It’s three p.m. on a weekday, school has just ended, and all of your friends are going to Qdoba for the student discount day. Unfortunately, you have prior engagements. Driver’s Ed.

Honestly, we can’t think of a more boring after-school activity. Students sit there and try to do anything but concentrate on what the instructor is saying. In fact, the most amusing part about the class is the incredibly obnoxious behavior of the students and the lack of control the instructor has over them.

What do they hope to accomplish by making the class so long and boring? Maybe instead of showing students clips of random incidents that may or may not happen to them while driving, they could provide actual experience on the road.

The crazy scenarios that are shown in the films almost never happen. Our instructor once showed our class a video about road rage that evidently ended with one man shooting another man with a crossbow. How often does this really happen? More people have probably been struck by lightning than shot by a crossbow, and I don’t have to take a three-hour seminar on dodging lightning bolts.

Most of the pointless worksheets are about how to read a sign. I’m not sure, but last time I checked the directions are directly on the sign.  Who ever really sits there and thinks, “I wonder what I should do when I get to that huge red sign that says ‘stop’”?

The main lesson in Driver’s Ed is to not to drink and drive. It would have been much more effective to send out a pamphlet or a public service announcement.

Even a pep talk would suffice. I imagine it would go something like this, “Drinking and driving is bad, okay? Don’t do it.”

How does one even become a Driver’s Ed teacher anyway? Do you just have to have a real passion for boring kids to death? When they were kids, instead of playing “police officer” or “fireman,” were they  inside educating their stuffed animals about what it means to yield to oncoming traffic?

Do you honestly think people go to Driver’s Ed because they want to learn about the rules of the road? No. They go because they are forced to in order to get their license.

The only part of the process that Driver’s Ed remotely helps with is getting your learner’s permit, and even the permit test you take is basically common sense. The questions are predominantly about blood-alcohol content, DUIs, and other regulations concerning drinking and driving. The irony of it all is that they give you a pamphlet to study from.

Driver’s Ed is a not a purposeful endeavor, but rather a gimmick to make money off of kids who just want to stop hearing the words, “Bye, honey, I love you!” shouted at them every time they get out of the minivan.

Nico Cvach is a Layout Editor for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.

Ryan Lina is a Reporter for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.