Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

My first driving lesson

i used to be really rubbish at reversing in so i made sure i always did it

now i'm slightly less rubbish :o
 
im hoping to start lessons in the new year, driving would make my days much easier and i cant wait to be bus free. i was a bit intimidated by how dangerous cars are, especially when i will be driving a child around but then i look around me and i see the most stupid people with driving licenses and i think to myself if THEY can do it then i can flipping well do it better. Also, I can walk through brixton high street on a saturday afternoon without bumping into anyone, that has got to be some sort of spatial awareness/obstacle/risk assessment training
good luck May, you'll be fine :)
 
Dub: am currently forking out *does sums on fingers* ooh, around £130/month on driving lessons. And I'm earning less than I have in years! Thing is, down here I want to have the option of working in other locations - which means I need to be able to drive. Tbh - if I was still in London I doubt I'd have gotten around to it at all.

Hopefully, I'm on the final furlong now - gonna do my best to pass this side of Christmas :)
 
secretsquirrel said:
Tbh - if I was still in London I doubt I'd have gotten around to it at all.
Click to expand...

I never bothered when I lived in London but now I'm in a small town with a crap bus service I couldn't cope without my car. :eek:
 
Good luck MK!

I remember my first driving lesson... It was scary the first few times, but it became kind of fun after a while.

However, I ran out of money and had to stop my lessons. So I can half drive!
 
Yes, it was last night, and it was really good! My instructor is ace, a nice friendly man in his fifties, he's a secondary school teacher by day so has patience to spare :D We went to an industrial estate to minimise the chances of me hitting anyone, and went through all the basics i.e. what everything does, before I was allowed to start the car. After which I did some driving! Really slowly, in the middle of the road, steering in an approximate fashion and leaping forward because it's so hard to gauge the accelerator pressure correctly - the accelerator is much more sensitive and the steering wheel much less than I had anticipated- - but still.

Am going again next week, looking forward to it! :)
 
Dubversion said:
50-100 hours?

you're fucking kidding? that's a couple of grand.

fuck it - i'll get a cab.
Click to expand...


It varies wildly - actual lessons I had about 30 hrs and that was about double what my bro had! It's practise that's important but for that you need access to a car and I had my mum's to drive and she made me do the driving all over the place. I was driving pretty much every day.
 
May Kasahara said:
Yes, it was last night, and it was really good! My instructor is ace, a nice friendly man in his fifties, he's a secondary school teacher by day so has patience to spare :D We went to an industrial estate to minimise the chances of me hitting anyone, and went through all the basics i.e. what everything does, before I was allowed to start the car. After which I did some driving! Really slowly, in the middle of the road, steering in an approximate fashion and leaping forward because it's so hard to gauge the accelerator pressure correctly - the accelerator is much more sensitive and the steering wheel much less than I had anticipated- - but still.

Am going again next week, looking forward to it! :)
Click to expand...
Well done:cool: I'm too scared to learn to drive as can't successfully walk without crashing into inanimate objects yet.
 
Crikey I had loads of lessons..perhaps near 60. I learnt to drive over a 2 year period with a 5 month gap. I was convinced I would not pass the theory test and that held me back. Once I got the confidence for the theory test which I passed with full marks I arranged my test. Then I fractured my shoulder and had to wait ages to get back to lessons and then had to arrange a new test. I passed 1st time in Feb 2004, I was on my third guy who happened to be the grand old age of 80. It was he who finally taught me how to reverse round a corner and into parking spaces.

In August this year I was freaking out cos I was going to have to drive to Cambridge on my own. I almost considered a more than double the price train ticket but somehow I got talked into doing the journey from the Midlands alone and now Im thinking of driving to Scotland at Xmas. I think someone has already mentioned about how it 'clicks' it was def like that for me. One day I was just doing what I was told and then somehow I knew what I was doing.
 
moonsi til said:
In August this year I was freaking out cos I was going to have to drive to Cambridge on my own. I almost considered a more than double the price train ticket but somehow I got talked into doing the journey from the Midlands alone and now Im thinking of driving to Scotland at Xmas. I think someone has already mentioned about how it 'clicks' it was def like that for me. One day I was just doing what I was told and then somehow I knew what I was doing.
Click to expand...


That's interesting. I don't like the thought of long journeys because I rarely do them, maybe one a year and then I get really stressed about it.

I've never done one on my own either. :rolleyes:

So it's good to hear that the fear can be overcome. :cool: :)
 
Had my second lesson tonight, and apparently I have good clutch control and good road sense :) Actually did some driving on real roads, with the occasional other car or lorry! It was well cool. I like driving (so far) :)
 
Woo, third lesson last night - I got up to 50mph, went on the A47, went round some mini-roundabouts, put it in neutral instead of changing gear a few times, stalled a few times at junctions, got honked by an overtaking 4x4, drove on dark twisty country lanes, and learned that when braking to slow down you do not push the clutch right down :D

Next week we're practicing left and right turns. Judging by my show last night, I think this is a good thing - as my instructor said, I'm still at the automaton stage i.e. I can do it as long as there's someone telling me what to do. But I'm really pleased with myself. Apparently I'm coming on in leaps and bounds, and not just in a jerky driving sense.
 
May Kasahara said:
Woo, third lesson last night - I got up to 50mph, went on the A47, went round some mini-roundabouts, put it in neutral instead of changing gear a few times, stalled a few times at junctions, got honked by an overtaking 4x4, drove on dark twisty country lanes, and learned that when braking to slow down you do not push the clutch right down :D

Next week we're practicing left and right turns. Judging by my show last night, I think this is a good thing - as my instructor said, I'm still at the automaton stage i.e. I can do it as long as there's someone telling me what to do. But I'm really pleased with myself. Apparently I'm coming on in leaps and bounds, and not just in a jerky driving sense.
Click to expand...

Nice one, sounds like it's going well :) I learnt when I was 27 after failing twice when I was 17. My sis gave me loads of lessons as well my official paid for lessons (which were a bit rubbish - I was the first person my instructor had ever taught and he wasn't actually fully qualified)

Besides my sis being ace and helpful, the things that helped me the most were:
Accepting that there's nothing wrong with using the handbrake and it was going to be a while before I could just ride the clutch
Realising that slowing down actually helps you get to places faster. And it's easier to get onto a roundabout if you approach it slowly and don't rush
Not telling people I was taking my test - so much less pressure and the 'guess what I've just done' phone calls were so much fun :D In fact, I didn't even tell my parents I was learning again
My test was also less pressure cos I just told myself that if I failed, I'd just take it again straight away.
I've been driving now for two years and love it - so much freedom :)
 
May Kasahara said:
Woo, third lesson last night - I got up to 50mph, went on the A47, went round some mini-roundabouts, put it in neutral instead of changing gear a few times, stalled a few times at junctions, got honked by an overtaking 4x4, drove on dark twisty country lanes, and learned that when braking to slow down you do not push the clutch right down :D
Click to expand...

When I was first learning to drive manual I was completely parinoid about stalling at the lights, so it used to take me a while to get going and used to get honked all the time, even though I was in veichle with learner plates and clear markings saying driving instucter, learner driver yadda yadda...

Some people have no fucking patience. :mad:
 
I know, the twats. Fortunately I'm at an early enough stage where I don't have enough spare brain power to give a shit about being abused by other drivers :D I cherish these moments.
 
moonsi til said:
I think someone has already mentioned about how it 'clicks' it was def like that for me. One day I was just doing what I was told and then somehow I knew what I was doing.
Click to expand...

Epic bump instead of starting a new thread. So I'm in my 50s and have been having driving lessons last year and this, interrupted by lockdowns. Been reading old threads like this one and I f**ing hope this 'click' as quoted above happens to me, because I've had around 50-60 hours of lessons and I'm still not confident; I know what to do in theory (hill starts, roundabouts etc) but in practice on busy roads in London, especially in rush hour, I get super nervous and although the instructor isn't having to tell me stuff nearly as much, he still occasionally has to steer me away from the kerb. That seems wrong after so many lessons - I feel I should have developed spatial awareness of the space the car occupies by now... it worries me TBH.

Generally speaking I find these two-hour lessons a great mental strain and ordeal, it feels like there's so much to look out for, potential hazards, impeding other drivers' etc.In November just before the last lockdown I had just began to enjoy them rather than looking at the dashboard clock and thinking "when will this end" but not now, I guess I've only had a few lessons this year though - as the instructors have only just been allowed to start lessons again.

Question: I realise that for a lot of people, learning to drive will have been decades ago, but can anyone remember if this 'suddenly it all came together' moment (like I remember how it was as a boy, trying to ride a bike and suddenly it clicks) happened to them?

I'm hoping it is a 'thing' and I just haven't got there yet... today and last week's lessons I started to wonder if I'm just not a natural driver and should I give up? But I've invested around 3 or 4 grand on lessons, buying a s/h car, insurance etc so to jack it in would be a great pity...

Seems like what I need is road experience, as I now know the manoeuvres (parallel parking, reverse bay parking, hill starts etc), I just need more exposure to traffic, roundabouts, dual carriageways etc. Got a couple of friends who on my insurance so they can accompany me and I'm legal to drive as a learner but f*** me so far we've only dared to go to back streets, an industrial estate etc. Not sure if their nerves would take babysitting me on main roads, not sure if my nerves will take it either with no dual control aargh. I guess there's only one way to find out, when the roads are fairly empty though!!
 
Last edited:
It didn't really come together for me until my final test (no.6) and even then I felt nervous driving as a proper driver on my own without an instructor telling me when to indicate etc.

It became more natural after a year or so of driving.
 
Plumdaff said:
It didn't feel natural until I'd passed my test and I had a job which meant I was driving pretty much every day for a while. I got more skilled as the lessons went on, but for it to become almost automatic happened well after the test.
Click to expand...

Same for me. I passed in 2010 but it took a good couple of years before I felt like I could just jump in the car and go anywhere without a second thought. During that time we moved from Leicester to London and I made myself front up to challenging driving (motorways, driving around south London etc :D ) because I knew I'd wuss out otherwise and then all my hard work would be for nothing.

Perseverance definitely paid off though scalyboy - I don't think I'm a natural driver but I have been happily driving for years now. I remember a turning point being when my cousin died and I drove from London to Leicester at night, then Leicester to Grimsby the next morning, went to the funeral and wake, drove back to Leicester for the night, then back to London the next morning - all on my own. I never thought about the driving at all, I was just glad I could be there for my family.
 
Thanks all; yes marty21 Plumdaff, that makes sense, I wouldn't expect to feel confident / relaxed for at least a year after passing the test. May Kasahara it's good to hear that you didn't consider yourself a natural driver either, but still got to a point where you can happily drive.

I can see how it can be enjoyable (as well as useful, my main impetus is to be able to visit places in the UK that are otherwise inaccessible by public transport) but so far those enjoyable moments have been few and far between!
 
scalyboy said:
Thanks all; yes marty21 Plumdaff, that makes sense, I wouldn't expect to feel confident / relaxed for at least a year after passing the test. May Kasahara it's good to hear that you didn't consider yourself a natural driver either, but still got to a point where you can happily drive.

I can see how it can be enjoyable (as well as useful, my main impetus is to be able to visit places in the UK that are otherwise inaccessible by public transport) but so far those enjoyable moments have been few and far between!
Click to expand...
Being able to drive around the UK had been the best bit about driving. As mrs21 won't fly , most of our holidays have been in the UK, and being able to drive to them has been great.
 
Mrs D hasn't driven since we li ed in Portugal 8/9 years ago. She'd like refresher lessons but we can only get full driving courses here, including the written and practical test. She's got a full licence, spanish, though. I don't want to spend several hundred.

She's getting frustrated by this.
 
I took my test in 1978 just before my 21st birthday, I'd ridden a motorbike for a couple of years before that so I felt confident from day one. Over-confident in fact, I unnerved my instructor once or twice in the beginning since I sort of forget there was more vehicle to the left of me that I wasn't used to. Being a little bit (but not too much nervous is a good thing it will make you more careful. Insurance companies give BIG discounts after the first year so they obviously buy into the "It takes about a year" meme as indeed do I.
 
Hi scalyboy

Driving in cities is so much harder. It will take a bit longer to learn in a city. Plus side of this is that after you pass you will be able to drive anywhere. I'm currently learning in Central Manchester.

This is my 3rd attempt at learning with very long gaps in between. I had about 10 lessons each time before and I never felt comfortable and it seemed an insurmountable challenge. I started again a couple of weeks ago.

Well, this time it feels massively different. I am 8 hours in and I already feel quite relaxed and confident that I will be able to pass when I have done my remaining hours (22 left).

What's made the difference for me is having 2 hour long lessons instead of 1 hour. The first half hour I'm a little flustered and I have half forgotten things from the previous lessons. After that, I perform better and I get so much more out of it for the last hour and a half and because I've got more time it's let me get in the rhythm of whatever I'm practising. It gets the muscle memory working. I've been lucky because a friend has helped me fund it so I've been able to do 2 hours 2 or 3 times a week which helps even more. But I think that having 2 hours at a time has made a massive difference.

I think it's also important to consider how well you get along with your instructor. That's made a difference for me thsi time. My current instructor is really relaxed and calm so I don't get stressed or flustered if I make mistakes. Some instructors raise their voice or which didn't work for me at all. He asks me what I want to do and how comfortable I feel with doing specific things and we discuss what I could do better and it's all really calm.

I don't really know about anything further than that but everyone assures me it will eventually just click if I practise enough and practise In the a calm way. I know you will get there with it if you perserve though because everyone does with driving. I wish you all the very best with it. Good luck with everything. :)
 
scalyboy said:
Question: I realise that for a lot of people, learning to drive will have been decades ago, but can anyone remember if this 'suddenly it all came together' moment (like I remember how it was as a boy, trying to ride a bike and suddenly it clicks) happened to them?

I'm hoping it is a 'thing' and I just haven't got there yet... today and last week's lessons I started to wonder if I'm just not a natural driver and should I give up? But I've invested around 3 or 4 grand on lessons, buying a s/h car, insurance etc so to jack it in would be a great pity...

Seems like what I need is road experience, as I now know the manoeuvres (parallel parking, reverse bay parking, hill starts etc), I just need more exposure to traffic, roundabouts, dual carriageways etc. Got a couple of friends who on my insurance so they can accompany me and I'm legal to drive as a learner but f*** me so far we've only dared to go to back streets, an industrial estate etc. Not sure if their nerves would take babysitting me on main roads, not sure if my nerves will take it either with no dual control aargh. I guess there's only one way to find out, when the roads are fairly empty though!!
Click to expand...

hello good on you for learning a new thing whilst being old, I did it too and it was not easy but i love it now, the whole driving thing.
I started lessons about 3 years ago, by which time i was already over 40, and it took ages and 4 tests before i eventually passed.
It was fucking hard. Like you I was nervous the whole time, that was the main problem really.

If I had a 'click' moment it was weeks and weeks, probably months, after I passed my test, - one day trundling along on my own in the car and realising I was enjoying myself and wasn't terrified that I was about to kill someone.
The only thing i don't like now is enormous roundabouts, but even there nobody beeps at me anymore.

Like you say, what you need is just time more time and practice.

My advice would be don't expect to feel confident until way after you've passed your test.
Been driving these 3 years now and not even hurt a squirrel.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

izz
Stop driving alert and insurance
2
Replies
42
Views
1K
MickiQ
MickiQ
Aaronf
How common is illegal driving?
2 3 4 5
Replies
122
Views
2K
hash tag
hash tag
cee
What car did you learn to drive in?
2
Replies
48
Views
1K
Chz
Chz
tommers
Driving to France / Germany
2 3
Replies
84
Views
2K
Chz
Chz
mr steev
C1 driving test
Replies
0
Views
199
mr steev
mr steev
Back
Top Bottom