Driving Instructor Ramble.

^TANK^ · 11 Sep 2011 at 23:30

Moothead2 said:
The only problem with that is you HAVE to drive an automatic for the rest of your life now unless you retake your test in a manual (Which will obviously take practise). I'd much prefer to pass in a manual and then be allowed to choose between Auto and manual although Automatic does look appealing for city driving.

I ****ing hate manuals with a passion so it'll never be a problem for me, but I understand where you are coming from.

C.P said:
Thats a couple of grand gone your instructors way, bet he loved you!!

It wasn't like that at all, he is a genuinely nice guy who taught my older sister before me and put her in for her test in roughly sixty lessons and she passed first time without any minors. I was just a slow learner I honestly would have given him his marching orders if at any time I felt he was taking the **** out of me.

RedDanDoc · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:08

Parsley said:
I was fortunate enough to not be all that nervous and I quickly settled into the test as if it was just another driving lesson,

I found the test to be easier than a lesson on account of not having somebody pointing out my mistakes every time.

If you are suffering from nerves to the extent of not being able to perform well on your driving test then your clearly not ready.

After 30 odd lessons it cant be that hard to hold it together for half an hour.

Elixir · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:10

I had 6 lessons.

Worship me.

Parsley · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:59

RedDanDoc said:
If you are suffering from nerves to the extent of not being able to perform well on your driving test then your clearly not ready.

After 30 odd lessons it cant be that hard to hold it together for half an hour.

People react differently to things and a driving test can be pretty nerve wracking for some people, especially if the instructor doesn't come across in a friendly manner.

That friend I mentioned previously was, in my opinion, a good enough driver to pass the test, but nerves got the better of them and they failed three times. Expensive!

Another thing that's off about driving tests is the time you are allotted to take it... hope for a nice mid day time so you don't have to face the rush hour traffic in the morning or evening.

Justintime · 12 Sep 2011 at 01:14

You don't get flashed on amber, and even on red its supposedly 0.8 seconds into it before the camera is live. Also, having seen the cameras go off numerous times when numpties decided to play chicken with their lives, you'd likely have seen it.

.Lethal · 12 Sep 2011 at 03:06

Scuzi said:
You are paying him to provide a service. If you are not happy with it, tell him. Set some boundaries and if you continue to be unhappy, take your business elsewhere.

You're an adult so act like one! So many people seem to resort to becoming a school child in situations like this for whatever reason.

Try something like, "I understand that I could have put you in a difficult situation but I'm not comfortable with how you handled it and would appreciate you speaking to me in a more respectful manner."

I agree with most of this, although if I was in this situation I wouldn't reply with "I understand" - I would reply in kind to how you're being treated and not bother with him again full stop.

The instructor sounds like an idiot and you're business should be taken elsewhere.. assuming the events that happend are exactly as you say.

Rich_L · 12 Sep 2011 at 03:10

You need to tell the instructor it's

Red for REVS
Amber for ACCELERATE
Green for GO.

God knows how you fail a driving test for an automatic, that marks you as unable to drive a bumper car or go-kart even i.e. a total spaz.

Bennie-Mac · 12 Sep 2011 at 04:02

I don't understand how your instructor can get points on his licence when he wasn't driving?

Fr0dders · 12 Sep 2011 at 05:20

Bennie-Mac said:
I don't understand how your instructor can get points on his licence when he wasn't driving?

He can't

You can still be given points on your license even if you haven't passed it yet.

It is the driver that is responsible for any penalties, not the owner.

He was just on one.

Random Guy · 12 Sep 2011 at 09:10

peetee said:
Surely you're ready for a test after 26hours

This imo is a BS attitude (no offence).

Everyone has their own ideal time to learn something before they are "ready".

DiCe! · 12 Sep 2011 at 11:25

I have my test booked for next monday and have 4 hours with a new examiner this week just to freshen me up on everything, I have had 2 previous examiners be very harsh with me, One I could understand as I did do something stupid, the other IMO I was in the right and I got shouted at, He also put me in for my test when I was nowhere near ready to do so.

I dont have the best eyesight so It has taken me a long time to learn, Hopefully 2nd time luck on monday

Steve2000 · 12 Sep 2011 at 12:18

I was learned up by my dad, never had any lessons. I also had to drive to the test centre to take the test. I failed the first time but still had to drive home, I had to wait for him to go back in so I could drive off.

Davepen · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:03

I had problems with my first instructor, right douche, would shout at me for making any mistakes, no matter how small.

Ditched him, went with a chap called Gary on a recommendation from a friend, sooooo much better, real top bloke.

You're paying for his services, his job is to teach you to drive not make you feel uncomfortable, ditch the douche.

Ahleckz · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:12

DiCe! said:
I have my test booked for next monday and have 4 hours with a new examiner this week just to freshen me up on everything, I have had 2 previous examiners be very harsh with me, One I could understand as I did do something stupid, the other IMO I was in the right and I got shouted at, He also put me in for my test when I was nowhere near ready to do so.

I dont have the best eyesight so It has taken me a long time to learn, Hopefully 2nd time luck on monday

Yes, the experienced examiner who has tested thousands of people and is trained to determine who is fit to drive was definitely in the wrong whereas someone with 20 odd hours of driving experience knew best. :rolleyes:

feriso · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:12

To the OP and the way I was taught (I did IAM as well) is that on approach to any traffic lights you should always be prepared to stop, especially when approaching pedestrian crossings with people waiting or traffic control lights which have been at green for a while. This preparation to stop involves checking around (mirrors etc.) and coming off the gas a bit so if you do have to brake it is not such a sudden movement in jabbing your foot on the brake. Either way the instructor was a bit harsh there.

WRT tests - I remember mine well as I only did reverse round corner and 3-point turn as we kept being followed down the ususal roads for emergency stops. At the end one question he asked me was "At what speed shoudl you join a motorway", I replied "At the same speed as the traffic flow and observing any speed restrictions in place", he said" Wrong, it is 70mph" at which point I was like :confused:

but then said I'd passed so I didn't question him again even though this got put down as a minor :mad:

hurfdurf · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:13

Jay794 said:
I've been driving since I was 17 and I'm 24 now and I can honestly say I have never had to reverse round a corner since passing my test, why? because I just turn left instead? what is the purpose of that on the test? At least parallel parking and emergency stops are actually useful

I have done it about 100 times this ear...

Hxc · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:21

Completely depends on where you drive though doesn't it? I mean, I've parallel parked about 3 times ever since passing my test 2 and a half years ago...

J1234 · 12 Sep 2011 at 14:33

^TANK^ said:
I passed my driving test in August on the 11th this year, first time with only four minors. Now for the embarrassing bit, I'm twenty eight and it took me roughly a hundred lessons .

100 lessons in an automatic!?

DiCe! · 12 Sep 2011 at 14:39

Ahleckz said:
Yes, the experienced examiner who has tested thousands of people and is trained to determine who is fit to drive was definitely in the wrong whereas someone with 20 odd hours of driving experience knew best.

Correct.

Also I booked a test, told him the date, He wrote it in his diary.....then never turned up on the day, Told me I was not telling the truth and had never told him of any test date....even looking in his diary it was obvious he had erased the note. The guy was a tool of the highest order.

J1234 · 12 Sep 2011 at 14:45

As for instructors, I really disliked my first one, he used to tell me off for every little mistake I made and it made me hate my lessons and I felt I wasn't progressing at all with him. Second instructor was awesome, got on with him really well and really enjoyed learning with him. He used to let me have my own music on in the car too which was great. He was only a trainee instructor too but he was 100 times better at teaching me to drive than the other one, who was a grade 6 instructor.