Driving lessons and air con aibu?

[kiki22]

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.

Tell him you expect to be able to use the AC that is advertised. Don't offer more money.

You must not take no for an answer. It's all right and mighty fine until your hands slip on the steering wheel or you faint, or have a pregnancy related emergency thanks to the heat.

What a prick you are dealing with. Does he think women have no business driving? There are still neanderthals like that around. Some are driving school teachers.

If you have a chance to post a review on his site or any review site, post one with details.

I live in a region where heat and humidity are problems in summer. AC isn't a drag on engine performance if a car is properly maintained, tyres are inflated, oil is changed regularly, etc. All else being equal, we are talking about an infinitesimal difference in performance due to AC but a 100% difference in terms of comfort.

Can you not just turn it on?

I'm currently in pain with a sore throat due to the air con in my office.
It could be that he gets ill having it on all the time for lessons.
I'm not agreeing with him, I think your pregnancy comfort should come first on this occasion, but it could be the reason he doesn't use it?

I would just say calmly at the beginning of the lesson "I appreciate you don't usually use the air conditioning but I'm going to need it on today."

If he refuses / argues / claims it isn't working, then I'd say "Then unfortunately I'm going to have to cancel my remaining lessons and I'll need a full refund for the outstanding amount. The fact that air conditioning in your cars was advertised was a key reason in my selecting you, as I knew it was likely I'd need to use it."

Very calm, very measured but making it clear that his only two choices are switch on the aircon or refund you for the rest of your intensive course.

If the website says air conditioned cars then you are not getting the service you are paying for and should ask for a discount of at least 25% on all lessons past and future that have fallen short of this.

It's true that if he doesn't use it habitually it make not function without being fully serviced.

If so, then it should not be on the website as an option

Having the A.C. on doesn't effect a diesel car! These comments about performance sound like the mutterings of the older generation when A.C. was first introduced. The driving instructor sounds like an old fogey! During your lesson YOU are in charge of the car. Simply get in and turn the A.C. on! AC makes no difference to my fuel bill winter or summer... so absutely do not offer money. He advertised AC cars, so he should provide it. Don't stand for this crap OP. Good luck with your test.

Using the air con makes it easier to stall a diesel car.

I think you had a fault with your car!

Aircon just dries you out and is a waste of time. Honestly who uses air con when you can have fresh air. Open windows are better. If no open windows or air con on yanbu.

What a load of bollocks londonrach. If the air outside is 30 degrees, it's not terribly refreshing

Why would you refund an hour's lesson which is ££££ rather than spend a few pence on aircon? Doesn't make sense. There's more to it than that, has to be.

3 years ago I was 36 weeks pregnant and it was the hottest summer temperatures for 7 years. I would use my car in an emergency only. If I was in it for 5 minutes it would take me 2 hours to get over it. I'd be drenched and bright red with the heat. This is what I was thinking about when I first replied to the op. It's a different kind of hell. Even though I'm not pregnant now, I won't take my car out in the afternoon in this heat. Opening the window does not cut it!

london usually I agree re aircon - sometimes in the office I wonder what the point is when I'd much rather open a window. When it's 28 degrees outside, 80 percent humidity and no breeze at all then I can see the point in air con!

It's been 25 in my bedroom all night and I've had next to no sleep it's miserable when you're heavily pregnant with no way of cooling down.

??

How old is his car? Air con needs to re-gassed so if he hasn't it might be a bit feeble. It can also smell a bit funny if it's not used often.

I'd definitely tell him you're concerned about the heat today and your ability to perform in heat. Tell him you want it on.

Some of the responses on here are hysterical.

**If he doesn't use the air conditioning then he probably doesn't have it filled up and ready to work. We don't bother about filling it up as we decided we wouldn't use it.
If you offer to pay for it to be filled up then that's reasonable.

Ummmm... What's that now?

I'd say that when driving/doing manoeuvres in a busy built up area it's important to always have the window open at least a little bit as you will often hear other road users and even pedestrians before seeing them. So I can sort of see where the instructor is coming from as having the window open renders the air con all but useless.

Kay..also very pregnant here at mo and hating this weather but coping with windows open. I just find air con dries out month and eyes. However he should have either had windows open or air con on as the weather is too hot at the moment. Can you rebook with someone else.

Let him know this morning that you want the air con on before he comes to the lesson.
He is being unreasonable. Your pregnant he should have offered.

Apparantly having the windows open in a car also uses extra fuel as the car isn't as aerodynamic. I did see on a tv programme once that using air con wasn't much less efficient than having windows open from a fuel consumption point of view. So I use mine more now since seeing that.

In any event, what any of us think about air cub is neither here nor there. The OP booked lessons with a company that advertised air conditioned cars. That's not what she's getting.

I was also wondering what filling up the air con was all about

And the air con causing stalling!

Oh OP YANBU

I actually could cry for you imagining how hot you must be

Good luck getting it sorted and with your test

I had five different instructors and they all refused to use their air con. It's really stingy.

lyn was going to ignore your comments. What i said is correct for me. In your case sounds like it doesnt effect you. It dries out eyes and mouth and makes me feel very confortable as i find i cant breath. Fresh air in my situation works best. Even in florida i found air con a con and prefered heat to air con. I totally understand that some people find it works and op is entitled to have air con on if she needs in the car.