My first driving lesson

[izz]

Like absolutely everything, you only become as good as you can by doing it as much as you can. All the examiner wants is a safe trip around town and to be able to pass someone, there's no magic to it.

dessiato, have you both considered putting an ad in the local paper/website ? Coming out of lockdown I'd be surprised if there wasn't anyone in need of some extra tuition fees..

 

[scalyboy]

Thanks Grace Johnson and bimble its good to know that other people are having / have had similar experiences to me. Grace, yes I totally get what you mean re. 2 hour lessons, I’ve only ever had those and it takes a good while to ‘warm up’ and the instructor now recognises this and tells me to just drive around back streets for the first 30 minutes at least before going into something more er challenging.

bimble I hear you, I won’t expect to be competent for at least a year after I pass, the more I talk to people about this the more I realise that it’s only repetition and practice that will get me to where I want to be at.

I generally don’t enjoy lessons as I’m concentrating and so focussed on not causing a major pile-up, but the last one was quite eventful and after a while I realised I was sort of enjoying myself. In a “hey look at me I’m driving” kinda way. The instructor was quiet for quite a bit of the time, Checking his phone.

He’s explained before that if he’s not saying anything it’s a good sign as it means I’m not doing anything wrong. I had a minor ‘click’ moment when I realised that a while back I was reluctant to go above 25 mph but now I try to keep to 28-29 otherwise it slows everyone up. Came to a few 20mph zones and I felt impatient like going too slow!

The eventful things were, seeing what looked like the aftermath of a nasty motorbike accident (it didn’t affect me but my mind is already hyper-concentrated anyway on being careful. Used to ride scooters and small motorbikes but now v much aware that I’m driving a large, heavy chunk of metal sometimes at high speeds).

Another driver told us one of the brake lights wasn’t working. Stopped to have a look at it.
A bloke in an L plated car with a woman in the driving seat called my instructor over and asked if he covered the Barnet test route (dubious question since there are multiple test routes). I thought he (or his wife / partner / friend) was a potential new customer but in fact they then followed us round for the next hour. Even back to my house! We weren’t doing a test route and my test is booked at Mill Hill not Barnet anyway

We tried losing them several times but couldn’t shake them off. Odd. I wanted to zoom off at high speeds leaving them at the lights like a 1970s cop but thought it might be inappropriate

 

[bimble]

I realised I was sort of enjoying myself. In a “hey look at me I’m driving” kinda way. .

i remember that! That's a really good sign, when it gets to that instead 'oh my god i'm in control of this heavy thing on wheels and this shouldn't be allowed'

Your instructor should not be looking at his phone though thats not ok.

 

[madeinbrixton]

Everyone eventually gets what I call a “eureka” moment when you stop driving mechanically but instead your eyes hands and feet sync, its like Skywalker learning ‘the force’. it’s clutch control and when you get it you’ll be like a Jedi on the road too (I’m a driving instructor)

 

[dessiato]

Like absolutely everything, you only become as good as you can by doing it as much as you can. All the examiner wants is a safe trip around town and to be able to pass someone, there's no magic to it.

dessiato, have you both considered putting an ad in the local paper/website ? Coming out of lockdown I'd be surprised if there wasn't anyone in need of some extra tuition fees..

That's a very good idea. Thank you. Might even get someone who speaks some English. All it needs is for Mrs D to become reasonably confident to drive here.

 

[izz]

That's a very good idea. Thank you. Might even get someone who speaks some English. All it needs is for Mrs D to become reasonably confident to drive here.

I guessed that might be the issue, she knows how to drive but just needs someone calm to keep an eye on her while she gets used to driving on the other side of the road ? Good luck Mrs D, I'm sure you'll find what you need

 

[Epona]

I'm 50 and can't drive. Or rather I can't legally drive, I know how to operate a car!

I took a driving test when I was 17 but became confused at a set of traffic lights which is not a good thing. I haven't tried to pass the driving test since, and as I now live in London it isn't really necessary. I have ridden scooters (Vespa and Lambretta type, not the kiddy things) on a CBT since then but have never passed my full driving test. I would like to though.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Don't drive either - there was never any need to when I was 17 and living in my home town, as I was happy to walk several miles to get somewhere, or the bus if need be.

 

[bimble]

in the case of me, i had to be really motivated to do the whole bloody thing at that point in life, and to not give up even though its pretty gutting to persevere when you know you're crap at something that 17 year olds find easy.
The goal was wanting to go and live in the middle of nowhere, far away from a tube station, after being in London my whole life, and that has come to pass and i love it. But without that as a goal no way would i have made it through the whole expensive scary process.

 

[dessiato]

I guessed that might be the issue, she knows how to drive but just needs someone calm to keep an eye on her while she gets used to driving on the other side of the road ? Good luck Mrs D, I'm sure you'll find what you need

That's why it can't be me. She's a very fast driver, and scares the shit out of me with her fast, aggressive driving. But most of her UK driving was on the M25 and M20 during rush hours

 

[scalyboy]

in the case of me, i had to be really motivated to do the whole bloody thing at that point in life, and to not give up even though its pretty gutting to persevere when you know you're crap at something that 17 year olds find easy.
The goal was wanting to go and live in the middle of nowhere, far away from a tube station, after being in London my whole life, and that has come to pass and i love it. But without that as a goal no way would i have made it through the whole expensive scary process.

That’s kind of my goal too. To be able to travel
around the UK to places where buses don’t go, and eventually move out of London

 

[scalyboy]

How are the other learner drivers doing? I just came back from an, er, eventful lesson... the instructor had to sharply apply the brakes on two occasions.

The first time was my fault, as I put it in 2nd gear instead of 4th on a dual carriageway Gawd knows why; I can only think it was cos I only had 3 or 4 hours' sleep last night; I'm not in the habit of sticking the gear stick in the wrong gear!

The second time was when a teenage girl walked out in front of our moving car, totally oblivious, even disregarding the horn. I braked, but the instructor did too... it was weird, she wasn't looking at a phone, but was completely in her own world.

(A few years ago I saw an accident when a group of teens ran across moving traffic just by Limehouse DLR station; one of them delayed too much and was struck by a car who wasn't going very fast, maybe 20 or 25 mph. Even so, she was flung over the windscreen which cracked under the impact. I was first on the scene and was convinced she was in a bad way, but luckily it was only shock and I later heard (had to give a statement to the insurers) she had only suffered bruising and nothing more serious).

I am still too hesitant e.g. turning onto a main road from a T-junction, this anxiety is more to do with being aware that I'm driving a big metal object than worrying that I may be in danger. I feel safer in a car than when I rode scooters or motorbikes many years ago. I also don't want to damage the instructor's car! (No scratches so far). On the up side, I am getting better at roundabouts, the big ones used to freak me out but now I allow more time to brake & gear down to 2nd, then get in the right lane, indicate etc.

 

[scalyboy]

My test is next week and I'm not confident of passing Had a mock test and scored 4 major faults and 14 or 15 minor ones, actually several of the latter became a 5th major fail as they were all the same thing - not looking over my right shoulder before moving off! The instructor asked, did I have a sore neck, and I do - months of working from home behind a screen. That one is easily remedied - now I just twist my body so that I'm looking out the rear side window. (the instructor said at the start that in his experience, the average score for a first mock test was 4 majors and 14 minors so I didn't do too badly - he seemed somewhat surprised!)

But I still sometimes stall when doing a hill start (loads of inclines in my part of North London) and am still struggling with meeting traffic - the one where a road is made narrow by parked cars on either side so that there's only room for one car. I think my difficulty is having to look on the right as well as the left and check for gaps in the parked cars, then anticipate if the oncoming driver can / will pull in on their side, or whether I should.

Part of the problem is I'm not looking far enough ahead; I think some learners have a sort of 'tunnel vision' whereby they don't see what's on their periphery or far away (I remember hearing about this in a martial arts class, doing self-defence; the idea that the stress of the situation causes tunnel vision).

I am beginning to train myself to look 100-150 yards in the distance and then look nearer, it also helps with e.g. lights and zebra crossings if I've already spotted them a long way away. But f*** me, I certainly am a slow learner, definitely not a 'natural driver'

I was thinking of postponing the test, but they're like gold dust at the moment and probably the next earliest date would be November or December. So I figured I may as well take the test for the experience; hopefully not failing before exiting the test centre car park like someone else I recently heard about!
That's the problem with tests at the moment; due to Covid, if you make a serious error the examiner tells you to return to the centre and it's over. A bit of a pisser, as in theory it could be over in 5 minutes and that's £62 down the plughole. But I understand why they're doing this - trying to minimise their contact time with several people each day.

 

[Pickman's model]

I also don't want to damage the instructor's car! (No scratches so far).

glad you kept your keys in your pocket!

 

[scalyboy]

glad you kept your keys in your pocket!

He is getting on my wick now, but I wouldn't go that far
He seems exasperated that I've had so many lessons and am still not 'test-ready'. I may have to tell him to leave it out, that it's not a reflection of his competence as an instructor but of my piss-poor hand-eye co-ordination or spacial awareness, it's not helpful when he expostulates or sighs "Jesus"

 

[Johnny Doe]

Keep going U75 learners. It may amuse you to learn that I passed my car driving test on my 8th attempt, having been to the doctor after the 7th fail on the examiner's advice. He said 'you can absolutely drive competently, but I can't pass you because of the faults you are getting from shaking, go to the doctors, get beta blockers and you'll pass, no issues." He was 100% right, 1 minor fault on my pass.

Some years later I passed my HGV test, 5 days after first driving one, no drugs required!

 

[marty21]

Keep going U75 learners. It may amuse you to learn that I passed my car driving test on my 8th attempt, having been to the doctor after the 7th fail on the examiner's advice. He said 'you can absolutely drive competently, but I can't pass you because of the faults you are getting from shaking, go to the doctors, get beta blockers and you'll pass, no issues." He was 100% right, 1 minor fault on my pass.

Some years later I passed my HGV test, 5 days after first driving one, no drugs required!

My sister needed beta blockers to pass , 5th attempt I think.

 

[scalyboy]

My sister needed beta blockers to pass , 5th attempt I think.

Once had an ex who was an academic; she used to take beta blockers before presenting at conferences. Only thing I'd heard about beta blockers before then was that the walrus-like 1980s snooker player Bill Werbeniuk, who used to take them - I thought to steady his nerves and stop his hands shaking during a match. However, this says the blockers were to counter-act the effects of the 6-8 pints of lager he would drink before playing...

Clearly it would be foolhardy of me to sink several pints before the driving test, but I wouldn't mind giving the beta blockers a go, if legal.

 

[Johnny Doe]

Clearly it would be foolhardy of me to sink several pints before the driving test, but I wouldn't mind giving the beta blockers a go, if legal.

Legal as you like, prescribed. All they do is stop the physical symptoms of anxiety, so no shakes etc. Not sure of the science but obviously in a pressure situation where shaking is not good, you can start to panic. That's definitely what happened in my tests until I used them, and the difference was a miracle

 

[hash tag]

Best of luck with next week scalyboy, hope it goes well for you. If you can drive and pass your test in London, you can drive anywhere
Well, in the UK anyway.

 

[bimble]

scalyboy the best most excellent drivers pass on their Fourth test, not their first. It is a proven science fact.
You will be fine, whatever happens. poorer possibly, but fine.

 

[MickiQ]

Once had an ex who was an academic; she used to take beta blockers before presenting at conferences. Only thing I'd heard about beta blockers before then was that the walrus-like 1980s snooker player Bill Werbeniuk, who used to take them - I thought to steady his nerves and stop his hands shaking during a match. However, this says the blockers were to counter-act the effects of the 6-8 pints of lager he would drink before playing...

Clearly it would be foolhardy of me to sink several pints before the driving test, but I wouldn't mind giving the beta blockers a go, if legal.

just a wee dram to steady your nerves eh? Try to get a good night's sleep the night before and try to relax, It's a driving test not life or death. Best of Luck

 

[hash tag]

Echoing what's already been said and what my instructor told me. Give the examiner a good smooth ride and don't do anything dangerous and you will be fine.

 

[Johnny Doe]

scalyboy the best most excellent drivers pass on their Fourth test, not their first. It is a proven science fact.
You will be fine, whatever happens. poorer possibly, but fine.

That makes me double excellent!

 

[Chilli.s]

I passed my car driving test on my 8th attempt

This actually makes you a better driver, more training, more learning.

(Me, 5 tests)

 

[Elpenor]

It took me 3 years, but more critically a month off driving after failing test 2. In that time instructor switched from a Focus - which I couldn’t get the hang of at all, especially the gears, to a Mini, which I picked up straight away.

I went on to pass my third test after 5 hours in the Mini with only 4 or 5 minors. It must have been a lucky car as earlier that day someone had passed with 0 minors, apparently only the third time in 20 years my instructor had that happen.

 

[scalyboy]

Best of luck with next week scalyboy, hope it goes well for you. If you can drive and pass your test in London, you can drive anywhere
Well, in the UK anyway.

Thanks! Yes, I've heard that before, driving in London as a sort of baptism by fire.

I've certainly noticed some poor driving during these lessons, doing stuff that if I did in a test I'd be failed straight away - pulling out in front of me on a main road thus causing me to slow down or stop, for instance. And the pedestrians strolling out into the road engrossed in their phones. Madness

 

[scalyboy]

This actually makes you a better driver, more training, more learning.

(Me, 5 tests)

I'll have spent a fair bit of £££ on my car, insurance - and on the lessons themselves - that it'd be too expensive to jack it in if I don't pass, IYSWIM. Got to keep going until I pass. Hopefully below a single figure number
At the moment, because of the post-lockdown backlog, if I fail and rebook another test it'll most likely be in December. So I'd need lessons until then to keep my hand, in so to speak, thus pushing the cost up even more. Still, it'll all be good driving practice in real-life situations, which is where I'm at now. I know what I should be doing, just that I sometimes get flustered, or am sometimes not looking far enough ahead (100+ yards?) so as to anticipate potential hazards.

 

[Chilli.s]

Best of luck with it scalyboy, and when you pass you'll treasure that independence and pleasure of driving.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

It's a driving test not life or death.

It can be if the learner driver runs over a pedestrian. But good luck scalyboy - I'm sure it'll be fine on the day.