Navigating the twists and turns of life's highways, I'm joined by my astute ex-wife's daughter Olivia, whose sharp teenage wit and motocross tales offer a fresh take on growing up in the digital era. Our banter turns from laugh-out-loud anecdotes about her ventures into the complex world of teenage communication to the critical life skills learned through the rearview mirror. As we cruise through this episode, Olivia's candid reflections on setting social boundaries and the art of clear communication mirror the principles that make a driver discerning and safe on the open road.
Join us as I give Olivia driving tips and lessons on different vehicles and equipment with DARRYLS OLD SCHOOL DRIVING TIPS!
Navigating the twists and turns of life's highways, I'm joined by my astute ex-wife's daughter Olivia, whose sharp teenage wit and motocross tales offer a fresh take on growing up in the digital era. Our banter turns from laugh-out-loud anecdotes about her ventures into the complex world of teenage communication to the critical life skills learned through the rearview mirror. As we cruise through this episode, Olivia's candid reflections on setting social boundaries and the art of clear communication mirror the principles that make a driver discerning and safe on the open road.
Join us as I give Olivia driving tips and lessons on different vehicles and equipment with DARRYLS OLD SCHOOL DRIVING TIPS!
All right, welcome to the channel. I'm here with my ex-wife's daughter this is Olivia and we're just going to have a little conversation here and then later on we will have a channel and Olivia will be participating in that as a student, and my channel is going to be old school Daryl's old school. Oh heck, what was I going to call that Driving school? No, we haven't come up with a total title for it yet. We haven't started the channel yet. But Daryl's old school driving tips how about that?
Speaker 1:And more along the lines of the speed of life. I guess you can go to driver's ed and you can do all this stuff, but there's some real world things out there that they don't teach you. So we're going to hope to get into some of that too. I've done a lot of driving over the years many years, trucks and equipment. I started driving when I was seven years old. As soon as I can reach the pedals on a tractor we still have that tractor. We'll even get down to that. I'm going to have Olivia driving different things and helping her out so she can pass her driver test, be more comfortable as a driver in town, on the highway and even out here getting the feel of it. So do you want to tell them a little bit about yourself?
Speaker 2:Well, I am 14 years old, I go to Jefferson High School, I'm a freshman as well and I'm in the second semester of driver's ed class and I've never really had a lot of experience with driving at all before driver's ed. I think the most I've ever did was drive up a driveway and, yeah, I think that's all basically.
Speaker 1:I suppose we could throw our headphones on.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I suppose we could throw our headphones on.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, there you go. Now you can hear yourself. Yeah, it's more fun that way, yeah, anyway, yeah, olivia, she's going to learn some stuff. I've talked to her mom and dad and, like I say, she's my ex-wife's daughter and her dad Bill all like I say, she's my ex-wife's daughter and her dad Bill. All of us are like a family. We all get along wonderfully and so, yeah, this is great and Olivia's going to try to learn a little bit more through my experience and we're hoping it helps everyone and I'm, you know, not above taking somebody out and taking them for a drive and working with them.
Speaker 1:You get a little bit more than just that book learning sort of stuff and the highway driving, the city driving. There's a lot more to it than they teach you because they don't have time to teach you all of this stuff, sort of like a sixth sense you've got to develop, you can get, so you can see, you know what people are going to do before they do, and that's what you need to kind of learn. But for now, olivia and I are just going to have a conversation and we really do want to get into something here about an incident we had going over my son motocross, as olivia went with her, with us, her big brother and, uh, she was gonna meet a boy at the track who also rides bikes and they've been texting for I don't know how long you've been texting about a week or so.
Speaker 1:A week or so he even called you when we got to that city. We went to Great Falls and they talked, everything was great, but when we got to the track, they wouldn't talk to each other. Well, what's up with that, olivia?
Speaker 2:Well, the talking kind of just came out of nowhere and stuff. I knew I had known his name because of my brother and it was awkward to talk to him because, um, he and my brother are friends, I guess in a way, and so it was just kind of weird for me and stuff. But I wasn't really thinking of him coming up to the track when I was going and it was just. It was a really awkward experience.
Speaker 2:I guess, I didn't really want to be around him, I guess in a way, but he wanted to be around me, yes, and so it was just really really awkward and I don't even know.
Speaker 1:I've seen that. I've seen that with another young guy that I know, also at a motocross track, who'd been texting with this girl for months, and when they both got to the same place they couldn't even talk to each other. They couldn't communicate If they weren't texting on the phone. They couldn't talk to each other and they didn't. And that's the same thing with Olivia here and it's kind of funny because when this other boy showed up he wouldn't get anywhere near Olivia and he's, you know, the young teenage guy. He's playing it cool with his friends and walking around and everything, but he wouldn't even go anywhere near her and I thought that was kind of funny. I haven't seen that kind of thing for many years, but it is. It's kind of sad in the way that they can't communicate nowadays because of these phones. But anyway they did. He got you something, asked you if you wanted something.
Speaker 1:It was goldfish, goldfish, but what he? He had a friend go ask you if you wanted some, or something like that yeah, I did call him out on that and he goes.
Speaker 2:Well, my friend was the one that wanted to give it to you and I was like, oh, that's weird, I guess, like I don't understand why you could have just stepped up and said no, I'll just give it to her, yeah and then.
Speaker 1:And then you know on another note too if you happen to not be interested in a guy or something like that, don't ever take anything from him or give him any expectation or anything like that. But, yeah, you can always be friendly and talk and whatever.
Speaker 1:But yeah, even you know in dating and stuff like that you're way too young to do much dating yet or anything much like that. But in your older years you know when you go out with a guy, if he asks you out, sure, he'll pay for the meal, but if you start dating a guy or something like that, you should really offer to help pay at least a portion or whatever. Otherwise it's like you're telling the guy you're buying my time, you know you're going to pay for me being here, and then what's his expectations? Well, you know where that's going to go. You don't need to know that now but later on.
Speaker 1:Anyway, we'll get into that with somebody else, but anyhow, I'll let Olivia talk about this encounter a little bit more.
Speaker 2:Well, again, we were just texting for maybe a week and stuff. And then I had told him that, oh, my brother's going to go up to the track and I'm coming along with and stuff. And he had some injuries too with riding and he said, ok, I'll come up and see you guys, but I'm not going to ride. I said, ok, that's fine, and I just kind of wanted to be friends with this kid. I didn't really want to get into anything with him because I wasn't really attracted to him at all. And so when we got up there and stuff, like he had called me and asked me where I was and how long it would be until we got there and stuff. So I told him and then we had gotten there before him, and then he came out and stuff and he went immediately to his other friends and stuff, which I didn't mind.
Speaker 2:And then as the day went on, he just he would just walk like big circles around me and stuff, I guess, like almost stalking me in a way. He would text me to, like he would be like why aren't you talking to me, like why aren't you coming up to me, and stuff. And I was just kind of like making up an excuse, I guess, to not see him. I was like, oh, I'm with this person, I kind of want to spend time with these people and stuff. Um, I don't get to see him very often. Um, as the day went on, I think he finally caught the memo that I didn't want to talk to him or say anything to him and did you press record on that I don't have to oh, you don't you want me to stop it and start over on that part you can just start over right here
Speaker 2:okay, um was. The day went on. He got the memo that I didn't want to talk to him, really hang out with him, and um tanner started to get tired and stuff and he finally did come up. But he just mostly said everything to Tanner and that was fine with me. I kind of was laughing and stuff with Kylie about it, because Kylie, I think, found that he's a lot to deal with sometimes and yeah, he just wouldn't talk to me at all and stuff. And then towards the end of the day when we were going home, he was like how come you didn't say anything to me? I was like I'm sorry, I just wanted to hang out with these people. I don't get to see them very often and stuff. And yeah, that's just basically where it ended and I don't think I've really talked to him since then, maybe like once in a while, but yeah, you guys text at all or anything anymore.
Speaker 2:No, not, really, not at all.
Speaker 1:That's kind of the end of it, huh.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:That was a short date, all righty. Well, that's the story on that. I wanted to get to the bottom of that, all righty. Well, that's the story on that. I wanted to get to the bottom of that, all right. So we're going to take Madigan to town and she's going to video a little bit of driving, what's out ahead of us, so that we can point out a few things, just to keep it simple and easy. And yeah, she can smile once in a while. But yeah, she's kind of looking forward to going in and doing that, mostly because of Murdoch's bucket sale, I think, which she's after. But anyway, we'll have her do that and then we'll work her. We'll start with the big red out here and we'll get her into a tractor and skid steer and maybe a dozer. What do you think about the dozer?
Speaker 2:I'm excited to drive it.
Speaker 1:That ain't much to do with driving, but it's a little bit of equipment, a little bit of you know something extra in all this stuff. When I'm growing up, on these old pieces of equipment old backwards buck rakes and everything you learn how to do some stuff. You can feel it, feel the machinery. And we've got a dually out there that might interest some of you folks. It's a 2002 Ford F-350, 7.3 liter power stroke with 33,000 original miles on it, and it's a pretty nice shape Actually a barn find. It spent most of his life in a barn, so that's pretty cool. It's like new.
Speaker 1:We went and got that last week and my son was driving. We go up over Flesher Pass and he's a good driver, don't get me wrong. But he could use some tips on how to be a little smoother, because what you don't see in that video is his girlfriend in the backseat turning green with motion sickness. You can see the camera's got to moving around a little bit. But yeah, just know that the camera's got an equalizer built in for that sort of thing. So yeah, we'll get her into tractors. The dually got a what I call the fuel trucks a 78 dually and it's a manual transmission.
Speaker 1:So that will be a challenge for her because it's also heavy. We'll take her out here in the field and whatnot and get her started with that. Also a skid steer. We got a kubota skid steer that she could get the little bit of feel of running things and throttle controls and that kind of stuff and all the controls really, and also another 78 ford short box and that's got its own quirks. That'll teach her a few things. So yeah, even the old tractor that I used to run might even resurrect that. So but anyways, I guess we gotta finish this out. Any final comments from the Olivia.
Speaker 2:I don't think so, all righty.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was nice having a young teenage perspective. Get to the bottom of a few things.
Speaker 1:And she's going to be my student. Actually, I guess I'll give her some tips and, like I say, this isn't a nut driver's ed or nothing like that, just a guy that's been around for a long time and driven professionally and raced open-wheel cars, a little bit of motorcycles and drove trucks for years, so mostly construction. But yeah, it all adds up and you just kind of start learning things and get that sixth sense about you. Hopefully I can help some people out there. That's my goal after watching some of these people running around town, kind of start learning things and get that sixth sense about you and hopefully I can help some people out there. That was, that's my goal.
Speaker 1:After watching some of these people running around town and different places and the crazy things that they do, I'm just hoping that I can help some of these young people avoid accidents and be aware of these, these people and their nutty driving habits. So anyway, it was great to have Olivia and let us know in the comments if you want to hear more from Olivia, more of the videos on the driving and the kind of things you might want to see out there, even as far as the driving goes. Well, just let us know and everybody be safe out there welcome to the video.
Speaker 2:This is what we're doing right now. We're going to murdoch's right now, so yeah, this corner right here.
Speaker 1:When I was a kid those reflectors weren't there. You could drop a wheel down there and come around this corner pretty good. That worked really good when it was slick outside because over in that left hand side back there it collects a lot of cars. It's a pretty wild corner when it gets slick. Coming down that hill you go across the railroad tracks like this. You kind of slow down of course, look both ways, but get off of the brakes when you cross the tracks. It's a little easier on your vehicle and also kind of helps ensure that you will make it across in case something wants to lock up whatever. Just get across the tracks on these narrow roads like this. But there's no shoulders. You kind of got to watch where you're at. For the most part most people know the center of the hood. If you're in the driver's seat you want to go over to the right any further than that stripe in the center of your hood, otherwise it will suck you right down.
Speaker 1:Coming into a corner like this. It's fairly tight. You want to slow a little bit down ahead of time. Try not to brake going around the corner. Get yourself slowed down, let off the brake. You accelerate slightly as you're going around the corner, it helps keep the rig planted. Once again, no brakes going over the tracks themselves, but in them corners like that. A little bit of acceleration keeps your vehicle planted. That way the chassis rolls. You try to brake or slow down when you're going into the corner, when you're already into it, it kind of wants to push your rig over to the side of the road, like that, coming up to another one here, kind of a T in the road here. Keep an eye on these people, a lot of these people coming from this way, unnoticed, bolts right out in front of you. I've had to abort this corner more than once because some of them will pull right up and sit in the middle of the road.
Speaker 1:This particular road is terrible. I guess they're going to put some sort of skid patch over it. Maybe this summer is a temporary fix. They said they needed to study it for two years. Well, you can just look at it, tell exactly what you need to do. I guess they want to redesign it. I don't know what, what that's all about. Personally, I just put a shoulder on it, build her back up. You can see all this Pretty rough road.
Speaker 1:I had a motor home last year. I think it was Maybe the year before we come to town with that motor home, but this road literally rattled the front windshield out of the motor home and we were supposed to be on our way to Washington to race. That made that a very long day. So we spend a lot of time especially on this piece, dodging potholes or if they fix them models. We've got this little pedestrian crossing right here. They're supposed to stop and push those buttons and these bright flashing lights will flash if somebody's standing there. Almost doesn't help that. They brought their their sidewalk thing out into the road a little bit. Most of them don't stop, push that button. A lot of the runners they don't want to break their stride, so they just run right out into the road. Most of them are pretty good, but you really got to watch for that, especially with that sidewalk being into the road. As much as it is the way they built it, that kind of gets about right in your path before they even start to actually get onto the road. When we get down here we're going to run into another one. Only there's no button that they push down here. There's a fence right down here coming up which you can see, and they will come off from behind that fence and run right across the road. So you've really got to be aware of that. That's right over here on the right, because you're kind of blinded until you get to this point, right about here, you can see them down there. You have to watch out for that.
Speaker 1:Another set of tracks. Here I say slow down so it's not such a rough ride. Let off the brakes, even accelerate just a little bit, just make sure your rig gets across those tracks. It kind of Just make sure your rig gets across them tracks. It kind of helps make sure that you don't get locked up stuck on the tracks, which happens at times, and it's a little easier on your vehicle not braking over a rough road Coming up to a light like this.
Speaker 1:It'll slow down, nice and easy, of course. But stop back here so you can make sure you keep an eye on that guy's rear tires In case anything happens. You need to get out of here or anything like that. If you can still see his rear tires like this, you can just drive away and around him. If you have to, might even help in the carjacking. Ah, I do have to take it somewhat easy on this, because we do have a 2023 KTM in the back of us. It doesn't have far to fall. But no want to upset the cargo School zones, no matter what, even if the school's not in session. They got a little bit of a speed limit of their own.
Speaker 1:Looking up a lot on a light like this been green for a while. It's kind of you kind of got to watch it. It sort of like a stale green light. You can change it anytime. Sometimes they change real fast, other times they stay green for quite a while. Vehicles like this sometimes they don't want to wait, they'll go ahead and duck in front of you. Sometimes they'll look right at you, wait for you to get right there and then do it. Just got to be on your toes, ready to cover that break at any time. That guy's sticking out over the crosswalk, you don't know that he might just take off all right, there we are.
Speaker 2:It was busy here, oh busy, yep, it was busier when me and dad went too slip up here with the big boys.
Speaker 1:This thing's pretty long, alrighty. It was nice getting to see Olivia we had a good day together and her mom let us go to dinner. I dropped her off with her dad and with that I will say see you next video. And I hope to help all the people I can these young folks, they just don't get a chance to see some of this stuff. But I will leave you with this little Montana road construction. See you next time.