driving me insane (Learning to Drive)

Name: chappell

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Product:	Learning to Drive
Date:	15/03/07 (657 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: freedom

Disadvantages: price

These reviews are always written in the possative, by people who have passed, well this one isn't.

I cant believe im about to admit this, in a few minuets, when you have finished reading this you will all think im an idiot, and you might be right.

Two years ago when I was 23 I decided it was time to learn to drive. I was sick of bus and bikes and my kids missing out on going places because I couldn't take them. I had some spare income and thought this was the time to do it.
My friend had recently passed her test and recommended her instructor, it was a female and she was local so I thought id give her ago.
I rang her up and we spoke about driving and why I wanted to do it, she seemed nice so I booked a lesson.

Jane charged £18 an hour and drove a duel controlled Renault Cleo.

My first time was petrifying. I was so nervous but Jane put me at ease. She took me to a quiet street and sat me in the driver's seat showing me what all the buttons do and how to hold the steering wheel. We turned the engine on and off and practised moving a few feet and how to stop and start the car and that was about all we did for the first lesson, which was great because it got me used to the car and been in the driving seat which was wired. I was so used to being in the passenger seat I had never been in the driver's seat so it did take a bit of getting used too.

My second lesson I began to drive more, just up and down quiet streets in order to get a bit of confidence. This didn't work, I had no confidence, I hated driving but hoped it would get better I thought every one feels the same when they begin to drive.
I sat and passed my theory test after about six months.
I had one lesson a week for over a year and my driving got ok but my manoeuvres were terrible and I still had no confidence. I still hated driving.
Every time I reversed around the corner I would hit it, every time I reversed into a bay parking spot I was over the line, the only thing I could do perfectly was a turn in the road, I had perfect clutch control, observation skills and speed when I did this one but the others where awful.
While driving I would panic if I saw a roundabout coming towards me, I wouldn't know which lane to use, my road discipline would go out the window and I would forget where I needed to be, I really freaked out. If I had to get into gear 5 I would worry about driving to fast and for some bizarre reason I got this awful habit of looking at the gear stick when I needed to change gear which meant I wasn't looking at the road and sometimes would sway a little and go over the white line.
You can imagine what a night mare this was; I gave my instructor some grey hairs. But she was not entirely blameless. Jane would tell me that I I wasn't a very good driver and ask me what my star sign was telling me it was to do with the way the stars were lined and other such nonsense. She gave me no confidence and it got to a pint were I was dreading each lesson. I did get on with her and had a laugh wither sometimes but as a driving instructor she was next to useless, she gave me no instruction, but I didn't want to change because she knew me and I was embarrassed to go with another instructor and tell them I had been driving a year and I was still so rubbish.
After about 16 months I sat a test. I was a nervous wreck.
It went ok. I answered two questions before I got in the car about the tyres I think, and I got them both right. The lesson went ok, I did a turn in the road and reversed around the corner with out hitting the curb, however I did one huge thing wrong which is why I failed. I was doing 28mph in a 30mph zone. I thought it was a 30 and thought I was under. There were speed bumps and it was out side a school so I should have known but I just didn't realise.
Although I failed I was quite pleased that I only failed on one thing. I expect to fail on loads.
By now things in my life had changed since I had first began my lesson's, I had my house up for sale and was working more so I had more money so I was taking two lessons some weeks, but with the house and job I had more on my mind and I wasn't concentrating on driving properly.
I rebooked another test but it was 8 weeks away.
I had about 12 more lessons and they went from bad to worse, I mounted the curb, stalled, forgot things and basically did everything wrong.
During this time things in my life were also going from bad to worse. I had sold my house and bought one that cost tree times as much since work was going well but then I got made redundant and the very next day so did my husband. We were unemployed, with a huge mortgage to pay, obviously we had a lot on our minds.

Then came test two.
As you can imagine this was horrendous!
I can't list everything that went wrong; it was just one hour full of disasters. Needless to say I failed 9 minors 1 serious (hit the curb on my reverse round the corner) my instructor said it was because I was stressed and my moon was in some cosmic phase. I said Id ring her to arrange another lesson.
This was 1 year ago, I have not been in the driving seat since.

My who driving experience was a disaster?
I hated it.
Maybe I was too old; I should have done it at 17. Maybe I had a lot going on in my own life and I was too stressed to think about it or maybe my instructor was rubbish whatever the reason I just couldn't do it.


The only reason I share this awful, butt clenching, cringe worthy experience is to let people know that driving is not as easy as you would imagine. Every one thinks after a year of lessons they can pass their test. Well it's not that easy for everyone.
I know I sound like a idiot, I know that there are 13 year olds tat steal cars and drive them away, I know that old ladys and small children would pick it up quicker then me and it really tears me up inside. I hate that I can't drive. But that don't change the fact that I can't.

I don't expect to get any very helpful's or any exceptional's for this review I know its not fantastically written or full of every last detail but it is honest. I know it will make me look bad but if it helps anyone thinking of learning to drive then its worth it. I dont want to put people off i just want people to have a understanding of what it is like.

i hope this helps any one thinking of learning.

warning:leaning to drive may cause you to be stressed, skint, and insane!!

Summary: not for everyone