The Spaghetti Bowl

Guess where I learned to drive?  Yes, Houston Texas, in the "spaghetti bowl" as it was called.  I was a sophomore at J Frank Dobie High School and was required to attend driver's education classes so that my car insurance would be less costly.  They showed us all types of gory films and slides of real accidents.  I believe they were trying to frighten us out of wanting to drive.  That kind of thing was never going to work with teenagers, we are invincible!  The one film I remember to this day was in 1971-ish, seat belts and car seats were not required.
The officer that was working the scene was crying.  He had investigated the car accident directly after it had happened and found a tiny human eyeball.  He said he knew then that a baby had been involved in the accident so he set about looking for the child.  He later found the baby many feet away from the car.  Next the camera had the officer holding the infant up to his shoulder dead, the officer crying.  The impact of the accident had caused the eyes of this child to exit before the child had been thrown through the windshield.  Of course the baby was instantly dead.  The officer stated he was crying because he had an infant about that age at home.  That film nearly got me, but... being a teenager I managed to convince myself I would never have an accident.
When it was time for "behind the wheel" we had to choose partners for driving.  My boyfriend at the time, Gary Brown, was in my class and immediately signed me up to partner with him.   I thought that would be fun but that did not turn out to be a great choice, for me at least.  I was a very careful driver (imagine that).  The diving coach complemented me frequently on my ability.  I think because I was afraid of the power involved in an accident I was very, very careful.  Gary on the other hand, who was one of the most level headed careful people I had ever known, was scatter brained when it came to driving.  That boy would make a left hand turn in front of a car five feet away from him.  He always seemed to be surprised that coach and I were screaming for our lives.  He never seemed to notice stop signs, red lights, you name it.  It got so bad that the poor boy was booted out and had to re-take the course.  I was never so happy to be rid of a driving partner in my life.  I passed the class with flying colors, Gary..., well lets' just say for the next year of our dating relationship.. I ALWAYS drove!