Advanced Driver's Ed: Driving Other Stuff, Friday, First Period

[10secondcar]

Today, the Danger Shop was set up as a marina, and instead of cars a grouping of small boats awaited the students. "Now, there are a lot of kinds of boats," Brian began. "I'm not messing with sailboats, because they don't have a motor and I'm not here for that, and some have a key for the ignition and a steering wheel and a lever for the throttle--not that different from a car with manual transmission, just on water. And then there are these outboard motor dinghies--I mean, boats." Brian climbed into the nearest dinghy--he meant, boat--and demonstrated briefly how to drive the thing. "Now," he said as he climbed back onto the dock, "Safety first, even though this is a simulation, so everyone put on a life jacket. Then take a few laps around to get a feel for it before you race through the course handwavily laid out with the buoys. You end up in the water, back to the starting line. And before you go, I have a handout of nautical terms so you can sound like you know what you're talking about." Personally, Brian was not convinced 'abaft the beam' didn't mean something dirty.