Sunday mornings 7.a.m. That's where my husband takes our teenage daughter for driving lessons.
EDONE	2012-07-27 10:12 AM
Check out our past article on driving tips: Click Here -Ed
COMMENT 302130	2012-07-27 10:12 AM
Maybe Earl Warren?
COMMENT 302133	2012-07-27 10:17 AM
Any empty parking lot where security is lax to get the basic mechanics working and then neighbourhoods where traffic is minimal to deal with rules of the road and obstacle avoidance. Good luck.
COMMENT 302134	2012-07-27 10:18 AM
There's an empty car dealership lot across from the airport with lots of quiet streets around it.
COMMENT 302139	2012-07-27 10:26 AM
I taught my sister how to drive a manual transmission at earl warren.
COMMENT 302146P	2012-07-27 10:38 AM
Bel-Air Knolls. This subdivision was amazingly well planned for a manual transmission: all intersections are flat!
COMMENT 302159P	2012-07-27 10:59 AM
NOT Earl Warren. I think they even have signs posted about using their parking lot for driving practice!!! *****The OP said in the posting, they are looking for a place in Santa Barbara, not Goleta, even though those Goleta suggestions are great.
COMMENT 302165	2012-07-27 11:10 AM
It does say In or Near Santa Barbara, just keep in mind Summer school is taking place at Dos Pueblos this summer. I'm not sure when it ends, but probably not the campus to practice at, at least during the week.
COMMENT 302169P	2012-07-27 11:14 AM
After she has the basics down, remember to drive on some hills. That's the tricky part of stick shift -- at least on the older cars.
COMMENT 302174	2012-07-27 11:18 AM
Ditto San Marcos! That's where I learned many moons ago. 131- that's not very nice. Everyone else had good suggestions, why be so nasty?
COMMENT 302218	2012-07-27 12:22 PM
159P - While not in Santa Barbara I think Goleta qualifies as "near" Santa Barbara.
SHAKEY	2012-07-27 12:29 PM
I always took my wife and boys to the tower side of the airport. There are a few roads to practice on ( enough to go through the gears ) and schools are to small plus you don't want someone that's not use to a cluch near kids !!
COMMENT 302222P	2012-07-27 12:30 PM
Bell Air Knolls - Ha! That was a joke right? Caution: very steep descent on Portesuello to Las Positas Rd. which is a high hazard area and very busy intersection. Tell us when you plan taking her for a lesson and I'll stay in to watch the Olympics!
COMMENT 302231	2012-07-27 01:00 PM
I have to agree--find a big empty parking lot. It's where I learned to drive a standard.
COMMENT 302287	2012-07-27 02:42 PM
My dad taught me how to drive a manual transimission on the streets of DT. A LOT of stop signs and little hills to get you used to working your clutch! I little frightening but with the fear of stalling with a car behind me got me to learn that clutch a lot faster than i'm sure i would have in a parking lot! Oh yeah, and the emergency brake was a great friend!
COMMENT 302337	2012-07-27 03:56 PM
My boss took me out at night to learn how to drive a manual water truck. Had to learn quick at shifting and to politely keep my boss in his place.
COMMENT 302342	2012-07-27 04:07 PM
Technically, the airport is in Santa Barbara, as are the old hangars on the other side of Hollister. Courtesy of some historic gerrymandering.
COMMENT 302350	2012-07-27 04:27 PM
The bridge to nowhere, otherwise known as salvar rd and via gaitero. Has a nice uphill for the best practice and some flat spots, no traffic and all straight.
COMMENT 302377P	2012-07-27 06:15 PM
Took me 3 tries; 3 different friends/teachers; 3 different vehicles. Be patient! Nothing like taking Old San Marcos in an ancient RX 4. Wheee! Earl Warren was the best. Yes, they do have a sign disallowing it -- now.
COMMENT 302384	2012-07-27 06:56 PM
My dad made me drive up and down state street a few zillion times. He did it in traffic, but I would suggest doing it early on an off summer weekend morning...but it could end in divorce. I taught several people to drive in the DP Parking lot and the steep hill out of the teacher lot is a great place to learn tricks to start when your headed up hill (aka using the hand break)
COMMENT 302399	2012-07-27 08:17 PM
Hope ranch She's not an idiot learning to drive She needs stop, start & slopes
COMMENT 302403	2012-07-27 08:21 PM
Hope ranch is good for practicing driving, I have had 2 kids learn to drive on the roads around here
COMMENT 302441	2012-07-28 07:22 AM
Crash test parking lot dummy. I think it's best to learn to drive in a stick shift first. Although sneaking out the folks old buick wildcat doesn't hurt either.
COMMENT 302451P	2012-07-28 07:56 AM
I learned to drive in both Montecito and Hope Ranch - gave me a little bit of everything. Like the OP's fiancee, I already knew how to drive when I learned stick but I still went out on those roads first because they were familiar and I knew the terrain. Worst was stalling for 20 minutes on DLV at the old Fosters Freeze (now Chicken Ranch) the first time I drove the truck by myself. Nervewracking but I NEVER stalled a stick shift car like that again!
SEEDLADY	2012-07-28 08:45 AM
Learning the gear box is as important as the actual driving. Very easy to go into 3rd when you mean 1st, and stall it. Also, being at a dead stop before going into reverse. Don't talk to her as if she is your girl friend, talk to her as if she was your very dear Aunt who was dependent on learning--as her only way to get around. Give her all the tools she'll need to learn how a manual trans is diff than automatic. (i.e. the need to think about what you are doing, and what you'll need to do next!) Give her plenty of level driving first, then corners, then no-to-light traffic, then light hills, then some steep ones using the hand brake. Teach her not to ride the clutch in traffic. If things don't go well between you (they didn't with me, my first hubby and our first VW bus) get a gal pal to teach her. Worked for me first time out on that second try--zero pressure. And of course, how she can't text or use the phone while driving, manuals need two hands!
COMMENT 302465P	2012-07-28 08:54 AM
If she's having trouble finding the gears' sweet spot for shifting without grinding, "Car Talk" archives (PBS radio/internet) have some good tips on learning to drive shift.
COMMENT 302471P	2012-07-28 09:35 AM
I taught my daughter how to drive my 914 at Earl Warren.
COMMENT 302473	2012-07-28 09:41 AM
First, figure out if it is harder to learn to use the clutch, or harder to learn to know how and when to be in which gear. My wife figured out the clutch on the fourth try and had it nailed by the tenth time. So with her I had to practice on an open road with lots of stop signs and switch back curves requiring her to (try to) learn how to select gears. With a friend, she had no trouble shifting but had a very hard time with the clutch. Her I took to an empty parking lot with some steeply sloped spots in one corner. My wife never did learn to figure out how to choose the best gear, but in a pinch she could get around. That antique Studebaker V8 had enough torque to drive around in 2nd or third gear all the time. Certainly cut fuel consumption.
COMMENT 302526	2012-07-28 11:57 AM
First, dry runs to learn the gearshift position without looking at it (like a standard H). Sansum Clinic at Calle Real near 154 on weekends & after 5 is good, followed by street practice on and around La Colina Rd./Bishop High area. Go girl!
COMMENT 302538	2012-07-28 12:37 PM
Tell her there is a 1/2 price shoe sale at Nordstroms and it is the only way to get there. Learning curve cut in half. You're welcome.
COMMENT 302619	2012-07-28 05:23 PM
Funny story...my mother taught me to drive at our local cemetery. It was genius. I had "roads" with intersections, practice looking left and right and engaging the clutch. What my mom always said about the location, "You can't hurt anyone here and they won't judge your driving."
COMMENT 302620	2012-07-28 05:29 PM
@451p....woahhh there was a foster freeze there??
COMMENT 302897	2012-07-30 08:23 AM
I would also suggest a local, nearby large church parking lot to practice, but not on Sundays.
COMMENT 302924	2012-07-30 09:58 AM
A good uphill spot that hardly ever sees traffic is N. Fairview, way above Cathedral Oaks.
COMMENT 303382	2012-07-31 01:57 PM
From the OP, thank you all for your responses (except 131, he's just too smart to understand). One of the keywords was "allow" because I didn't want to get hassled by police/security in a private parking lot, she's got enough stress and cops appear to be on a fundraising rampage at the moment. We will start with the school lots as they are public property, but I think she's beyond parking lot training and needs to get more comfortable in light traffic, so Hope Ranch it is. We'll stick to odd hours too. On a side note, my car is in the shop getting a new clutch. I'm so glad this happened before she started practicing so she wouldn't blame herself.

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