KY drivers

While at Sylvan on Friday, I was talking to another teacher whose son is turning 16 this week-I asked if he was getting a car or his license and his mom replied with "I am not comfortable with him driving by himself yet..." I asked how much drivers training he had completed so far and she said "nothing! KY doesn't have drivers training...on your 16th birthday you go in, take a test, and get your license if you pass, otherwise you fix your mistakes and take it again..." This is where my mouth dropped to my chest- "That explains sooo much" I said... and it does... she agreed as she isn't from KY... No offense to anyone living or growing up in KY, but drivers here are crazy!! (that's being nice too!) Here is one example of this... this happened last June, but I figured I would enlighten you with my story (and one of the reasons WHY I am absolutely terrified to drive around KY...

I had gone home for Fathers Day- I hadn't been here for more than 2 weeks, and Caleb had been gone so I decided to go home... I first had to find a place to board Daisy- I called every place around here, but they were either booked or wouldn't take her as she wasn't potty trained (we had had her for a little over a week-and her not being trained was one of the reasons I didn't take her with me).. I finally found a place in Bardstown and it was cheap too- so I took a spot... Only to mapquest it and start driving an HOUR SOUTH/aka the OPPOSITE direction from MI... aghhhh... I dropped her off and had a great weekend back home with the family... I drove back and picked up my friend Emily to drive with me to pick up Daisy... picked her up no problem (she even got an "A" report card!) and headed home... while on our way home I drove through an intersection (it had been green/still was) when out of no where a car smahed into us (she went on a RED left turn!)- I tried to swerve but it was no use-she slammed into us, we spun several times- the airbags went off/window broke/gas/fumes everywhere/and the horn was stuck and going off... I hit my head on the window so was rubbing it as I opened my eyes- and noticed Emily bolting out of the car to the corner (we were in the middle of an intersection).. I grabbed our purses and got out... started heading to the corner, still holding my head/shaking/banged up... only to look back and see Daisy in th back window! She looked terrified and looked at me like "are you seriously going to leave me?!"- I ran back to her and grabbed her/her leash (that I found across the street-my car ended up being totaled so needless to say there was stuff everywhere!-I should also add tha we had just gotten this car 2 months before ;() by the time I sat down on the sidewalk clutching Daisy people had stopped/called the police/ambulance and were helping us- I will never forget the man who had a suit on (he was heading home from work) and took his jacket off to lay on the ground for me- then was kneeling on the ground by my friend Emily and I-we were both beaten up a bit and breathing hard (more so because we were just so shaken up)- I was still holding onto Daisy when the paramedics came and were putting me on the stretcher- an older woman came and took her and said she was going to follow us to the hospital and watch her- I cried and said I needed her, and she replied with "sweetheart I will be right behind you-you can't take her in the ambulance"-that's when I realized that I was taped down already/neck brace/being carried to the ambulance- at this point our friend Mekala was on her way and Emilys husband was on his (Caleb was in the field)- emotionally I was beat so instead of crying more, started to joke around- I had said that I was going to get my eyebrows waxed later that week, but didn't have to as the tape ripped out several!, and I kept asking about my teeth (so when I called my parents I Immediately said that all my teeth were in)... I haven't been as relieved as I was when Mekala walked into my hospital room and hugged me-she had called someone, who called someone else, who somehow got ahold of Caleb (all they told him was that I had been in a car accident and was in the hospital!-poor guy!- he didn't even know I had gone home since he had been training! Emily and I both got xrays and had to stay for a bit, but then we all headed back to Fort Knox- Daisy had been taken care of- when Mekala and I walked out, the woman was sitting with Daisy, feeding her, and Daisy had several cans of dog food (her food had been thrown all over in the accident), a bone/toy, water dish, and a 2-3ft tall "guardian angel"... Daisy was "living the life"... Caleb was home by the time we got home- I went on vicadin, and he left early in the morning (I didn't even remember him being home really!)- the next few days that followed were filled with amazing neighbors coming over to check on me/bring dinner/flowers/etc... as well as insurance papers started coming- I couldn't believe the bills that I wad getting (if I knew that neckbrace cost THAT much I would have saved it!)- the woman who hit us had to cover all of our costs-medical and car-our insurances figured things out and we "settled"... later, we learned from the police report that a NUN hit us- (no offense to these sweet women!) but she claimed that she "forgot to stop at the red light and went..." oh and the smoke- some of it was from MY pepperspray on my keychain-I got sprayed by my own pepper spray! (yeah that was cool-not!) so.... can you see why I might be a little scared (ok terrified) of driving?!- it makes sense now that they just "show up and take a test" on their birthday! I think I am even MORE scared now knowing this!! ;)