Driving instructor was really rude

[BitPutOffNow123]

I had my first driving lesson yesterday. I've never drove a car before so havnt got a clue what I'm doing. He asked me if I had any experience and I said no none at all.

It started off ok, he was showing me the gears and other stuff in his handbook and after practising the gears then we set off on the road. I was really nervous but was really trying.

I kept forgetting to put my foot down on the clutch while changing gears and he snapped at me and said crossly "your just not getting it" I said "I've never drove before, I'm a bit overwhelmed and I'm getting confused" he said "you should of done this when you were younger, itd been easier for both of us then". I said I was too scared to try when I was younger ( I'm only 29 anyway )

We went on a roundabout and he told me to break slowly, I tried but I'm new to this and breaked harshly, he loudly sucked air in between his teeth and, said hed told me to break gently told me I was too slow with my reactions. He asked me why i wasnt getting it and I said I was getting confused between the clutch and the pedals. ( he was telling me when to use the clutch break ect

I've paid for 10 hours, 2 hours each time and he took me home 30 minutes early but didnt say why and after how horrible the lesson was I didnt feel like saying I'd paid for 2 hours

Am I being sensitive or was he really rude? I want to cancel my other booked for lessons and look to go with someone else but I dont even know how to go about requesting a refund

I don't think your suited

He sounds horrible. My instructor took me to a deserted ca repack for my first lesson so I could get the hang of the gears and basically just steering.

On the time thing - did it take the 30 minutes to get home? The 2 hours is the total time allocated which includes getting there and back even if the instructor is driving.

Maybe give him a second chance? Tell him up front that you are very nervous and would like to be taken somewhere quiet in order to practice the gear changes. Roundabouts are too terrifying for first lessons!

He sounds awful. My first instructor was like this and I gave up for 5 years. I then decided to have another go at learning and got a different instructor who was totally different. Ask your friends who they learned with and get someone else to teach you. Also ask for the remainder of your money back from this dick of an instructor.

He sounds like a poor instructor. I would complain to the company, if he's self employed then I would ask for a refund and explain why.

Ask for a refund for the other lessons, you aren’t well suited and find another instructor.

Seems weird that he took you to a roundabout on your first lesson. My first lesson I was driven to a quiet housing estate, a new estate with rods that created loops so I could just drive round and round in circles. I don’t think I got over 15 mph and it was mostly crawling along the curb changing gears and braking. At the stage my instructor was mostly in charge of the steering wheel when we got to a parked car so I could focus on gears, accelerating and braking. I don’t think we did roundabouts for about 5 lessons.

I can't believe he'd take you on a roundabout for your first lesson that's ridiculous! I just slowly went round a housing estate at 5mph lol

Change!

Jeez, a roundabout for the first lesson? That is completely insane OP. I'm sorry you had to experience such a terrible Instructor! Is he self employed or works for a company? If the latter definitely tell them you want to transfer the payment to a new instructor, or if it's him, I know it's awkward but you can't go through 10 hours of that. If he refuses say you'll report him to the DVLA or whoever governs these things for unsafe practices (e.g. roundabouts when you clearly aren't ready, not giving you full session, etc).

A roundabout on a first lesson? And you’ve never driven before? Get rid of him and just say you want a refund and won’t be continuing.

He sounds horrible.

He’s an asshole and sounds like a shit instructor. Tell him you wont be using his services and give him the bank account details to refund the 8.5 hours you didn’t use.

Ask for a refund. I do agree with him slightly though you should have prepared yourself better. My DD watched loads of YouTube videos and asked us lots of questions before she sat in the car.

He sounds like a twat, some of them are. My advice? Ask for a refund on the lessons you've not had & keep looking. Lots will do taster sessions of 1/2 hours to see if you click & not get you to do a block booking until you're comfortable with them. You're not old, you will get! I'm learning too (have been for a while thank you illness & then Covid), my first instructor turned out to be awful, my new one is fabulous. I'll actually miss him if I pass my test, although thanks to the backlog I've got him for a while yet

Hopefully your next experience will be much better & give you some confidence.

No he sounds awful. And like someone previously said a first lesson shouldn't be in traffic let alone a roundabout. It should be on an industrial estate where you can practice breaking/moving off in 1st gear. I'm surprised he took you into traffic. Definitely try to get money back and cancel lessons with him. He is not cut out to be a driving instructor and his behaviour is not going to make you improve or feel more confident. Also i think its excellent you are persevering with a manual rather than going just for the automatic, much harder but much more worth it.

On the time thing - did it take the 30 minutes to get home? The 2 hours is the total time allocated which includes getting there and back even if the instructor is driving No, I was home 30 minutes early

I don’t think I got over 15 mph and it was mostly crawling along the curb changing gears and braking. At the stage my instructor was mostly in charge of the steering wheel when we got to a parked car so I could focus on gears, accelerating and braking. I don’t think we did roundabouts for about 5 lessons

That's what I assumed I'd be doing, on a quiet car park somewhere. We were on a long road near a housing estate, had to go past a roundabout and a junction, we passed a few horses/riders on the road too. I was really overwhelmed for my first time but wasnt sure If I was being silly

The fastest I went was 25mph and wasnt comfortable at that, I started out at 8mph and he kept telling me to put my foot down a bit more. I felt uncomfortable but knew I was going to because I've put it off for years

I found him online, hes with a company and his car had the company name on and then his name

If I was taking my test again now I would go automatic rather than manual most new electric cars are automatic apparently

Change your driving instructor. I also had one that tried to insist on two hour lessons and not only was it expensive it was exhausting and stressful trying to concentrate on a new skill for that long. Not least because it's incredibly stressful being cooped up in a car with someone you dislike and distrust (which is absolutely zero judgement on you btw).

Get a refund for the untaken lessons and try booking a trial session with a few different instructors. I found being upfront about being a nervous driver and trying to find a good fit for my instructor was fine. I was the same age as you when I learned. In the end I found someone with nerves of steel and the patience of a saint 😇. But it took a few tries!

Good luck to you everything you're feeling is incredibly normal.

I can't believe he took you on a roundabout on your first lesson
Empty car park is the way to go!
Can you get a refund on your remaining lessons? Is he part of a larger driving school? Maybe you could ask for a change of instructor?

Firstly, I would switch to automatic. There is no need for manual learning these days and you will learn in half the time seeing as most of learning in a manual is gear changes and clutch control.

Secondly, yea he sounds awful. Learning to drive is tough enough, you dont want to dread it every week.

Definitely change instructors OP. My first one was awful but I kept giving her more chances, I learnt eff all during those lessons. Eventually I snapped and told her to stop raising her voice at me as it wasn't helping my nerves. She actually used to slap my hand if I touched the gear stick in a way she didn't like

There are some great instructors out there. But there are also some awful ones who are used to teaching 17 year olds who won't stand up for themselves. So they get used to getting away with their bullying behaviour.

Definitely change, ask for a refund and tell the company what he said to you, especially about how it would have been easier for you both if you'd learnt when you were younger. Wtf.

I feel for you. Learning to drive is hard and you don't need an arseholes instructor making things even more stressful.

You won’t pass if you have a shit instructor, he will hamper your overall confidence. Get a new instructor.

And also yes automatics are sooo much easier!

@Rillington

Ask for a refund. I do agree with him slightly though you should have prepared yourself better. My DD watched loads of YouTube videos and asked us lots of questions before she sat in the car.

Watching YouTube videos doesn't help you find the clutch!!

If you are a grumpy dick with no patience then you shouldn't be a driving instructor!

You won’t learn with someone like that. Giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe it’s a personality clash - but regardless, being stressed out because of his reactions is not going to help.

Switch to someone else.

A roundabout in your first lesson! No wonder you were feeling overwhelmed.

He sounds like a knob. Time for a new instructor, don’t waste any more lessons on him.

Definitely switch. I had a driving instructor who developed full scale paranoia during our lesson. I stalled the car at a junction and he accused me of being a plant sent to kill him. The driving school weren't especially surprised when I phoned to say I wasn't going back.
Move on. Probably to a woman instructor if you can find one with spaces.