Learning to drive #2

[Thank(space)you]

What sort of things do you talk about on your lessons?

My instructor and I just talk about mundane stuff like what’s going on in the news or where we’re going food shopping. I want him to focus more on just the driving when I pick my lessons back up in a couple of weeks.

As the lessons went on and I needed less instruction, it would be more general chat as he didn't have anything to say about the driving

 

[greenvelvet]

I learned to drive about 4 years ago and then covid hit so I had no reason to drive - now it’s really hard to park where I live (inner city) so I’m petrified of bashing up someone’s car while parallel parking as I’ve gotten rusty

I’ve called like 4 different places asking to do some refresher lessons and pass plus and they’re so busy they’ve shut their waiting lists! So frustrating as I have a new job i want to be able to drive for

 

[Thank(space)you]

I posted in the first thread and somehow missed this new one!
I’m finally going for my test tomorrow (after close to 4 years driving). I’m not feeling 100% ready but.. Does anyone have any last minute tips? I’m in Ireland.

Rescue remedy, banana and affirmations for the nerves. Remind yourself you are a calm, competent driver. Some people find it helpful to act like it is just another lesson, but with a new instructor

 

[Thank(space)you]

My test is today I am glued to TikTok video tips

Good luck!

 

[JLXRD]

Waaahoooooo well done you! Enjoy this feeling, you deserve it xx

Thank you! I can’t believe it!

 

[Dancing Dave]

I actually can’t believe it, I passed my test today! Am still in shock . So nervous to go out on my own for the first time!

It feels like a blur… When I drove to the test centre with my husband I had a big (stupid) pre test panic on a huge roundabout which ended up with me in tears… but I somehow pulled it together for the actual test! The lady actually thought I was a confident chilled driver… LOL.

Congratulations

 

[Thank(space)you]

How much is everyone planning to spend on a first car? I don't know what to realistically budget - and insurance is going to be mad!

I spent £2100 on my first car, insurance was 770. Don't forget tax will need to be done too

 

[cl16girlie]

Hi 🥹

Can’t believe I’m saying this but I want to pass my test. I started learning in 2017 and after a horrifying driving test I have never attempted to drive again. The examiner was horrible. She kept making snarky comments when I’d make mistakes because I was nervous and was just overall a horrible person. It’s been a long time and I’ve definitely developed a phobia over learning again. I’ve been going to a hypnotherapist to deal with my anxiety and I’m improving 🥹 We’ve come to the conclusion that if I could start learning again and pass my test then I would have 100% beaten my anxiety and I genuinely think I’d be on top of the world

I wanted to join the thread to keep myself accountable for getting the ball rolling. First things first is passing my theory as it’s expired. Luckily I have 2 years left on my provisional license so I want to pass before the 2 years. If anyone has any tips or advice I’d be grateful!

Driving anxiety was a massive curveball for me to get over. I got into an accident on a driving lesson and it made me fearful of driving lessons and getting behind the wheel of the car. I luckily passed on my 3rd go when nerves/a bad examiner on my 2nd test (who really was horrible man as well, he called me too cautious, a nervous driver etc. Everything you don't want to hear) You've got this!!!

 

[hogwartsgraduate]

I had Testi and one called Speedy Tests on the go. Only 1 I think came up in 3 months, in the end I just took some extra lessons and waited the extra time rather than switching which worked out better for me anyway.

 

[TheGlossy]

I'm in need of advice because I'm really desperate at this point.

I passed my theory test in 2018 and started doing 2/4 hour lessons every week (with two different driving schools) until January 2020. I sat my test twice in manual in 2019 and failed both times. Due to COVID, I was not able to take any lessons between January 2020 and now. I took a one-off lesson in October 2020, but the instructor suggested I go for automatic instead as I have real issues with the gears.

Fast forward, I've been looking for an automatic driving instructor since the restrictions lifted in July 2021 and I was only able to find one this month. I wanted a one-off lessons to see what it would be like to drive an automatic. I attended the lesson and although I enjoyed driving in automatic, I'm really getting an off vibe from the instructor:
a) I can't understand a single thing he says - he's Dutch and has the worst accent I've ever heard in my entire life, which makes it difficult for me to understand instructions etc.
b) He said it was a "bad look" that I didn't study my theory before the lesson (again, I've passed my theory test, done my mandatory hours, this lessons was merely a test run to see if I like automatic driving)
c) this really pissed me off: when the lesson finished, he asked me how much I wanted to pay, so I said I'd pay for the lesson we just had per the pricing grid on his website and he said: "No, you need to pay for the upcoming lesson as well or buy a 12 hour package for E500". I told him this lesson was a test run to see how I feel about going automatic and then commit, but he said I needed to pay for any upcoming lesson at the same time as the lesson that just finished. I managed to talk myself out of paying for any upcoming lesson - I'm not going to give him cash and if I choose to cancel, then I can say goodbye to any refund. Previous driving schools operated their payments electronically, so much easier to trace, but cash- no.
d) He wants me to fill in a form on what has improved and not improved after each lesson and hand it over to him. While I appreciate the effort, I'm here to pass my test, no write a performance report on myself.

While he was a really good driving instructor and I learned more in those 2 hours with him than I did in 6 months with my previous instructor, I'm a bit weirded out. It's really difficult to find automatic instructors at a reasonable rate in my area (a lot don't cover my area though central) and I really want to get my license. I've already spent so much money, I can't just give up now. Then again, I don't want to go down the rabbit whole of being rinsed out of my money with no results in sight. I've no one to drive with, so lessons are my only option.

If anyone can provide some advice / suggestions, I'd really appreciate it!

 

[TheGlossy]

@noseybirdxo Thank you.

It's a pity because I love driving with gears (I find it thrilling to change gears - don't ask it's weird ha), but I find it really difficult to change gears without looking at them, coasting and progression are a big issue as well. Progression and gear change when turning are a big issue for me. It's not rocket science, but because I don't have anyone to drive with and have to rely on the lessons, I really can't keep failing the test because of the gears. I'm not too fond of automatic cars to be honest - automatic driving is plain weird, but it's so easy because I can concentrate on my position / observation.

I'm based in Ireland and automatic lessons here are about the same price as manual lessons. The problem is that there are very very few schools which offer automatic lessons and for some reason, my area is rarely covered for automatic lessons. I called big schools, private instructors and most were either fully booked until end of 2022 or simply don't cover my area. It's been a massive hassle.

The writing bit felt like school - never seen this before. The point is to know how to drive on a practical level. My previous instructors had a quick chat at the end of the lesson too. As much as I appreciate the idea, it felt a bit too academic for me. He told me himself I clearly know how to drive and without me telling him how many hours I already took (because I wanted him to assess me properly) he said it's clear I've had 100+ hours (which is true). So, the writing bit is pointless at this stage.

Maybe trust your instinct. If you don’t like the instructor, you might not like being in the car with him for 2 hours for a lesson

Or if you feel taking lessons is urgent, book the smallest amount you can fora block booking while searching for another automatic instructor.

Yeah, I agree. I mean, those two hours I spent with him on Thursday were the longest. I normally enjoy driving lessons and never look at the time, but with this one, I kept looking at the time on the screen every 5 minutes. I think the fact that I couldn't understand a thing he was saying had a lot to do with it as well. I need to be able to communicate freely with the instructor and I felt a huge language barrier because his English is unfortunately very broken (not trying to shade anyone with an accent, but I need to understand the guidance, which wasn't the case here).

It's not super urgent, so I might add another lesson in broad daylight this time (this one was at night, so it added to the uneasiness/discomfort) and keep looking for another instructor in the meantime.

 

[noseybirdxo]

I felt the same when I failed mine last week.. What did you fail on? Mine was road markings.
Keep going and get another one booked.
Earliest one I could get was March.

hey! I don’t know if you know about this but helpful thing for tests. I used a service called SpeedyTests to get myself cancellations, so basically you pay a one off fee and you can use it as many times as you want until you pass. So I first paid for it back in January 2019 and I used it up until I passed recently, depending on the fee (i think paid £16) you pay you can have them automatically send you any cancellations at either 1 or 2 test centres by text message and you get about 15 mins to reply to the text to book. You might be able to get earlier than March if that’s what you want

 

[noseybirdxo]

After failing my first test my next one is booked in March.. On my birthday I might regret it but it was the only date they had.

get speedy tests if you’re looking for something sooner

 

[candyland_]

I’ve totally lost interest in driving now. There’s better things to be spending my money on.

There were five years between my first test and the one I passed and the test had changed in that time . Your instructor shouldn't just be teaching you to 'drive' , but also be teaching you how to perform the test as it is currently.


If it's independent driving that threw you in the test then that is what you need to practise on . Look at the maps , visit the area so you are familiar with it and get your instructor to help you focus on that.

It was because the examiner left my test area. Everyone I’ve told was shocked the route he took me on.. some of them have been driving for 10-30 years and say they would never drive on those roads unless they had no other choice

 

[candyland_]

I’m glad this thread popped back up today. I basically went back through and read it all a few weeks ago while in the midst of angst over my lessons haha.
I am 36 and I have had so many on off attempts at learning to drive it’s embarrassing. Ultimately stopped each time due to consuming anxiety and stress over it.
took another batch of lessons last year while pregnant and actually did my first test - failed but was amazed at the boost to my confidence ironically enough. Compared to lessons I found the test pretty relaxed and I didn’t drive badly just made a stupid error and went too fast in a housing estate (20mph limit).

Took a break while I had the baby and then bit the bullet and booked more lessons in March this year. Finally got the instructor I wish I’d had years ago who has taught me brilliantly and kept me so calm.

My test is tomorrow!!! I feel as ready as I possibly can be but starting to think oh no I hope I haven’t forgotten how to drive….I really hope it’s a pass as it will change my life and let me do so much more with the baby. But let’s see. Sorry this was long haha.

Good luck for tomorrow!

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Because loads of people told me oh when ypu get your car ill take you out but when it comes down to it they don't so sick of asking people and I thought having the car would help instead of always the instructors

Yes maybe ne t week ill ask just work on things I need to not driving around in circles

It's just really getting me because it's not clicking

What particularly are you having trouble with?

 

[daisy2809]

I found it easier having a test booked already. The app Testi is what I used for cancellations but you can only use it if you have one booked so I booked one far away anywhere I could

thank you so much!

 

[Irishgirl14]

In what context? Are you not sure where you should be looking/what to look for etc? If you can give us a bit more information this would be easier!!!!

Sorry don't no what best way to explain it kinda bit of both and other thing roundabouts scare me so much

 

[hogwartsgraduate]

@givemethegossx How did the test go? Hope baby is all ok too X

 

[noseybirdxo]

I'm not being rude but people keep saying oh it's automatic it's easy and it's not helping been told that if it was easy I wouldn't be asking for advice

What is it you’re struggling with? If you let us know then maybe we can help you Maybe someone on this thread has had the same problems x