Local Driving School Albany

I had Kirt as my instructor and it was a great experience overall! I had him the three times and I learned so much and I m always more confident and comfortable after the lessons! I really recommend having him as your instructor as you wouldn t be disappointed with his teachings and info he provides!

I had Kirt for three lessons, It was great! He is super chill. I learned how to make left turns, how to parallel park, how to drive on the freeway, how to fill up on gas, and how to change lanes! I got to drive around the DMV area so I m feeling very well prepared for my test.

I went to Local Driving School for my first ever driving lesson back in November 2023, purchasing just 1 lesson to try it out. The lesson was unprofessional and bizarre, and I contacted the company immediately afterwards if there was some way I could be reimbursed, but they said no to all options. I apologize for the late review, I got busy at the end of the year and have put it off as Ive never written a negative review and the instructor knew some info about me. At the time there were only 2 choices...
Read full review of instructors available out of the long list they had on their website, both men. Initially I wanted to learn from a woman due to the nature of being alone in the car with them, but went with one of the instructors anyways as I wanted to learn as soon as possible. He picked me up and we had some small talk, but he continued to share information that was more and more personal in nature. It started with how he felt too tired to teach and shouldve canceled, but was thankful he didnt because I seemed like a cool person and wouldnt have met me otherwise. This was alarming, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt as it seemed like a compliment and I thought I would still learn something. He went on to describe how his body was feeling and about his personal and romantic life, traumas, etc. At some point I mentioned I was 23 and he mentioned he had a partner that was the same age. I believe he said he was 41 and that he had met his partner 5 years ago, right after or as she got out of high school. He said I seemed like a safe and open person to talk about this stuff to, but the situation felt so bizarre and trapping that I didnt know what to do except engage without revealing too much about myself despite how uncomfortable I became. As for the lesson itself... I dont feel like I learned anything. I almost scraped a pole at one point and was warned after the fact, and when we were driving back to the drop-off location we were distracted by something in the distance and I ended up running a red light on a thankfully empty T junction. During the drive he explained that he had been drinking a lot of water, and so I had to drive him to a restroom twice. I kind of felt like a personal driver! Due to concerns that he knew my name and where I worked, I sent an email to the company using less explicit details that night, including that he overshared personal information, that I made mistakes that could have easily been prevented by the instructor with the passenger brakes, and that I felt like I didnt learn anything. I asked if I could be refunded in whole, partially, or even given some sort of credit for a lesson with another instructor. No response despite a 1 week follow up. The company called me 2 weeks after the email to schedule another lesson... I asked if they had seen my email, they hadnt, and looked for it. Their response was that though that was unfortunate and they would be talking to the instructor, there is a clear no refund policy on their site. I asked if I could get any type of reimbursement, like credit with another instructor, and they said no I would have to pay in full for another lesson, and offered no solutions. This business model shocked me. I understand no refund policies, but that there is absolutely no assurance that a lesson will be safe, comfortable, and professional? No solutions for an uncomfortable experience? I still get calls and texts about scheduling my next lesson despite the email and the phone call. I believe there has to be some great instructors among their list, as seen in more positive reviews. I guess I would say if you really want to have a lesson with LDS, stick with the named instructors in the reviews if they are even available on their site. I believe I had to pay before looking at scheduling options, but my account seems to be deleted...?

I had Kirt for two lessons and it was great. He made sure to help me on any areas where I felt uncomfortable and left feeling more confident in my driving. He will train you on the route and the conversations we had while driving were great!

I PASSED!!! Thanks to my instructor Kirt Ewing, he s very nice, kind and fun to be with your driving, as a new driver I felt nervous but Kirt help me out, he taught me everything before my DMV road test, he made sure that I will pass the exam. I would HIGHLY recommend Kirt Ewing, The best instructor I ve ever had.

I just passed the driving test! I took 2 classes with Kirt to start and then 2 classes with Sean (including the test). Highly recommend both instructors.

Kirt is a great instructor and took me out on really interesting routes. Happily I passed first time and feel very confident behind the wheel - lots of great tips for being a safe and considerate driver in the bay. Thank-you Local Driving School

I just finished my training with kirt and druh. They both are amazing instructors, they made sure I was comfortable in the car before driving on the road. They both were very patient with me on roads for me to understand the training. Some things they taught individual was how to properly park, how to properly watch my surroundings, and to watch out for buffer zones (which I call shark teeth now lol) I really appreciate them both, and highly recommend them for beginner drivers :).

The school is great. If you ve never driven before and don t have a car, this is the place for you. My instructors, Druh and Kirt, were super helpful and really taught me how to drive, and gave me advice on how to pass the road test. After months of trying on my own, they helped me pass test. Without them, I wouldn t have a license. I highly recommend this school.

I just completed my behind-the-wheel training and have past the road test today. Although I ended up using another company to take me to this road test in Oakland due to personal availability, Local Driving School in the East Bay is the way to go in terms of driver s training and exposure to the road. They have a great fleet of Toyota Prius or Corolla training vehicles. Everyone I have met at this school has been so kind, professional, and supportive! Kirt took me on trips to places I haven t seen...
Read full review on the road. He will put you in different driving scenarios that will make you a perfect driver. Druh was the perfect driver to do a mock test with. She was my first instructor to expose me to the adventurous road on Day 1. Sean is the master behind finding your perfect pulse on driving technique and knowledge. He will train you to the highest standard in terms of safe driving both in real life and the road test. Fernando brings you on his unique 2 hour course and is a great guy to talk to when you re on the road. He has a famous El Cerrito, Berkeley, Kensington, Richmond route that he stands by. The customer service online has been amazing as well! I wouldn t have made my driver s license without this school s diligent training. Thank You Local Driving School!