Learning to drive driving you mad?

[ShowOfHands]

So here it is, a learning to drive thread.

I think there are a few of us. I predict much swearing. Is it only me that goes one step forwards, only to go 8 steps backwards?

I'm SOH, have been learning for the grand total of a fortnight. DH is teaching me. My aim is to be driving by the end of September when dd is supposed to start nursery and they change the driving test again.

I live rurally (very rurally) and rely on dh for lifts everywhere. Even a supermarket trip is reliant upon him being home from work. And as he's a police officer, he's never home on time, works long hours and as a consequence, we're fairly isolated.

I am trying to focus on the new lease of life for us.

I don't have a provisional licence yet (still waiting for it) but live on private land with tracks of about 3 miles so am driving round a farm atm.

I'll kick off the swearing so there's no illusion of standing on ceremony. How the buggery feck do you look in 3 mirrors, one windscreen, at the speedometer and not cry all at the same time? Answers on a postcard.

liberty exit 2 usually is straight on. exit 3 usually is a right turn.

where is the roundabout ? is it on google maps?
ask your instructor , he/she would know .

Not if you cant see ...if you stop and put your handbreak on so you dont roll back.
You`d get marked as a serious fault i think , if you didnt stop.(a serious is a fail) .

ROUNDABOUT - YES .

I don't have an instructor! DH is teaching me. I just assume that as it has 5 exits that 2 and 3 are both straight on. Wondered if that was the right assumption.

Hello, didn't realise this thread was here, just wanted to say that I passed my test 18 mths ago, on the fifth attempt!!! I am 36 and had 2 very young children without driving, hope I am not being arsery, annoying or patronising but just wanted to wish you all luck and say hand on heart after the birth of my los passing my driving test is the biggest achievement of my life (actually dd2 birth was probably easier and as for the bloody expense of it!!

Ps Sometimes I still close my eyes on roundabouts and have never reversed into a car parking space

Can someone please tell me that it WON'T be awful not being able to drive when I have a baby. Looking at all the groups etc for afterwards and have realised it could be a real mission to get to any of them without being able to drive.

Starting to panic about it and realise that it's too late now to do anything about it!

Tell me I'll be ok?!

My dd is 3.4. I am only just learning. I live rurally. Obviously I didn't drive with a newborn either.

You'll be fine.

Plan in advance how you might get to and from things. Do you have a dh/dp with days off? Buses? Park and rides? Friends with children/babies? Family nearby?

My only small concern about not driving was that if dd was poorly I had no way of taking her to a dr. But I had good neighbours, cash for a taxi in a pot and the phone number for local taxi firms just in case. Never needed them thankfully.

wigglesrock, that's brilliant!

Hi, I've been lurking for a while.

I've been learning since May 09 .

First driving instructor v nice, however, just after I booked my test in March (yes, I know, was meant to be earlier but snow + waiting lists) he became ill and quit a week before my test.

Found new instructor and sat test anyway and failed. New instructor was not impressed by my driving and my confidence sunk. Sat test again in June and failed, my nerves were in bits.

I've got my test again next week and tbh I'm just sick of it. It's cost so much money and I wish I'd never started.

Wow! Lots of posts suddenly! I have to run but I mark my place for a catch-up later. Waves!

Oh, GothAnne, I'm sorry you're having such a horrible time with it. I don't like the sound of your new instructor, I'm afraid - he or she shouldn't have dented your confidence. I would bet that your confidence is the only problem - I bet your driving is fine! Very best of luck for next week - which day is it on and I will think about you?

Well done Wigglesrock, for not giving up! It's fantastic when the pass is under your belt and you think "thank goodness, I will never have to go through that again"

NoTea, don't worry - you will manage, honestly. I'm from the Western Isles originally and while I didn't have a baby when I was there, I did attempt to have a social life(!) and I didn't drive. It can be done, it's a bit of a faff sometimes but it can be done. Are you thinking about learning in the future? TBH I didn't bother too much when my DD was a baby, it's just now that she's 4 and I don't want to keep taking her to the same old places, that's why I learned to drive myself. You will be fine!

Liberty, hello! Good luck with the learning. I think Droves is right - your 3rd and 4th exits would both be 'right turns', your 2nd would be straight on and your 1st would be left. That's how I would do it I think. And your mini roundabout, yes, you shouldn't get into trouble for that

I drove to the delivery office to pick up a parcel this morning. It's not that far away but of course I've never driven there before...I had to pull in at one point and get the iphone out to figure out where I was going. I need a SatNav, I think!

Hope all is going well with everybody. I am dying to jump in the car and drive somewhere, and I am in the house on my own, DD not back from childminder until 5pm, DH away until Friday night...I am having to absolutely FORCE myself to do some housework as the place is a mess. What a waste of time, having to do housework when you're off work for a week - suppose that's what I get for letting it get this untidy!

Hi all!

I'll try and catch up now

Liberty, so nice to hear from you again. Sorry to hear your grandma was poorly but glad she's a bit better now. I second what the others have said with regards to the roundabout exits. I'll ask my instructor about the uphill junction, as I'm not sure, I think you can "peep and creep" but I know the rule is "if you can't see, you can't go" Oh, congratulations on the house!

Nyx, I'm awful with directions and finding my way around, especially as I live in a town and I'm surrounded by country roads, so I think I'll get a SatNav once I pass You lucky lady, tidy up a bit but try and enjoy your free time as well, maybe go for a drive or take a nap

Notea, I think it's doable, it depends on how you feel. Can you drive "privately" at all (with DH/DP or friends/relatives) given your budget is a bit tight for lessons at the moment?

Droves, how's the car? Are you used to it already? I'm struggling with the clutch in mine It's toooooo high up and it has such a small engine it feels like a lawnmower engine I have a two hour lesson/mock test this Friday.

GothAnne, sorry to hear your new instructor didn't help you build up your confidence. YOU CAN DO IT, remember that. Have you got any lessons this week or next before the test?

Wigglesrock, congratulations! I can only imagine the freedom you must feel now!

Sorry if I missed anyone, time's up now, unfortunately. I must get lunch ready!

Very little driving these days, too much work! My test is now too close for comfort!

Ooooh, Catpower, sorry for forgetting you there! I meant to say - how did your theory go??? 8.30am is a ridiculous time in the morning to have to face that, surely?! Hope it went well

Thanks Gauchita - I've talked myself into not doing much housework today, as I can do it all tomorrow I am off out to drive for a while. I don't often have a chance like this!

Hey all!

I passed my theory test, woohoo! It was a total scrape of a pass for the multiple choice, but I got 65 out of 75 for the hazard perception part which I'm thrilled with, I really thought I'd struggle.

I've booked my practical test for the 7th October - hopefully that'll give me enough time to brush up on everything. I need to find a new instructor too, so I can book lessons to get my manouevers etc sorted. Fun and games.

Yay Cat!!! Well done you!!

Nyx, have a nice drive around!

Hooray CatPower! Well done - isn't it a relief to get that out of the way?

Good luck with your lessons - I have no doubt you'll be fine, as you can drive already can't you? It's just for the 'formal' bits and pieces. Let us know how you get on - October's not too far away

CatPower, did they mention anything to you about the new element?

Nope, no mention about the new part of the test but I booked it online, so hopefully there will be something about it in the paperwork. I'll have a google around as well.

Thanks Gauchita. I've got 2 x 2hr lessons and 1x 1hr lesson, so plenty of practice. Fingers crossed.

Thanks Gauchita. I've got 2 x 2hr lessons and 1x 1hr lesson, so plenty of practice. Fingers crossed.

I get roundabouts, I absolutely do. I like them and enjoy them even. The ones with 4 exits.

It's just this particular one where there are 5 exits. I know exit 1 is left, exit 4 is right (I'm exit 5), but do you treat 2 and 3 as straight on? The fact that you have now mentioned a 12 o'clock point means that it's possible 2 is straight on (it isn't technically, it's left) and 3 and 4 are both right.

I'm going to get this roundabout on my test. I just don't want to balls it up.

I am fairly sure that 2 is straight on - if you were to indicate left as you approached that roundabout, folk would assume you were taking the 1st exit. If you indicate right as you approach, then do your indicating left as you pass the 2nd, folk will know you're exiting at the 3rd. So I do think that 3 and 4 are 'right'.

It sounds horrible!

Gauchita, do you like 2 hour lessons? I hated them! One hour was quite enough for me (and I was still clock watching).

Oh yes, 2 is definitely straight on. I know. But it's geographically left, that's all I meant! 3 is straight on geographically but I think it's right for the purpose of indicators.

It's a fricking awful roundabout. As I said, heartbreak roundabout it's called round these here parts. It's effectively 5 main routes out of the city but the roundabout is small, has no lights, no lanes on approach and no road markings. And it's that busy that you can't wait for a normal sort of gap, you have to drive very aggressively to get onto it. Or you can sit there all day. You're screwed either way basically. It's where you fail. My dh, both BILs, SIL and 3 friends have all failed tests on that roundabout. It's impossible.

Hi all, wow thread is really getting busy now .

Hello to all i've not seen before. NYX congratulations on passing, and well done for getting used to your new car!

Catpower, we have our test on the same day! Goodluck and i'll be thinking of you

Well here is a little follow up on my crazy ex- instructor. Rsng office to officially cancel lessons (had been putting it off, because i wanted to try and find the right words), anyway after i spoke to office not going into much detail. I just explained i didn't think i was making any real progress with him, and he refused to give me any indication of how many hours i would need.

About half an hour later, my house phone rings, when i answered a very angry voice demanded to know why i had cancelled the remaining lessons, as it was ds1 (asd) was having a meltdown. So i snapped and said i am busy and hung up. A few hours later i got a text again asking my why i cancelled my lessons, i didn't reply. I am expecting a call from the local office when they ring i will inform them of his unreasonable behaviour.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Heart, what a tosser your ex-instructor sounds. If I were you I'd be straight on the phone to the office again and tell them that he's harrassing you on the phone and please could they call him off

Liberty, have you thought about booking a test in a different area...! Or try to get a test at a quieter time of day so it's perhaps not so horribly busy. I'd despair if my test had had something like that. Perhaps you should drive on and off it 20 times a day until your test - perhaps familiarity will make you feel better about it.

Blimey thread has moved fast the last couple of days!

Great to see you back Liberty, and sounds like things are going well in the driving department. And congratulations on the house!
Sorry your grandma has not been well though.

Hello Heart! Glad you have a test booked now ( your ex instructor sounds a total tosser- wonder if you'd be able to get a partial refund fom the company?)

Hello Catpower! Congrats on your theory- it feels weird to not have to practice anymore doesn't it?!

Hello Gothanne! Good luck for your test, we'll be here wishing you well!

And Hello Notea! You'll be fine not driving with a baby (mine are 11 and 3, only learning now because next year they will be at schools in 2 different villages!) It would be a big help for you though, so if you're due october, maybe give yourself 6 months and start? Depending on the amount of sleep you get I suppose

Hello everyone else hope alls going well!