Welcome to
JODA COLLINS
DRIVING ACADEMY LLC
Behind-the-Wheel Training
Serving Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties since 2008!
850 981-3355
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CONTRACT FOUR A and B
THE BASICS October 15, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1: CONTRACT 4A
SECTION 2 - 13: CONTRACT 4B LEGAL DOCUMENTS
SECTION 3: LIMITED LIABILITY CLAUSES
SECTION 4: LEGALRESPONSIBILITIES
(Contracts)
A. Identification
B. Contractual Commitments
SECTION 5: FINANCES/MONEY
SECTION 6: TRAINING SPECIFICS
A. Those I will not train.
B. Parking and Three- point Turn
C. Out-of-sequence training
SECTION 7: LESSONS TWO AND FOLLOWING
SECTION 8: SCHEDULING
SECTION 9: STEERING
SECTION 10: EMAIL P.S. SECTION
SECTION 11: DISCLAIMER
SECTION 12: USING THE JODA COLLINS DRIVING ACADEMY FOR TAKING THE STATE EXAM.
SECTION 13: WHAT NEXT?
SECTION 1: CONTRACT 4A
A. My (Joda Collins) Legal Documents are not for memorization. They exist so Clients and Drivers can decide if they want to do business with me and as the final authority to resolve misunderstandings/ conflict.
B. Contracts and/or contract proposals, including fee quotes and service designations, are guaranteed for thirty-days from the most recent email that contains said quote, and 90-days from the most recent paid for and completed lesson.
C. Only the Client (financially responsible person) can schedule, cancel or reschedule appointments.
D. I do not have nor honor any verbal agreements. Everything that follows, “But you said....” is null and void, no matter who said is, including me (Joda Collins). If it is important to you, get it in writing. I do.
E. I do not discuss scheduling, services or fees by phone call or text after my first contact with a prospective client; email or US Postal System only.
F. Unless otherwise arranged, the start location for session one is 3804 Garcon Point Road, Milton, FL 32583, which is one block off of I-10 at Exit 26.
G. The individual that signs this document as the Client must be, at least, 18-years of age or legally emancipated.
H. It is the Client's responsibility to keep the Student-driver apprised of all relative matters. It is the Student-driver's responsibility to keep apprised by the Client of all matters the Student-driver should know.
J. The maximum passenger weight for my training vehicle is 800 pounds with no more than 400 pounds on each side of the vehicle and no more than 280 pounds per power/hydraulic seat (front seats).
(a). In addition, if a driver is under 280 pounds but has a body configuration that does not allow the driver to safely fit into my mid-sized vehicle or steer with reasonable safety, it is illegal to teach said individual in my vehicle. I will teach said driver in any insured vehicle other than mine.
K. Any party can cancel this Agreement at any time for any reason, expressed or not.
L. There are no refunds for services already rendered or expense I have already incurred on your behalf.
M. Charges, if an appointment for training is not cancelled with at least a one-hour notice are $50 plus door-to-door fees. This applies even if the reason for the missed lesson is not your fault, unavoidable or an act of God.
SECTION 2: CONTRACT 4B
LEGAL DOCUMENTS
A. The most stressful part of my job is not driver training. It is trying to work with Clients that do not read the Contracts (Legal Documents) well enough to know the basic facts of the Legal Documents they signed and agreed to and then get upset with me when I hold them to their obligations they agreed to by signing the Legal Documents.
(1). My contracts are long and detailed because I am honest. I do not bait and switch. I do not have small print designed to take advantage of others. I do not charge for services not rendered. I do assume anything nor expect you to assume anything. I am clear about what I will do for you, and I am clear about your obligations to me. Every time I delete information in an effort to be briefer, problems arise that would have been easily avoided if I was more detailed about policies, procedures, benefits and obligations. (2). If you do not have the time, interest or commitment level to carefully read the Legal Documents at least well enough to say, "Oh yes, I remember reading that," if I call your attention to it, please do not do business with me.
(3). If you are a skimmer, so far 100% of all skimmers have not understood their basic contractual benefits or obligations. Legal documents that are skimmed are no different than legal documents that are not read. Somehow, skimmers think they have met their obligation to read, by skimming. I don't understand that, but that is a fact. Please read the Legal Documents for understanding, not just skim over them to proudly announce a skimming effort and an empty bucket of understanding.
(4). If you struggle to read with comprehension, let me know so I can work hard with you, at no charge to you, to clarify policies, procedures, services, fees, benefits and obligations before you agree to them, rather than endure the difficulties of trying to serve you at the same time as facing contractual confusion. Any concept can be understood by most people if enough time and effort is given to it by both the presenter and the recipient of the information. I will take the time and give the energy to present, if you will take the time and give the energy to receive.
(5). My Legal Documents are not for memorization. They exist so Clients and Drivers can decide if they want to do business with me and as the final authority to resolve misunderstandings/ conflict.
(a). In the final analysis it is really pretty simple. As you read through the Legal Documents, make two lists. One list are the things you do not understand. Ask me for clarification. The second list are your obligations that you do not like. Ask me to change them or delete them.
(a). For those that want a short contract I can use:
(1). A Limited Liability Clause.
(2) X number of lessons for X dollars.
(3). Payment for services are due in advance of scheduling.
(4). No refunds.
(b). Or, you can create a contract and present it to me for my approval.
(6). Contracts and/or contract proposals, including fee quotes and service designations, are guaranteed for:
(a). Thirty-days from the first email denoting fees or by reference to my website where fees are found, or
(b). Thirty-days from the most recent payment, or
(c). Ninety-days from the most recent completed lesson.
(7). I have no and I do not honor any verbal agreements. What follows, "But, you said..." is not valued, considered or respected no matter who says it, including me. If it is not in print, I never said it and you never said it. If it is important to you, get it in writing. I do.
(8). Four to six percent of Americans are psychologically driven to inflict damage to others in various ways, according to the DSM 5. Such people do not like Contracts because people of low character cannot manipulate well-written legal documents to take advantage of others. When a person balks at reading or honoring a written contract, that tells me a lot.
(9). If you are a person with honor and moral fiber, I am very pleased to meet you!
(a). We live in a world where many people do not have the honor or moral character to keep their contractual word but rather offer reasons why they failed to read or understand before signing and offer their ignorance and laziness as a justification to declare themselves exempt from all obligations.
I prefer not to be involved with such people.
B. I (Joda Collins) do not operate my business today like I did when I first started in 2008, nor like I did last year, or, maybe, yesterday. I am constantly working to improve. I operate my business like a man applying 17-years of experience in this business. I will probably not operate my business in all areas in the way all others would. Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt and credit for learning better how to operate my business in my 17-years concentrated effort and learning.
(a). That said, if you want something added, removed or changed in any Legal Document, let me know and I will consider anything that does not cost me money or extra time, since time is money. I cannot serve for less and stay in business. My profit is my salary. In 2025, I earned about $16 more per hour than my expenses. I am not making a financial killing, but I am keeping people from being killed, and that is why I do this.
C. Only the Client (financially responsible person) can schedule, cancel or reschedule appointments.
D. I do not discuss scheduling, services or fees by phone call or text after my first contact with a prospective client; email or US Postal System only. There are too many details and variables to try to discuss them verbally. It opens the door of confusion and the dreaded, "But you said...!" I am willing to be held accountable for everything that follows, "But you said...!", if I can hold the other person responsible for everything that comes out of my mouth after I say to them, "But you said...!" That is only fair.
If you are an honest and decent person much of what is printed above, you did not need to read. Since many among us are not honest or decent, I ask everyone to read the above.
E. Do not provide me any email address you do not want a, "Copy to," sent, at my discretion, sometimes or at all times.
F. I will not train a Student if there is no agreement between the Student-driver and the Client, and/or co-Client, and/or responsible and/or representative adult, regarding the driver training goal or goals because I cannot hit a target I cannot see or identify. Trying to train a student against his or her will, is a losing effort for everyone.
G. Unless otherwise arranged, the start location for session one is 3804 Garcon Point Road, Milton, FL 32583, which is one block off of I-10 at Exit 26. This is not my business address. This is a Circle K gas station, grocery store and restaurant. Please park in a space facing the side of the building (Manager's request), enter front door, make an immediate left, take 10 steps and I will be seated on your left. My photo is at www.jodacollins.com . My cell is 850 304-1870.
H. Contracts that detail a lot of services and have many options/variables are long. They do not exist for memorization. Such contracts exist for the following reasons:
(1). For mutual protection.
(a). Contracts protect the prospect from doing business with a company they dislike.
(b). Contracts protect the business from people of low moral character. Such people hate contracts because they hate to be held accountable. When a person rebels against the concept of a contract, I will not engage in business with such a person.
(2). To identify mutual benefits.
(a). The Client's benefits are the obligations of the Business. The Client's obligations are the benefits for the Business.
(b). To ask for alterations in the Contract BEFORE agreeing to it, and/or BEFORE deciding not to engage with the Business.
(c). The clear up confusion and/or disagreements if they arise during service for, hopefully, an adult level of understanding and accommodation.
(d). For presentation in a court of law should benefits be withheld and the offended party wants to pursue a legal remedy.
J. I (Joda Collins) am more concerned about a meeting of the minds than I am about keeping every detail of my legal documents unchanged. The only things I will not change are my fees. I cannot serve for less and stay in business.
K. If after the Client's best efforts to understand the Legal Documents and after my best efforts to clarify them, if confusion remains, I will consider paying for an attorney to explain the Legal Documents, in person, to the Client. This offer is null and void AFTER the Client signs this document.
L. I do expect a person to be gracious towards me if I remind him or her of something in the Legal Documents, he or she forgot but dislikes, did not read, or did read but did not understand. I will not accept responsibility for the failures of others to understand the written Legal Documents, nor attempt to blame others for my failures.
M. I have permanent vocal cord damage from severe, near death, Covid19 in December of 2019, so the more I talk, the more likely I will cough but you cannot catch vocal cord damage from a cough. If I put a cough drop in my mouth and stop talking for about 15-seconds, I stop coughing. You cannot catch vocal cord damage from a cough.
(1). I will ask you if you know why I sometimes cough, as a test to see if you carefully read this Contract. The answer is, "You (Joda Collins) have permanent vocal cord damage from Covid19, or "Vocal cord damage." If you tell me that you carefully read this Contact, but you missed this notice, which is in red print and underlined, I will not believe you that you carefully read this Contract. I think no one would.
SECTION 3. LIMITED LIABILITY CLAUSES
A. If you would not ride in a roller coaster, do not be in a driver's training vehicle and/or during driver's training; in both cases (a roller coaster and during training) you are taking an assumed risk at your own risk.
B. You (the Client) and you (the Student-driver) agree not to hold Joda Collins and/or the Joda Collins Driving Academy responsible for any physical, emotional or psychological damage, real or imagined, that occurs during training relative to but not limited to any steering, braking or acceleration that is not associated with a crash and said crash must incur, at least, $200 property/vehicle damage regardless of who is behind-the-wheel, who is steering, braking or accelerating.
C. Physical frailty. I, the Client and/or the Student-driver will not hold Joda Collins CEO or the Joda Collins Driving Academy LLC responsible for any slips, falls, cuts, bruises that occur during the training. If you are not steady on your feet or are not able to get in and out of my vehicle with ease, or physically unable to look over your shoulder to visually clear the vehicle blind spot before changing lanes, you may not use my vehicle for driver training.
D. IF USING THE CLIENT'S VEHICLE.
(1). When, in a client's vehicle, the vehicle owner assumes all liability including all liability that is over and above car owner's maximum insurance limit
(2). Even if we are using a vehicle that is not mine (Joda Collins) I reserve the right to intervene in any way that I think best adheres to traffic laws and/or for our safety. Being the owner or driver of a vehicle that does not belong to me, does not give the driver the right to put my life in danger and keep it there.
(3). If you are using a vehicle that is not the Joda Collins Driving Academy vehicle, the registered owner assumes all vehicle liability no matter who is driving, steering, braking and/or behind-the-wheel, including Joda Collins CEO of the Joda Collins Driving Academy LLC.
E. Under no conditions will a missed appointment or appointments incur any liability in excess of the liability specified in print in my Legal Documents.
F. If you do not get an email reminder by 8:35pm the night before your appointment, there IS a scheduling problem EVEN IF YOU RECEIVED A REMINDER/ CONFIRMATION TWO OR MORE DAYS BEFORE YOUR DRIVING APPOINTMENT. Please call 850 981-3355 or email jodacollins@aol.com to discover the problem so I can try to resolve the difficulty. Without your phone call or email, with at least a two-hour notice, I (Joda Collins) will not assume any responsibility or liability, financially or otherwise, for the missed lesson.
G. Clients are responsible to the check their emails once every 24-hours and one-hour before the appointment. I (Joda Collins) will not assume responsibility for the difficulties that occur if a Client does not do this.
SECTION 4. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES
A. All parties reserve the right to terminate service for any reason, expressed or not. Termination does not relieve any party from any financial obligation except as specified in the Legal Documents (Contracts). Money paid for services already rendered are never refundable. Fees for lessons not yet started are fully refundable with a, at least, a one-hour notice/request.
B. I (Joda Collins) do not always require it, but I do reserve the right to require a signed and notarized paper Contract and full payment in my possession before scheduling any service.
C. All money paid via any method other than card, for services not already rendered is refundable if requested with, at least, a one-hour notice; except, money paid with a card does incur, to me, about 7% in total fees and expenses so that 7% is not refundable because it is money for charging services that were already rendered and charge to me and administative expense to arrange said fees.
D. It is the Client's responsibility to keep the Student-driver apprised of all relative matters. It is the Student-driver's responsibility to keep apprised by the Client of all matters the Student-driver should know.
E. Privacy laws do not allow me to ask if a person has any kind of condition that might effect driving safety. However, if you want to be as safe as possible, it is wise to tell me of such a condition before the driver gets behind the wheel. Me in a position where I have to learn by trial and error of a driver's condition that would make safe driving less possible, does, logically, increase the changes of crashing and does require more training time for me to deduce needs.
F. ESIMATE OF FUTURE PROGRESS
(1). If you are:
(a). A 3-in-3 driver,
(1). If you do not know what a 3-in-3 driver is, you are NOT one.
(b). A student referenced to me from the Vocational Rehabilitation, or
(c). A student from Families First,
skip this paragraph. Otherwise, continue reading.
After the first lesson, I will provide a Non-binding Estimate of Future Progress denoting how many more lessons I think might be needed for the student-driver to reach his or her stated driving goal(s), if that estimate is requested and, only if, the Client (if not the same person as the driver) rides during the first 15 to 30-minutes of the first lesson, and only if the Client/Driver is under Contract Six.
G. The maximum passenger weight for my training vehicle is 800 pounds with no more than 400 pounds on each side of the vehicle and no more than 280 pounds per power/hydraulic seat (front seats).
(a). In addition, if a driver is under 280 pounds but has a body configuration that does not allow the driver to safely fit into my mid-sized vehicle or steer with reasonable safety, it is illegal to teach said individual in my vehicle. I will teach said driver in any insured vehicle other than mine.
(b). If a student-drivers bottom is large enough to break down the formation of my bucket seats in a few hours (in my opinion), I will train the driver in any other vehicle the driver is insured to drive.
H. I do not refund money paid for Registration Fees, Scheduling Fees or any other service already rendered.
J. I do not accept prepayment for unscheduled lessons.
K. After lesson one, I do allow scheduling of lessons for up to 60-days in advance, without advance payment.
L. No party has any legal obligation to the other party until money changes hands.
SECTION 5: FINANCES/MONEY
A. If you, the Client (financially responsible person), have any questions, just ask via email unless other arrangements are made because asking before you agree to the Contract(s) is FREE. After a client agrees to and/or signs a Contact additional inquiry about legal matters, fees, scheduling and/or service is NOT free, but $5 per inquiry (not $5 per question). This is not a penalty fee, but a fee additional rendered service.
B. Payment, in part or in total, is tacit agreement to all Legal Documents, however, a signed paper Contract in the presence of all signers, unless otherwise arranged, is still required.
C. Cancellation, with less than a one-hour notice, does incur a charge. Check your Contract (Six, Seven or Eleven, whichever is yours) for details.
D. REFUNDS
(1). One-hundred percent of money paid in advance for services not rendered and charges not applied by contractual agreement, if requested with, at least, a one-hour notice, except --
(a). There is a 7% discount for those that do not pay with a card because 7% is the average cost to me for collecting my fees with the use of card. Said 7% fees are NOT refundable as they are for expenses already incurred.
E. Payment Policy.
(1). Payment policies are clarified in Contract Six, Seven, and Eleven. You have been or will be notified which Contact is yours.
F. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION OR GRADUATION FEE (Certificate is Optional).............................................$19
G. LATE OR NO ARRIVAL FEES (1). See your specific Contract (Six, Seven or Eleven) for details.
SECTION 6: TRAINING SPECIFICS A. THOSE I WILL NOT TEACH IN MY VEHICLE
In my vehicle, I will not teach students who, consistently, do not or cannot follow simple one-step instructions such as, "Slow down," "Accelerate," "Look over your left shoulder," or "Begin breaking." However, I will consider teaching such students in any other vehicle the driver is insured to drive.
B. OUT-OF-SEQUENCE TRAINING
I will not teach out-of-sequence if the danger level it too high. For example, if a driver cannot drive safely in a parking lot at speeds of up to 10mph, I will not attempt to train that driver on the Interstate. Safety first. All disciplines have a sequence of learning. In math it is learning to add, then subtract, then multiplication, then fractions, then division, then algebra, geometry, trigonometry, then calculus. Crawl, then walk, then run. In math, if the instructor trains out of sequence the student gets an F. In the physical world, if a parent tries to teach a child to run before the child can walk, the child falls down. In driver training, if the instructor tries to teach a student out of sequence, the student crashes the car. I won't do that for you or to you.
C. THE THREE-POINT TURN
(1). You can skip this part and go to SECTION 6: LESSON TWO AND FOLLOWING, if the three-point turn is not part of your training goals.
(2). Unless a Driver is enrolled in the Pass the State Exam Course, the three-point turn is not taught unless the Client specifically requests it be taught.
(3). Unless otherwise agreed on and stated in writing BEFORE the approval of the Agreement (Contract), the three-point turn training is accomplished in any other vehicle than mine, wherein the student-driver is insured. However, if the Client changes his or her mind after signing the Contract, the Joda Collins Driving Academy Vehicle is available for parking and/or the three-point turn, under the conditions noted in and for the fee noted in your specified Contract (Six, Seven or Ten).
(4). I will teach the three-point turn in my vehicle ONLY after a driver has memorized the steps for the three-point turn well enough to quote them without hesitation or error and upon request.
(5). The three-point turn is an emergency maneuver designed for escape or rerouting traffic when the way ahead is closed or too dangerous to travel.
(a). It is a dangerous maneuver because it involved blocking both lanes of traffic, making turns across an opposing lane of traffic, backing (backing is 500 times more dangerous than driving forward), and possibly blocking oncoming traffic that may or may not stop. Every law enforcement agency recommends that new drivers NOT be trained to do the three-point turn by repetitiously doing so on public roads or in public parking areas.
(b). If a person knows how to use a telephone, they do not have to call the other person over and over to memorize a telephone number.
(c). Memorizing the three-point turn verbally by repeating it over and over is faster and easier because a person can repeat the steps 20 times faster than doing them in a moving vehicle. Repetition teaches. When we teach children the Alphabet, they do not tell us it is impossible because they do not know how the letters for words, how words for sentences, how sentences form paragraphs and how paragraphs create books.
(d). For those that want to learn by muscle memory, it is relatively easy to go through the motions of a three-point turn in a stationary vehicle, just like it is easy to touch the numbers on a telephone without pressing on them or press the numbers with the phone turned off.
(1). To simulate steering go through the motions of steering by allowing hands to slide across the wheel.
(2). To simulate braking, touch the brake with your right foot.
(3). To simulate changing gears, change the gears with you hand above the gear shift knob.
(4). To simulate looking left and right, look left and right.
(5). To simulate acceleration, touch the accelerator with your right foot.
(a). Doing (a) through (e) is learning by muscle memory.
(6). It is the responsibility of the Client to let me know if and when three-point turn training will occur.
(7). There are two vehicles that can be used for the three-point turn training; the Joda Collins Driving Academy Vehicle or any other vehicle provided by any other person as long as the student-driver is insured to drive that vehicle.
(8). There are two people that can teach the three-point turn to the Student-driver; Joda Collins, during paid driving time or any other person any other time. I will teach anyone to teach the three-point turn for the standard training fee.
(9). There are two ways to learn to do a three-point turn. One is muscle memory learning where the student does the three-point turn over and over and over and over and over and over and over again and again and again until driver has memorized the procedure by memorizing the body movements (muscle memory). The other way is to memorize the steps before attempting the three-point turn.
(10). I, Joda Collins, will use your vehicle, but not my vehicle, for training a driver to learn the three-point turn by muscle memory in a moving vehicle.
(11). Here is the procedure the student-driver must first memorize before I will allow a driver to use the Joda Collins Driving Academy vehicle for the three-point turn training.
Slow, right, look, signal, stop.
Look, go slow and turn fast, stop, reverse.
Look, go slow and turn fast, stop, drive.
Look, go slow and turn fast, coast, accelerate.
(12). Here is the procedure if using any vehicle other than the Joda Collins Driving Academy vehicle for the three-point turn training.
Slow, right, look, signal, stop.
Turn, look, coast, stop, reverse.
Turn, look, coast, stop, drive.
Turn, look, coast, accelerate.
(13). For those that find memorization too difficult you can request a free tutoring service. I have the student-driver call at a specified day and time and someone will work with the student-driver on the phone for 45-minutes to one-hour. During that time, that person will say each word one at a time and the student will repeat each word one at a time. So far, every person, except one, that has availed himself/herself to this FREE service was able to memorize the steps within one-hour. As it turned out, that one was mentally unstable. I did not accept her as a Student after lesson one.
(14). Here is how those steps, found in (11)above, apply to real life.
(a). Go slow, and move to the far right. Look in your outside left rear-view mirror and the over your left shoulder out your door window and the passenger's window. Signal left. Gently stop your car.
(b). Look in your outside left rear-view mirror and the over your left shoulder out your door window and the passenger's window. Reduce your brake pressure just enough that car begins to move about the speed an ant runs or a baby crawls; that is, go slow and at the same time turn your steering wheel as fast as you can to left without slamming the wheel at the steering wheel stop mark. Stop your vehicle before any part of the car, including the bumper goes off the road or over the curb. Put your transmission in reverse.
(c). Look left and right. Reduce your brake pressure just enough that car begins to move about the speed an ant runs or a baby crawls; that is, go slow and at the same time turn your steering wheel as fast as you can to right without slamming the wheel at the steering wheel stop mark. Stop your vehicle before any part of the car, including the bumper goes off the road or over the curb. Put your transmission in drive.
(d). Look left and right. Reduce your brake pressure just enough that car begins to move about the speed an ant runs or a baby crawls; that is, go slow and at the same time turn your steering wheel as fast as you can to left without slamming the wheel at the steering wheel stop mark. Coast which means no brake and no acceleration for five seconds, then gracefully accelerate.
(15). So far, in 17-years as a driving instructor, 100% of all student-drivers that have memorized the steps, knows where their vehicle is in space, and is able to follow directions, have been able to do a perfect three-point turn on the very first try AFTER they have memorized the steps.
(a). I can teach the relationship of the vehicle to other solid objects in space without dry steering.
(16). I do not and will not accept the responsibility of telling a student when he or she will learn the three-point turn. It is the responsibility of the Client to tell me when I am to teach the three-point turn.
(17). If the student-driver cannot learn a telephone number without pushing the numbers on a cell phone over and over, cannot learn the combination number of a lock without opening and closing the lock over and over and over, cannot remember a person's name without writing it down dozens or hundreds of times, and cannot learn (memorize) the three-point turn procedure without doing it over and over and over, then we will need to use any other vehicle rather than mine for the three-point turn procedure or delete the three-point turn from the training goal. There are no exceptions to this. There is no debate.
(18). Parking
(a). I do not use my vehicle for repetitious attempts of a driver to practice parking in an effort to memorize the steps while doing. Repetitious parking training (dry steering, that is, steering with vehicle stationary, or fast steering with the vehicle barely moving) causes rack and pinion damage to the front end, damage to the power steering, up to 40% greater wear on tires, and puts all of my students in added danger as power steering can fail without notice with excessive dry steering is used.
(b). I will allow my vehicle to used for parking ONLY AFTER the driver has memorized:
Ahead, behind, mirror, shoulder, signal.
Ahead, behind, mirror, shoulder, move. well enough to quote it without hesitation or error and upon my request.
(c). Once a driver memorizes the steps above and can do the three-point turn, learning to park is easy. Repetitious attempts at parking are never necessary.
SECTION 7: LESSON TWO AND FOLLOWING
A. Driving between lessons, without my okay, will probably extend the amount of professional driver training time it will take to reach a driver's desired skill level.
B. After Lesson Verbal Report. Most Clients do not want an after-lesson verbal report because they are anticipating an after lesson written report. The verbal report is just a short version of the written report. However, if you want a one-minute verbal report, just meet me at my vehicle when I return from the lesson or be on your way to my vehicle when you see me return and in the process of saying goodbye to the student and changing sides, so I can see you coming because, for several excellent reasons, I do not go to a vehicle or home door to provide a report.
SECTION 8: SCHEDULING
A. The Client is the person that is paying for the training in whole or in part. By law, the Client must sign a PDF copy or a paper copy of the Contract. I do not have PDF. If the Client (financially responsible person) will not be at the first meeting at the start of training to sign the paper copy of the Contract let me know as soon as possible because we need to make other arrangements for signing.
B. I do not schedule training unless the driver verifies or states he/she has a valid license or permit, and the agreed-on payment is received. It is the driver's responsibility to have his/her license or permit with him/her at the time of the training
C. I (Joda Collins) do not initiate rescheduling because of adverse weather conditions that are short of the severity that requires a State or National Weather Advisory. A scary forecast of wind and rain (storm) is NOT a National Weather Advisory.
(1). However, if you (the Client and/or the Student-driver) are fearful due to adverse weather conditions, I do allow cancellation and rescheduling with no financial ramifications (penalties or fees) if I receive, at least, a one-hour notice.
(a). Missing, canceling or rescheduling, for any other reason than fear of adverse weather, requires a rescheduling fee and, in addition, at least, a one-hour notice.
(1). With less than a one-hour notice, there is a fee for the missed, canceled or rescheduled lesson. That fee is revealed in your Financial Contract (Six, Seven or Ten).
D. How to schedule.
(a). When it is time to schedule, please go to www.jodacollins.com and schedule in accordance with directions in the CALENDAR OF AVAILABLE START DATES/TIMES Section. Please do not email me and ask me what days and times are available, give me a day and time or days and a times and ask me if they are available or give me multiple choice days or times for me to check and let you know the results of my investigation.
SECTION 9: PROPER STEERING
A. Poor steering is the number one cause of crashing during professional driver training. Usually, I teach proper hand-over-hand steering including allowing the wheel to slide through the driver's hands rather than manually steer out of turns, safe and graceful braking and safe and graceful acceleration first. Safety first!
SECTION 10: EMAIL P.S. SECTION
Many emails carry a P.S. Section which is an attachment by date to this Contract.
SECTION 11: DISCLAIMER
I, Joda Collins, enjoy good health, however, no one is exempt from getting sick once in awhile. I have been sick for an average of 1.2 days per year since I started this business in July of 2008. I am a one-man operation. If I am sick I cannot teach. Doing business with me means you understand that limitation.
SECTION 12: USING THE JODA COLLINS DRIVING ACADEMY FOR TAKING THE STATE EXAM.
You can skip this Section and go to Section 12 if you have a vehicle to use for your State Exam or are not taking the State Exam to secure a driver license. I am a very small business. I only have one car. If someone crashes my vehicle, I am out of business until I get the vehicle fixed or secure a new vehicle. The State Driving Examiner will not use my second brake or to help by taking over steering to avoid a crash.
In my first 10-years of doing this business I allowed others to rent my vehicle to take the State Exam but it never worked out well for the following reasons.
1. I required the driver to be able to pass the State Driving Exam before I would let them use my car for the State Exam. In most cases, the driver was only interested in getting his/her license and resented the task of learning to drive safely, and resented me for requiring safe driving before I trusted them with my only vehicle.
2. It is too nerve racking for me to watch someone I just met drive away with my car knowing that if they crashed I had zero control over my own vehicle, but assumed 100% responsibility for their crash. That is a lot of trust to put into the hands of others, especially a new or newer driver. Plus, if that person crashes, I am out of business until I get the car fixed or a new car to replace it. That process takes about a month either way. Imagine this. Would you rent your car out for 30-minutes to a new driver on the condition that if he/she crashes the vehicle, that you assume 100% responsibility for the crash, must pay for repairs or buy a new car (all money over and above what the Insurance company paids), be without any income for a month, and have your monthly insurance skyrocket for three years. Me either.
There is a DMV one hundred and twenty one miles East of Milton that has vehcles a driver can use to take the State Exam. If I am sure you are safe enough to drive there and back, I will schedule you for training, and charge you the standard training fee for you to take a driving lesson to go there and back. I will not charge you for the my wait time while you take your State Exam.
To do this, you will need to schedule a 75-minute driving exam with me. If I determine you are safe enough to drive Interstate 10, and the off Interstate roads necessary to reach that driver license office, I will schedule you for that additional training to and from that driver license office. The estimated charge for the 75-minute lesson and the training to and from the driver license office that is one hundred and twenty one miles East of Milton is $1,500 to $2,100 depending on several variables (not inlcuiding any door-to-door charges if you need me to come to you to pick you up).
If I determine that you are not safe enough to drive I-10 and the non-Interstate roads, even with me in the vehicle as the Instructor, I will not charge you for the scheduled 75-minute lesson, and we part friends. I reserve the right to end the scheduled 75-minute lesson early, if I am not charging you for it.
The only days I set aside for this are Tuesday, Wednesdays and/or Thursdays 1pm of after unless other arrangements are made, with said arrangement costing more.
SECTION 13: WHAT NEXT?
While I invited you to read only the colored print (roughly 10% of the total words), the colored print is intended to give the reader a general overview of the most important facts. That way, if the most important facts lead the reader to not want to do business with me, that person's investment of their valuable time is at the minimum. If, however, after reading only the colored print above, you remain interested in doing business with me, I will hold you accountable for all of the content of this document which requires you read it in its entirety with the comfort that repetition helps learning and memory for your benefits, also.
SECTION 14: SIGNATURES
I, the undersigned, am a person of honor. I understand that later claimed ignorance of or confusion about the content of this document does not relieve me of my contractual obligations. I have read, understand and accept my benefits and responsibilities as outlined in this document and will not attempt to hold the other party responsible to forfeit their benefits or exempt me from my contractual obligations because I later claim that I was ignorant of my contractual obligations because of ________ (whatever). Neither will I be hostile toward or an argumentative irritant to the other party because I failed to do my part to understand my contractual commitments.
This document cannot be signed on line. A paper copy will be presented via US Postal System or in person just before the first lesson, for signing.
CONTRACT FIVE
Student-driver Contract Dec 2, 2021
THIS CONTRACT IS FOR the Student-driver primarily, however, every person involved is asked to read and approve this.
1. STEERING
A. The second greatest cause of crashing during professional driver training is when a student-driver does not follow the directions of the instructor. That is why I emphasize following my directions, even when the student disagrees with me. If the student only follows my directions when he or she agrees with me, then we are only as safe as the student's driving skill. Under that condition, I quit.
B. The #1 cause of crashing during professional driver training is poor steering. Because poor steering is the #1 cause of crashing during driver training, until a driver can do proper hand-over-hand steering and allow the wheel to slide through his or her hands to complete standard right and left turns, I reserve the right to keep the driver in a parking lot and/or out of fast-moving traffic no matter how long it takes a driver to do proper steering and allow the wheel to slide through his or her hands to complete standard right or left turns. My estimates of future progress do not include the time it takes a driver to learn proper hand-over-hand steering and allowing the wheel to slide through his/her hands to complete standard right and left turns. If a driver wants to learn hand-over-hand steering on his or her own time for free see Attachment Two, Section Four at the bottom of this page.
C. If a driver cannot, will not or does not use proper hand-over-hand steering and/or cannot, will not or does not allow the wheel to slide through his or her hands to complete standard right and left turns, I will allow a driver to use any form of steering he or she wants if we are using any other insured vehicle besides mine. To the best of my ability, I will keep driver out of any situation that requires normal steering speed to avoid crashing. However, I cannot guarantee that such a condition will not arise in the normal driving experience.
D. The four most prevalent physical causes of crashing that are easy to correct are:
(1). Poor steering. (2). Following too closely.
(3). Unsafe lane changes.
(4). Speeding.
That is why these four things are addressed first.
2. BRAKING A. Stopping without jolting the vehicle or throwing the head of passenger's forward.
B. The ability to use minimal brake pressure to drive no faster than 2mph for 30-consecutive seconds.
C. Under normal conditions, I teach super slow acceleration for many good reasons I will share upon request.
(a). If, after training with me, a driver wants to increase his or her acceleration rate, that is his or her decision or the decision of the vehicle owner. Faster acceleration than I teach, as long as the acceleration rate is within reason, is not in and of itself bad or unsafe driving.
3. DURING TRAINING PLEASE DO NOT DO THE FOLLOWING.
A. Do not reach into the back seat from the front seat. The back of the seat is not built for full body weight.
B. Please do not take it personally when I correct your driving. It is not personal. It is professional.
C. Do not use your cell phone when you are in the driver's seat unless the vehicle is stationary and not in a traffic lane.
D. Do not bring foods, snacks or drinks of any kind into my car for consumption during training (except water in a container with a screw on cap). Please do not chew gum or use candy. If you want know why, go to:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/joda-collins/selective-soft-sound-syndrome/paperback/product-18785296.html .
(a). If you want to stop for any of these things, just ask. The time it takes you to buy them and consume them, within reason, will be added to your driving time, thus no loss in training time to you.
E. Do not make up personal rules of the road that violate the legal rules of the road and drive in traffic by those secret rules.
F. I try to be easy to get along with. Be decent and respectful towards me. I will be decent and respectful towards you.
G. Please do not provide justification, rationalization or argument regarding why you drive poorly or in violation of traffic laws. Confronting or attacking me about your dislike of traffic laws just eats up time, creates a strained environment and does nothing good for either of us.
H. Do not accelerate in a manner that throws my head back or stop in a manner that throws my head forward.
J. If I tell you that you did not do something correctly, do not respond with, "YES I DID!" If I make a mistake that does not put us in danger and is minor, let it pass gracefully. I will do the same for you as long as there is no immediate need for you to be aware of the matter. We cannot do everything at once.
K. During training, please try to not answer yes or no questions with long answers. For example, if I ask you if you see the red light, please try not answer by telling me what a red light means, just say, "Yes," or say, "No." This gives me maximum time for maximum safety if the answer is, "No."
L. Do not slap at or otherwise abuse my vehicle controls. Do not slam my car doors. Treat my vehicle gently. It is an expensive piece of equipment. Thank you. Do not mistreat my vehicle and I will not toss your cell phone around inside the car.
M. If I am standing at your door when you get into the vehicle, please do not close the door. Allow me to close the door. When I am sure you are not a door slammer, I will feel better having you close my car doors.
N. For safety, wear tight fitting lace-up shoes such as tennis shoes or dress shoes and not crocks, sandals, boots, slippers, slip-ons. house shoes or flip flops.
P. Be clean and wear clean clothing.
Q. Do not wear anything that will snag seats.
R. Have your permit or license with you.
S. KINDNESS, PATIENCE AND CONSIDERATION. We live in an increasingly difficult world. The divisions among Americans are many and severe. Customer service is in toilet. The cost of living is out of control. Frustration and hostility increase every day. No one is exempt from these things. Under the pressures of life, I will be as kind, patient and considerate towards you as I possibly can be. If you will do the same towards me, there is every hope that all can go well.
T. If you are a young person and your parents are or your guardian is paying for your training, they are not paying for your training so you can criticize their driving. Just drive safely and show them by your skill what safe driving looks like. Know your place and do not make me an accessory to rudeness or arrogance. If they want your help, they will ask for it. However, parents want to know what you learned, so tell them what you learned without being critical of their driving.
4. SIGNATURES
I, the undersigned, am a person of honor. I understand that later claimed ignorance of or confusion about the content of this document does not relieve me of my contractual obligations. I have read, understand and accept my benefits and responsibilities as outlined in this document and will not attempt to hold the other party responsible to forfeit their benefits or exempt me from my contractual obligations because I later claim that I was ignorant of my contractual obligations because of ________ (whatever). Neither will I be hostile toward or an argumentative irritant to the other party because I failed to do my part to understand my contractual commitments.
This document cannot be signed on line. A paper copy will be presented via US Postal System or in person just before the first lesson, for signing.
CONTRACTS ARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Copyright © 2016. Joda Collins. All rights reserved.