THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504120035
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MY JOB
SOURCE: BY KERRY DOUGHERTY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
SOME DAYS the only things protecting Gary Skinner are nerves of steel, a bachelor's degree in psychology and a safety brake.
Especially the safety brake.
``It's saved my life many times,'' confesses the Portsmouth driving instructor.
That little panic pedal with its worn rubber top is the only thing that stands between Skinner and the most unpredictable beast on the road: 16-year-old drivers.
And that's why Skinner says the most important personal trait a good driving teacher can possess is courage.
``You can't show any fear to your students,'' Skinner declares, sliding his rotund body behind the steering wheel of his 1993 Toyota Camry, en route to pick up his first student of the day.
Practicing what he preaches, Skinner clicks on his seat belt and looks over his right shoulder as he backs out of his driveway. The orange box on the roof of the car proclaims him to be a ``Student Driver,'' but the 47-year-old former schoolteacher says he's been driving for 35 years. Since he was 12.
``My daddy taught me to drive early,'' he says, smiling at the recollection. ``Legal or not, there is a definite advantage to learning to drive young.
``All my students tell me they've never driven before. But in 10 minutes I can spot the students who literally have never been behind the wheel before.
``They're the scariest.''
Andre Alston, a 17-year-old SPSA employee, is not a scary driver.
He's not a fast one, either.
``The speed limit here is 25, Andre,'' Skinner says in a practiced calm, reassuring voice as the youngster grips the wheel, eyes riveted to the road. ``Don't be afraid to drive 25. Twenty is OK, but anything slower than that makes you look like you don't have any self-confidence.''
The student driver glances down at the speedometer and the car jerks to the right.
``Whoa,'' Skinner says. ``Gotta be able to just glance down without swerving.''
Alston drives another mile or so and comes to an intersection.
``We're going straight here, Andre,'' Skinner instructs. ``No need to stop at a green light. No need to stop. Proceed through the intersection. Attaboy.''
As the blue Camry with the ``U DRIVE'' license plate creeps down the side roads of central Portsmouth, Skinner reflects on the anything-but-dull life of a driving instructor.
Skinner taught driving in the Virginia Beach Public School system for 12 years before buying Griffin's Driving School, a one-car operation, several years ago. Most of his charges are high school students, who pay $130 for behind-the-wheel instruction and $85 for his classroom work (or a discounted $185 for both). He picks up and delivers his students - often outside their high schools.
At the end of their 350 minutes of driving and 350 minutes of observing another driver, Skinner's students get an official Griffin's certificate showing that they are ready to take the DMV test.
Alston is about halfway through his lessons. As he approaches the Airline Boulevard and City Park Avenue intersection, the student shows no sign of braking.
Foot poised above his own safety brake, Skinner begins coaxing his student.
``Stop, son,'' he says with just a hint of anxiety in his voice. ``Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop stop.''
The student driver hits the brake in time and Skinner sinks back in his seat, relieved.
Virginia law requires driver-ed cars to be equipped with a foot brake on the passenger's floor. There was a time when the instructor had an extra steering wheel, but Skinner says they were unsafe.
Skinner says that in nearly 20 years of teaching, he has been in a few scrapes with students at the wheel - almost killed once - but never through the fault of his students.
``We've had a few fender benders, but I've never had a student ticketed,'' he says proudly. ``I was almost killed one time with a student driver when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and ran a red light at an intersection. That definitely was not our fault.''
His own driving record is unblemished. Skinner says he's never even had a speeding ticket.
While the students drive, Skinner keeps up a constant banter: tips to help pass the driver's test, pointers on highway courtesy and lots of attaboys.
``The DMV really wants to see you looking over your shoulder when you're backing up,'' he reminds them. ``And you and your underage passengers must wear a seatbelt. You have the duty to remind them.
``Remember, you're the captain of your car.''
Skinner says he wants his kids to do more than just pass the driver's test. He wants them to be safe drivers on the roads. He points to the cellular phone on his console.
``I tell all my students,'' he says. ``If I ever see them speeding or driving improperly I'll use this phone to report them to the police.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
JIM WALKER/Staff
``You can't show your fear to your students,'' says Portsmouth
driving instructor Gary Skinner, right, shown with Andre Alston,
17.
by CNB