1. You can’t please everyone. You can try, but it will never be enough for some.

2. Some students can control their parents and lie to get what they want, and the parent(s) will back them, even if you show proof to them, they will still defend.

3. There are many folks out there that are never happy, unless they can bring you down to their level. This by making up lies and complaints without merit to try and destroy or discredit others’ lives.

4. No matter how good of a person you are, you will always finish last, and that the liars and the cheaters will always finish first, so protect yourself.

5. A good working person with excellent values will always be asked to do more.

When I found out from the students that around 60% of parents text and drive, I was amazed. I can educate the student on the hazards of this act, but parents need to help with this as well. If you do not want your student driver to text and drive, then you should lead by example. I tell students if the person texting doesn’t care about their safety, then why would they care about yours? We have so many negative things going on in our society that it seems like we are going backwards in evolution. So, if we can help by teaching correct methods and values to students who come to Decker’s Driving Academy and have a little fun in the process, then it is a win-win for everyone. 

Since we have had so many no-shows for appointments, we will be changing some of the services for the reopening. Please read the contract before submitting, even if your student signs themselves up. Once submitted it is an agreement to the terms of the contract and typing in the name constitutes a digital signature. There will be no more fees for a no show unless agreed to by both parties, appointments are an agreement between student, and the instructor. We will not tolerate anymore no shows and students run the risk of being dropped from the course without a refund as the driving school was willing and able to provide services. We are not going to text your student when we are in front of school waiting, or at the house waiting, come and ring the doorbell, or go into the school to get the student (Where is this allowed in any school?), your student should be ready at least 5 minutes on either side of the appointment time, as we are talking about driving not teleportation. Teach your student how to use the scheduling feature in their phone since one hand is always caring the thing anyway. Parents, if you do not want your student to make appointments you must tell us prior to us making an appointment with your student. We will not entertain the idea after the student no shows, the parent saying, “but you didn’t OK or confirm the appointment with me first”. This is something that your student wants and their first big time to be responsible. Our time is just as valuable and students need to learn how to stand up to a bully like taught in school, bullies like teachers (changing of times met with students), coaches (changing practice times last minute), employers (changing work times last minute), etc. Driving is way more important than many subjects taught in high school, especially in our present society. Parents have no problem yanking their students out of school for vacations, sporting events, church missionary work, doctor and dentist appointments, etc., so why not driving appointments? Distracted driving, non-licensed drivers, non-insured drivers, reckless drivers, etc., are these not important to families today? To our communities? As we (Decker’s Driving Academy) have brought down the accident ratio by 95% in Wausau for 16-and 17-year-olds is not important to families, to communities who want to feel safe in their neighborhoods, their family members out and about. Yes, this is why we are all over the place, exposing your student to as many different scenarios in driving as we can, I don’t believe in hanging out in a neighborhood wasting driving time doing the same thing each lesson in same location. This does not help prepare the student for anything, sure it is safer for the driving school for liability, wear and tear on the vehicle, and not being on the main roads to hold up impatient drivers, but how does that help the student? This is why we get flicked off, honked at, tailgated, etc, because we are showing students the correct way and many people are annoyed with getting behind a driver education vehicle today. Yes, students will make mistakes while learning, I get that, this is why our vehicles are marked, but for those of you who are annoyed, would you rather be on the road where a student was taken around the block for 6 hours by a driving school, no parent practicing, and then received a license without a review to see if they are ready to drive without a net? If parents and students feel that driver’s education is such a waste of time and resources, then tell Madison we don’t need drivers’ education anymore. Let the parents do the instruction with their students to get them ready for the road test, many students and parents don’t put in the practice times required anyway. We as instructors can tell, and these students are yes, getting the waiver when the DOT didn’t want to do the road test and receiving a license, and I can’t stop them from continuing without the possibility of losing my instructors license, because the DMV wants the parents to make that critical decision. Let’s make this driving thing just a free-for-all, right? I will say this, I wouldn’t want to ride a bicycle in our society today with my back turned to the vehicles traveling with me. A distracted, or speeding driver, the bicycle rider would never see this coming and would never be able to react. Yes, our bike laws need to be changed as they are no longer safe because so many drivers don’t care. I have witnessed near hits and actual hits to riders.