The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Im currently having Driving lessons, which I had 4 hours worth today alone! My arms ache, my neck hurts and my back is stiff.
So far Ive learnt all the basics and a bit more, but we went onto reversing today. When youre in your parents car and theyre driving you dont realise how hard it really is.
I have to admit it really hurts my brain having to remember everything to do! My brain is a bit rusty at the moment through under-use, but today it was in overDRIVE......
The first few lessons were pretty stress free because I was going through an area where there are hardly any cars. BUT todays lesson was diferent.
The instructor decides he wants me to drive into this place... this dark and dismal place.... I tend to call it hell..... The fact that it was also approaching 5.30pm, where all the lemmings are coming home from work mad it all the more worse.
OK, Ive kind of lost the plot here now.......
erm...... yes, anyway, I started to do the same mistake a few times, which was not releasing my foot off the clutch when I changed to a lower gear (Drivers may know what im talking about-Please dont laugh!) The instructor started to have a go at me, and I could see in his eyes he was getting very annoyed with me.
The more he shouted, the worse I drove, the more he shouted, the worse I drove..... etc etc!
The rage was building up inside me, but I knew it wasnt my place to say anything seeing that I'm the one that needs to learn.
But then it popped into my mind......
Whos paying who here? He doesnt have the right to shout at me, when Im paying for these damn lessons.... Well actually my parents are paying for them, but thats beside the point! :-D
Hes not payed to shout at me, hes payed to teach me.
Maybe Im wrong here, and maybe Im over-reacting, but im stressed...... and pi*ssed off right now.....
The one good thing from this is that Im now more determined. Some people may ask "Doesnt that put you off driving now?".... The answer is no! I now want to proove him wrong, and show him that I can do it.....
So maybe it is good that hes shouting..... Anyway, before I drift off the plot again, Ill end this topic HERE.
It does get easier though...... Im starting to change gears automatically now, without even thinking......
Reversing is probably the hardest.... and Hill starts....
Apart from hitting the curb once, it went quite smoothly... I got up into 4th gear, and went on a 9 mile drive around town... which was quite worrying!
I still have to master how to use that clutch through!
Mine were £17.50 an hour, which is alot (although im not paying for them).....
But the time and money I will save from not having to use the train, bus taxi it should pay off in the end...
It also cost me £350 a year insurance, and then theres petrol.... Maybe it isnt so cheap after all! :-D
The DVLA have quotas to meet. Passes and Fails. Take it at the end of the month and the results of the previous people can be against you.
I failed the first time. The reason that they game me was that when the traffic lights went green for both lanes and I was turning right, I diddnt move on 1 cars length to turn was all they had on me. Making this worse, was that the girl who was returning from her test as I was waiting actually went over the kerb pulling into the test car park, and 5 minutes later was cheering with her dad.
While I am on a rant about this, I would like to point out that driving instructors DO NOT teach anything about motorcycle observation. Much as it seems obvious, spending a minute or two over this will save many lives per year. 90% of motorcycle accidents annually are caused by car drivers, and 90% of these are split between drivers of 1-2 years and old people.
Please be observant for bikes. They are considerably faster than cars, and in the wet have a much longer stopping distance. Don't pull out of junctions after buses until you know there isn't a bike after it, I was nearly had that way recently. Plan your route before you leave and know where you are going. If you need to change lanes for a junction do it early, as motorcycles filter traffic. Indicate way before you change lanes and allways check your blind spot. I can stand next to a car 3 feet fron the driver and he won't be able to see me in the mirrors.
The main thing is, is that if you do hit a bike, it is far more likely to be his life than you think. Please be careful.
> How many mistakes are you allowed to have before you fail in your final
> test?
I think you are allowed 16 minor mistakes. Aint be too hard though, i only got 5 on my test.
Nobody likes ginger cats. Kill all of them you see. :-D
-----
Just got back from another Driving Lesson, and it wasnt much better than Tuesday. At the beginning I kinda liked the Instructor, now I despise him!
"Left...... No, Not Right...... Watch that cat..... Watch it!..... MEEEEEEOOOOOOOOW........ Now look what youve done...... Weve got cat all over the windscreen"
(Again-Sorry all you cat lovers!)
:-D