Mickey's Big Chance (1952)

l [Music] J bill Pal's not the only one that's going to miss you I'm going to too and I'll miss you Mickey but Uncle Sam has trained me to be a flyer now he wants to see what I can do a you'll do fine say when do you think you'll come home on leave well I don't know but it'll be a long time gee I'll bet I'll be in high school by the time you get back well you'd better be say I just remembered I haven't put the car away come on let's take a last run around the block hey that's a great idea come on pal let's go [Music] gee bill I wish I could drive the way you do well Mickey if you're really determined to learn to drive properly you will it's just a matter of time and practice and being fair to everyone else on the road a fell can get a lot of value and pleasure out of a car if he treats it right and is a sportsmanlike driver I know I've sure had a lot of fun with this buggy but you know you've got to take care of a car if you want to get the most out of it which reminds me there were several little jobs I meant to do before I left but it just wasn't time I could do them I've worked with you before in the car say that might be a good idea the more you know about a car the better you'll be able to take care of it come on I'll show you what has to be done uh pull the P lever there will you Mickey okay now for one thing the uh plugs ought to be cleaned and reset and uh oh see where the insulation is wearing off this wire yeah right down there yeah that's one I was going to replace that and uh let's see oh yeah the hose connection here needs tightening yeah I see it yeah I think I can take care of all those things you sure are car crazy aren't you well aren't you I guess so say I've got an idea while I'm away if you satisfy me that you've learned all you can about cars and driving I'll let you drive my car when you get your license you mean it you really mean it of course I do by the time I come home again you'll probably be just about ready to drive I'll check you out today I get back oh gee that's great but but what do you check me out on what do I have to know well I'll leave that to you to figure out and be sure and write me now and let me know how you're coming along okay say that must be the folks ready to take me to the station come on M let's go dear bill I don't know what kind of problems you have in the airt but that problem you gave me is sure a tough one I've been trying to figure out just what you'd want me to know because I'd sure like to earn those keys whenever I'm in a car now I really watch how people drive the other day there was a woman ahead of us trying to find a number on the opposite side of the street dad said when you look off the road you just actually kind of Drive the way you're looking she sure was she almost got [Music] hit it seems that a driver not only has to watch out for his own car but he also has to keep his eyes open for everybody else on the road you know drivers aren't the only ones who cause trouble a woman tried to cross in the middle of the block and it's a good thing dad was on the job and wasn't going too fast some people just don't seem to consider the other fellow we were at a stop signal and a car squeezed in on the right side of us and shot across in front of us as soon as the signal [Music] changed the other day I was working on your car now I can see why it's important you know these things Jane came over to see what I was doing I told her what you said she wanted to help well I I figured she'd be in the way with all I've got to learn but she just wouldn't take no for an answer so I said all right she could watch me I showed her what I was doing and you know she caught on right away she wants to drive just as much as I do it's more fun to work with somebody and we decided that when we get into High School we're going to take a course in driver education after that I ought to be well on my way toward becoming a good [Music] driver dear Mickey it sounds as though you're coming along fine I know it's work but rules are necessary for everyone's safety before I got my wings I had to learn the rules of flying just as you're learning the rules of driving that's why there are flight plans and control patterns for the planes that share the skies and rules of the road for All Ships itself see and every car driver must realize that a license is a privilege it just means you have to recognize the rights of others the best drivers are those who know the rules and why we have to have them they think ahead so they're always ready for emergencies that may develop and even though they have the right of way they don't insist on it when it could mean danger it's pretty easy for you to spot good and bad driving habits Mickey especially with the experience you've already had in driving a bicycle you know you have to watch the road and keep your mind on traffic and signs signal and Road markings at all times you know you have to stop for pedest rans even though they may make the mistake of crossing at the wrong time against the signal or the wrong [Music] place some people are in such a hurry that they obey the laws only when they're being watched or think they are they forget the traffic laws and policemen protect the saw [Music] [Applause] dear bill it's a mighty long time since you left I like your letters and I hope I'm learning what you want me to know so I can get those car keys as I drive my bike along I watch how people handle their cars I've seen some good drivers and some bad ones I saw a real close one the other [Music] day he's lucky he didn't wind up like the fellow I saw who got clobbered in a crackup he really got it for driving too fast for road conditions and Jane and I are learning how to prevent such accidents in our driver education class in high school yesterday we got a chance to try the machine for measuring reaction time it shows how fast you react to different kinds of emergencies and signals you know there are some fellows who boast they can stop on a dime but it just can't be done we have the 3A textbook called sport Sportsman like driving and it covers just about everything a good driver needs to know we learned how the control of a car depends on the grip of the tires on the [Music] road these are the four friction points and each one is only about as big as the palm of a man's hand you have to have friction or or grip to start [Music] stop or to move in any [Music] direction we also learned it takes only a fraction of a second for an average driver to get his foot on the brake when he has to stop fast but in that time his car travels farther than you think then the car travels a lot farther before the brake stop it at 20 M an hour the reaction time distance is 22 ft and the braking distance for good brakes is 30 ft so you go 52 ft before you stop and at 60 you go over 300 ft why that's farther than the length of a football field that sure puts a lot of responsibility on a driver we also learned about the danger zone it's sort of an extension of the car out in front and it's as long as the stopping distance it's a clear distance you must have for stopping anything in that zone would be hit before you could possibly stop and the faster you go the longer that danger zone will be and of course you need a bigger margin of safety when you're driving downhill or when you're driving in snow or rain or slippery roads because these conditions make it harder to stop yes there's a lot to learn bill but it's fun finding out how to be a really good driver I think I'm going to surprise you when you get home dear Mickey tell the folks to roll out the carpet because I'm on my way should be home on leave before you know it well Nick she sure looks well yes sir you really took care of her had a lot of fun doing it too say Bill do you remember what you said before you went away well it's been a long time but I remember first we'll have to get you a learner's permit then we'll see what you can do I I already have one and I've been practice driving with our instructor in school in a dual controlled car well all right you take the wheel and I'm not going to say a word it's all up to you that's fine with me now watch it Mickey don't follow too closely remember your stopping distances you're all right ahead now make sure there's nobody too close behind you get the car in the left hand lane in proper position I'll make a clear signal and soon enough watch for [Music] pedestrians there's a stop sign but take it easy that Fell's coming too fast he might not be able to [Music] stop boy that sure proves you've got to always look out for the other [Music] fellow boy oh boy what a workout two hours and I really went through the ringer I think I did all right though what's the matter Bill did Mickey do something wrong you did fine Mickey oh boy I made it I've made it yes and all you need now is your driver's license you've learned what it means to be a good driver and you're ready to go Mick [Laughter] oh [Music]