Driving Instructor

[Tashaanne]

Basically on saturday I had a horrible lesson, it was four hours long and I did terribly. Various things such as lane switching, signalling the wrong way, etc. It got so bad my instructor refused to let me drive home. He told me I couldn't do my test which was meant to be today (Tuesday), I had to lose £62 because he wouldn't let me complete it. I'm rather upset about it. I'm in two minds to change instructors and go with someone else now, the way he was with me was quite rude and I think my bad driving was due to nerves, for him to tell me he wouldn't let me take the test was upsetting and killed my confidence. Advice?

You pay for your test yourself to a company that has nothing to do with your instructor (other than he is a DI). Go to your test.

I would find a new instructor! And I did my instructor got snippy with me once and I just lost all confidence in him.
I am surprised you are having such long lessons! Four hours of driving is pretty exhausting!

Find a new instructor, he's making you nervous which is likely part of the problem.
I crashed my driving instructors car and he just laughed

Take your test, it can be in any car so long as you are insured.

I was so nervous in the lesson before my test i couldn't even do an emergency stop! No exaggeration!

I passed.

Your instructor is not the test examiner. You have every right to take your test seeing that you have paid for and booked it!

Agree, your instructor doesn't sound very nice or even kind, get rid. Find someone who doesn't make you nervous. All the best.

[I was so nervous when i took my test, i took the instructor out to the wrong car. He could tell it wasn't the right car (no L plates for a start) but i was concentrating so hard on getting the key into the lock (it didn't fit, it wasn't the right car..) that I just didn't hear him for ages. Great start, then i stalled about four times in the first five minutes. After that, I assumed that I had failed and relaxed.

Then when he said that I had passed, I asked him to repeat it, and then asked him ’are you sure?']

If your driving instructor thinks you were driving dangerously he is within his rights to say he will not allow you to use his car for your test. You can however take your test in an adequately insured and L plated car.

I would say your instructor didn't handle your lesson or nerves well and you definitely should find a new instructor!!

Finally i reacted exactly the same way when i was told i had passed!

Fragglez How did it all go?

I had three different driving instructors. I have social anxiety, of which one trigger is quite specific to being alone with one other person (I even struggle being one-on-one with my close friends), therefore driving lessons were a minefield for me. You are absolutely within your rights to find an instructor who makes you feel comfortable, especially as learning to drive can be stressful in the first place. It can take a few tries to find somebody you click with.

That said, if he thinks you are not ready for your test then I would listen. Failing your test is horribly demoralising, much more so than cancelling and rescheduling when you are ready. I failed three times and it's crushing. I wound find a new instructor and get more practise.

I'd change instructors. 4 hour lesson is far too long. My instructor refused to do an extended lesson before my test. He said a normal lesson was enough. It was the worse driving lesson I'd ever had!! I couldn't parallel park even though I'd never had trouble before. I even cried! My instructor was awesome and even gave me a hug. Bless him he even sat in the back of the car while I did my test so I could see him. Lol I'm really not that pathetic normally I was just so nervous! I passed with only 2 minors and one was the show and tell before we even left the center!

If you live in Kent I can pass his details on!

Please don't give up!

It's absolutely your choice whether you change instructor or not. Mine used to get a bit snippy with me but never anything too bad. I did my test twice. Doing it the first time I knew I wasn't ready, but it helped me to feel ready when it came to doing it the second time and as I'm quite an anxious person, I found it invaluable to know what the test would actually be like so it may be worth a go for you?

4hrs is too long to be driving though!!

Thank you everyone for the advice, I couldn't do the test as I had no car to do it in, plus I had already cancelled it. I think I'm going to change instructor definitely, I've lost confidence in him. It wasn't that I did badly, it was more how he was with me that ruined my confidence. I also agree that four hours was too long, I did mention it to him but he thought that an intensive lesson would benefit me, it clearly didn't. I've had fifty hours. I didn't think I needed an intensive lesson