To be annoyed/upset with driving instructor

[Mamapig1985]

Posting her for traffic (pardon the pun!)

Been learning for 11 months and test is booked for 3 weeks time. It’s been a long difficult journey as I suffer with anxiety so confidence has been the biggest hurdle. There’s also a lot going in with work/family/pregnancy although I won’t go into detail as that could be ‘outing’.

Had a 2 hour lesson today and instructor abandoned a mock half way through because I made a mistake at a set of traffic lights (essentially shit positioning meaning I had to go straight on rather than turn right as she had instructed me to do). At no point was I a danger to other drivers and didnt panic. She stopped the mock got me to pull over and basically said I’d gone to pieces (which afterwards I pretty much did due to being pissed off!)...ignoring the bloody inch perfect parallel park I’d done minutes before! 😡. At the end of the lesson she said I’m just not ready and is now pushing me to take more lessons before my test. I don’t know what to think. Maybe I am genuinely as bad as she suggested today (says I’ve got worse over the last few weeks) or maybe it’s a ploy to get me to spend more money?

Feel like I’ll never be ready and confidence shot to pieces after today!

Any advice much appreciated. If I don’t take my test in 3 weeks (which she won’t let me do in her car unless she thinks I’m ready), then will potentially have to wait till after baby is born as I’m 6 months and there’s a 3 month wait for tests currently at my test centre.

TIA

I would complete the 8 hours, but take another few lessons with a new instructor. Find the new instructor soon. I think just having another opinion will give you a boost.

The new instructor may be happy to do your test with you.

I would complete the 8 hours, but take another few lessons with a new instructor. Find the new instructor soon. I think just having another opinion will give you a boost.

The new instructor may be happy to do your test with you.

Test is booked in your name not hers.

You can take test in any car. So long as insured obviously.

Would you be having 8 lessons in the next few weeks anyways?

As surely she would have to refund you anyways. So worth an ask?

Change instructor. That's not the best way to approach your shortcomings. It took me a few driving instructors to find my right one.

Look at it this way: the money you have paid out for the remaining 8 hours is already gone. Your not very helpful instructor wants you to spend more still, with her. I would say it's worth booking other lessons now with a different instructor (because if you do it her way, you'll still be paying out more, just to her) with the aim of taking your test on the planned date in their car, or your own.

I would email your current instructor, tell her how you feel about today's lesson and let her know that your plan is to take your test on the agreed date, and if she doesn't want to support that, fine, you'll look for another car to take the test in. See how she reacts to that losing your custom

Unfortunately can’t take the test in our car as DH needs it for work and is unable to get the time off to take me. No other family members around either.

My next lesson is booked for Tuesday next week so will see how that goes and if it is same/similar I’ll have to confront her on it and tell her I don’t want to continue with her. It just seems such a shame to have come so far...I don’t like to think badly of people or that someone would take me for a ride in terms of money but maybe that is what’s happening and I’ve been a bit naive

Sorry...aswell for those who asked she is part of a well known Driving school which operates nationwide. I think I need to look to a local one with recommendations

Most instructors if you call and ask for driving assessment will be glad to do it for you. It means you may land up going with them.

Without the instructor i have i dont think id be as confident as i am and he encourages me to go out and practice in dh's car.

Im due a baby in 13 days so have had to stop lessons for now until recovered from c section and hes been great the whole way threw if ive had to go to hospital last minute etc

If you’ve prepaid for a nationwide company can you ask to transfer your credit to another one of their drivers? Certainly with bsm I paid them direct. If you explain your concerns they might help. I’m sure they’d rather keep you as a customer

But yeah get rid of her. She sounds a nightmare. You need someone you can trust

@aaaaargghhhhelpme I pay my instructor direct so not sure if that would work 😕. Think I’ll have to suck it up and use the remaining 8 hours...take my test if she will let me use her car and then change instructors if I fail. Feels like so much money down the drain tbh ☹️

I'm sorry if this has already been said (I haven't RTFT) but my instructor assured me you can't be failed for turning the wrong way as long as you're safe about the way you do it. He said the examiner might need you to follow the roads back round to the same junction so you can turn the right way but you can't be failed for it.

I would recommend only taking the test when you feel ready. Ignore what the instructor says - do it when you feel ready and confident. My instructor was the other way around and suggested I try my luck and take the test earlier, but as I have a baby I wanted to be 100% ready. There is no point being on the road with a screaming baby in the back if I only passed the test by luck - I wanted to be really confident in my abilities, and the extra 10 hours or so of practice really made a difference. It doesn't matter how long you have been learning, everyone goes at their own pace. Also definitely get another instructor, even on a trial basis. I had to use another one whilst my instructor was on holiday and it was a very helpful experience.

You can get short notice tests through cancellation apps so don't worry about the test date. I got a test date on the Sunday for the following Thursday. It costs to use this service but worth it in my view - it was £17.95 which is less than the cost of an hour's lesson.