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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driving lessons and air con aibu?

83 replies

kiki22 · 19/07/2016 22:44

I'm doing a crash course this week of 3 hours a day today was day 2. I'm 34 weeks pregnant and have been really feeling the heat by the time my lesson was over today I had drank 2 bottles of water and my clothes where soaked with sweat yesterday wasn't as warm but similar. I asked to have air con on for a while and the instructor said no he doesn't use it, at this point I was dripping with sweat as we were doing through maneuvers so no breeze coming in. Both days I've had to cut the lesson short (on his suggestion) by an hour as I was starting to feel ill he has refunded me the hour though.

Aibu to expect he puts the air con on for a while? I know it uses fuel but I'm finding it so difficult to relax and concentrate when I'm feeling over heated and sitting in wet clothes. I have my test at the weekend which I really need to be in the best position possible to pass for personal reasons I'm worried between the heat, the discomfort and cutting lessons short this will not happen.

OP posts:
RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers · 19/07/2016 23:19

Oh, in that case, then, I agree you need to put your foot down and say either he uses it - as advertised on the website - or you'll find another instructor. That's daft of him.

PuraVida · 19/07/2016 23:22

Lean down and press the a/c button then crank it up to full

noiwontmoveover · 19/07/2016 23:22

Whatever his reasons are the website says air conditioned cars

You need to put your foot down on this.

NicknameUsed · 19/07/2016 23:30

He is being a selfish, inconsiderate arse. You get in the car and refuse to drive it until he puts the air con on. In this heat not allowing you to put it on is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.

You could tell him that the heat makes you feel faint.

booklooker · 19/07/2016 23:31

the website says air conditioned cars

I had a modicum of sympathy for the instructor until I read this.

What an arse.

Bogeyface · 19/07/2016 23:34

He advertises on the basis of air con cars. Refuse to move the car until he switches it on.

I cant imagine why his first wife left him........ (assumption on my part about 3 adult kids and a pregnant wife!)

AlpacaLypse · 19/07/2016 23:42

YY turning the aircon on definitely hits fuel consumption like a ton of bricks. However I've managed so far - mainly as all the windows are open!

Someone upthread was on about hot cars on entry. I'm taking it you do the 'unlock car, open all the doors and the boot and stand by and wait for ten minutes' thing? This dissipates the worst of the shit hot air in the car, and means the air con has a lot less work to do when we finally set off.

Taught me by an expat living in Southern France, rather a lot of years ago.

AlpacaLypse · 19/07/2016 23:44

Oh and also I'm not currently 34 weeks pregnant of course. I gave birth to dtds at 34 weeks and remember very clearly being the size of a small house.

Best wishes OP.

Aeroflotgirl · 19/07/2016 23:45

What a nasty man, how can he sit there and watch a heavily pregnant woman suffer, not only is that nasty, but narcissistic. MisrepresentAtion in the advert. I would find a different instructor, tgat would be a dealbreaker.

GabsAlot · 19/07/2016 23:59

sorry out of order and it doesnt use up that much of fuel like the scaremongers like to say

he shouldnt advertise as air con car if he doesnt want to use it-he doesnt sound very keen on u passing maybe he thinks if she fails i'll get more lessons

NCforPCN · 20/07/2016 00:01

Tell him you booked him because if the statement on the website about aircon. I would call his bosses and explain he likes to see a woman get unessessarily sweating and is endangering your health doing so.
Driving at speed, haven't they shown that aircon uses far less fuel than the drag created by open windows? And is cooler too and not noisy?
Phone him in the morning and ask why is the website inaccurate, you're willing to give him a fiver for the AC or you will cancel and let everyone know why. I know in an ideal world you shouldn't have to do this, but like you said you are on a deadline and need to pass.
He is a dick.

AnotherDayInParadiseLost · 20/07/2016 00:01

On his website? As part of his advertising? Forms parts of his terms and conditions and he needs to put it on.

Chippednailvarnishing · 20/07/2016 00:04

Call the company and ask for a different instructor. Make them reschedule other people because he's being so inconsiderate.

britbat23 · 20/07/2016 00:08

Air conditioning doesn't burn that much extra fuel, anyway; if you gave the instructor extra money for fuel it should be pence, not pounds!

This link is very instructive on the topic: www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/car-clinic-is-it-true-that-air-conditioning-wrecks-fuel-economy/

The key part is that a/c becomes much more fuel efficient once it has cooled the car down. So your instructor could be spending his days in air conditioned bliss for not much more money than it costs him to sit in a sweaty hot-box.

KayTee87 · 20/07/2016 00:10

He's a dick, tell him you can't continue without it on.

I'm almost 40 weeks and we went out for a 2 hour drive last night with the aircon cranked up to cool me down - it was bliss.

wasonthelist · 20/07/2016 00:24

Opening the windows increases fuel consumption.

Aircon can stop working if not used regularly. If he didn't want it, he should have got a car without it.

I think it's a godsend and wouldn't willingly have car without it now.

wasonthelist · 20/07/2016 00:25

Driving at speed, haven't they shown that aircon uses far less fuel than the drag created by open windows? And is cooler too and not noisy?

^This

OutToGetYou · 20/07/2016 00:27

No, you are not being unreasonable.
I am considering sleeping in my car with the engine running and aircon on. That might be a tad unreasonable. But no, you are not.

VimFuego101 · 20/07/2016 00:30

That's true wasonthelist. Wasn't it a top gear episode?

AyeAmarok · 20/07/2016 00:34

Tomorrow tell him you need it on, and you'll point all the blowers at you so he doesn't feel uncomfortable.

ManagersDilemma · 20/07/2016 02:32

LOL, this has just reminded me that I took my first driving test in 30+ degree heat and didn't know how to turn on the air con... It was roasting. The examiner asked to turn it on halfway through! Unsurprisingly, I failed that time.

Hope you get it sorted, OP - make the point that you don't feel you can continue unless the AC is on.

pasturesgreen · 20/07/2016 04:06

The mind boggles. What sort of bloody idiot willingly refuses to have the air conditioning on in this heatwave? Confused

Complain loudly!!

SomeDaysIDontGiveAMonkeys · 20/07/2016 04:09

He absolutely needs to switch on the AC!!! You are most definitely NBU.

OlennasWimple · 20/07/2016 04:20

This is ridiculous! Who doesn't use AC in their car??

DorotheaHomeAlone · 20/07/2016 05:09

Using the air con makes it easier to stall a diesel car. Could that be why? My first instructors car was diesel and I found the switch to practising I our petrol car really tough. When I told him he got me to do a bunch of Gill starts with the air con on and it was much more like starting a petrol car. He should have explained though if this was the reason.