Thomas M. Sullivan’s Life In The Slow Lane: Surviving A Tour Of Duty In Drivers Education

Life in the Slow Lane is about a life as journey of discovery, in this instance teaching wealthy kids how to drive. So it`s a journey in a car, which is often how North Americans learn about life. This book is rooted in reality.

Caught on the horns of an unemployment dilemma, Thomas L. Sullivan took a short term job as a driving instructor to pay the bills. He starts out arrogant: better than his students, his employer, pretty much the world. He has a lot to learn, and does.

Life as a driving instructor ain`t a drive through the country. The company Sullivan signs up with has ancient cars and even more ancient driving routes. Sullivan is given maps for rural routes that turn out to be beyond dated—where a country store should be, there is a mall.

Equally problematic with poor equipment is abusive planning. Lessons can be half an hour or longer. They are tightly scheduled. Periodically instructors must drive clear across town at rush hour to make the next appointment. If they instructors are lucky, more or less, the appointment shows up. If the kid doesn`t show up, the instructor receives only a minimal fee.

And the kids? Sullivan spends a lot of pages about them and their parents. The school instruction he provides is essentially to high school students in a wealthy area. The mothers (he did not seem to deal much with fathers) engage in a friendly competition with each other as to how is more ‘booked’. Between preparing for final exams, soccer games, piano lessons and the rest, driving lessons are one more item to squeeze in. Some of the children seem aware, while virtually all the parents appear, well, driven.

Sullivan’s story is told with growing awareness. His tone towards people gradually softens as he realizes some of his own shortcomings.

Oh, and you will learn a great deal when reading this book about how to drive properly.

Life In The Slow Lane: Surviving A Tour Of Duty In Drivers Education
By Thomas Sullivan
Published by Uncial Press, an imprint of GCT, Inc.
http://www.uncialpress.com

Reviewed by Victor Schwartzman

victor

Writing since a kid, no kidding, but hate submitting. Have earned a living writing narration scripting, screenplays etc. Now write poetry, short fables, and the last chapters of a graphic novel. Retired from being a human rights officer for 21 years. As of some time in the spring, 2010, I will move from Winnipeg to Vancouver. My volunteer life includes running the movie room in Winnipeg's science fiction convention for 15 years, advocacy and social activism, and occasionally offering other writers editing suggestions.

• View all posts by victor →
• Blog