OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : How did you learn how to drive?

“When I was 13 my grandpa took me out into the hills by his house and let me drive his truck around in the dirt.”

Melissa Jones, 16, junior, Loara

“I hired an old man that overcharged me and needed lessons himself. I still can’t drive.”

Junior, 16, Santiago

“I went out driving by myself. My brother yelled at me so much, because I kept stalling out, that I figured I’d be better off without him.”

Nancy Troia, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley

“I paid my friend’s brother to let me drive on an empty stretch of road.”

Leigh Esposito, 15, sophomore, Cornelia Connelly

“My dad taught me to drive on the Autopia cars at Disneyland. I must say I was a really good driver for only being 5 years old.”

Kellee Stoner, 15, sophomore, Trabuco Hills

“By years of playing Atari’s Pole Position.”

Kirk Dingley, 16, junior, Los Amigos

“My dad taught me. But on my first time behind the wheel, I got flipped off once and honked at twice.”

Susan Hickman, 17, senior, Valencia

“Nothing exciting. I went to a driving school, but the school I went to didn’t teach me very much. Mostly I learned from my parents.”

Sara King, 17, senior, Westminster

“In the school parking lot with my dad.”

Matt Shelton, 16, junior, Cypress

“From this guy with long hair and a scary face. I was so scared of him, I just did what he told me to.”

May Ishibashi, 16, junior, Fountain Valley

“In the bumper cars at Knott’s Berry Farm.”

David Graham, 15, sophomore, Brea Olinda

“On a tractor.”

Luke Lin, 17, junior, Troy

“I still haven’t learned.”

Tom Mitamura, 18, senior, Los Alamitos

“I went to a driving school and then my dad took me out, and he sat in the car with me and said, ‘Drive, but don’t crash.’ ”

Loren Goldman, 16, junior, Irvine

“When I was 14 my mom would take me into vacant parking lots and allow me to drive in circles. I would only go about 10 or 15 miles per hour, but that seemed pretty fast to me.”

Steve Moffat, 17, junior, Villa Park

“I would pay my brother $5 every time he would let me drive his car to the store. I probably lost $100, but it was worth it.”

Sophomore, 15, Mission Viejo

“I was with my friend at a party, he was drunk, so I took the keys and had him tell me when to shift gears.”

Freshman, 15, Sonora

“From go-carts.”

Tyson Davis, 16, junior, Los Alamitos

“I took my parent’s car one day when they weren’t home and taught myself to drive.”

Sophomore, 16, Huntington Beach

“In Mexico, my friend took us out to drive at a small, circle field.”

David Martini, 15, sophomore, Loara

“My dad taught me.”

Lindsey Barlow, 15, sophomore, Newport Harbor

“I learned to drive with an instructor. I was so nervous to drive on the major streets that we drove around my complex for 45 minutes. Then he started yelling at me and said, ‘We have to go out there!’ ”

Summar Gorak, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley

“My mom said ‘Get in the car. You need to learn how to drive.’ ”

Karie Fujita, 16, junior, Cornelia Connelly

“My dad’s car ran out of gas. He made it home, got some gas and took me and our second car with him. When we reached the first car, he filled it up and drove that one home, while I was stuck driving the second car by myself.”

Corinne Smyth, 16, junior, Trabuco Hills

“My driving experience was pretty bland. I never hit anybody or anything.”

Kalem Chaney, 17, senior Westminster

“I learned to drive on my own with a little help from my father.”

Victor Jain, 17, senior, Cypress

“From this not-so-good man at the driving school. He was tres boring and dreary.”

Jacob Indich, 16, junior, Fountain Valley

“It just happened. My driving instructor came and told me to drive, and I did.”

Charlie Knudtson, 17, senior, Valencia

“My dad made me steer from the passenger seat while we drove around a parking lot for 40 minutes.”

Yelena Tsukerman, 16, junior, Brea Olinda

“My brothers and dad taught me.”

Cindy Latteier, 16, junior, Troy

“I spent the summer I was 11 in Wyoming and my cousin decided to teach me how to drive a stick shift truck. I also got to drive a tractor around.”

Takouhie Ouzouian, 17, senior, Villa Park

“When I was 15 I would go to my friend’s house when his parents weren’t home and we would take their car for a joy ride.”

Junior, 16, Mission Viejo

“My mom taught me in a parking lot.”

Elizabeth Kent, 15

sophomore, Newport Harbor

Responses gathered by Eve Winnick, Loara; Katrina Tangen, Newport Harbor; Leeza Duong, Santiago; Joslin Gemsch, Capistrano Valley; Gina Tercero, Cornelia Connelly; Samantha Wood, Trabuco Hills; Jorge Gutierrez, Santa Ana Valley; Linda Dao, Los Amigos; Koreen Kalie, Westminster; Roxeanne McGraw, Cypress; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley; Ling Lu; Valencia; Amy Chen, Brea Olinda; Corey Griffin, Troy; Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park; Dan Nieto, Mission Viejo; Amber Pierce, Los Alamitos; Amy Woo, Huntington Beach.