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.

Bloody hell, just spent last 2 hours reading all these! Great to read everyones nervous posts thinking that they cant pass and then later down the thread seeing they passed.

Gives me a bit more confidence.

Anyway started lessons in May a few months after having my third child. I had about 15 hours of lessons 12 years ago when I was 24, but I stopped them due to lack of money.

Anyway have had about 50 hours and plenty of private practice as I have bought my own 05 plate citroen xsara picasso, brilliant family car!

I had my mock test last week and got 2 serious and 9 minors!

My actual test is this weds 9th feb......shitting myself is not the word!! Feel like I am ready but it sometimes confuses me at certain junctions?

There is a junction right next to the test centre, I drove there the other day, went into the filter lane to turn right and the oncoming traffic would not let me through, and then by the time a gap became clear, the traffic coming from the road I was turning into on my right, their lights turned to green and mine had gone back to red, despite me being past the lights slightly waiting in the filter lane. Now do I go there when theres a gap even though the traffic from the right is now on green and my lights have gone back to red? If you get me?

I dont want to do really well and then fluff it up at the end just before I get back to the test centre if thats the way they take me?

Booked it for 10.14am.......thought it was best possible time really, early morning traffic cleared but not so late in the day that I am sat getting increasingly nervous about the oncoming test!!

good luck for tomorrow :):)

I've no idea about the turning right thing. Will you have time to talk to your instructor before the test tomorrow?

I've spoken to my instructor and she said I need to be out of the way really so I should go but I went there earlier with my sister and I can see a way round it now that I couldnt see before. You have a filter lane to turn right but rather than going way beyond the lights and putting yourself exactly opposite where you need to turn right, a car in front showed me exactly how it should be done, he slowly edged forward once the lights changed to green but not so he was beyond the central reservation so that if he was still waiting when it changed back to red, he was in a safe enough place to stay there a while whilst waiting for a safe time to go, so I know what to do now.

I am surprisingly calm considering its tomorrow morning, this time last week I was a bag of nerves just thinking about it but I've been taking Kalms, and I feel like its working, I feel ok about it tomorrow at the moment!

Thats not to say once I wake up I wont be shitting myself but fingers crossed I will feel ok.

My sister said today that I drive better than she did on the day she passed her test so thats made me a little better.

I shall post my result whether it be a pass or a fail sometime tomorrow.

Good luck happy! I've got my test two weeks on Friday and scared. Keep making silly mistakes when driving and still a bit hesitant at roundabouts because I don't trust the other drivers. Oh well.

Fingers crossed that happy has passed!

I just had lesson number 4 - a day early as my instructor is taking his car into the garage tomorrow. It probably needs even more doing now, I was practicing clutch control moves and it was making an odd burning smell! :o

I thinbk I'm getting better - I'm steering OK without even having to think about it now, and I've finally mastered putting the handbrake on without looking at it!
I just need to make sure I don't go into 3rd instead of 1st when I'm approaching junctions...

I get to turn RIGHT next week, so I can drive somewhere else and stop going round in circles!

well done rubydoobydoo, you're making progress!!! Iggly keep us updated, i'm sure you'll be fine!!Hoping Happy has passed too, let us know!!!

no I failed.... see here so I dont have to explain it again!!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1144854-so-sick-of-driving-lessons

thoroughly fed up of learning to drive now, I love driving but am sick of all the learning to get it bang on what they expect when it reality no one drives like that, even though they probably should, they dont!

sorry if the link didnt work....forgotten how to do them!

oh happy I'm sorry :( at least it's not too long to wait for the next test

Its a horrible experience. I was less nervous this time last year when I had a section with my youngest.....told the examiner that, he just stared at me as though to say "bloody women"!!!

oh you got a grumpy one! I understand totally, at least with a section you get a lovely baby to cuddle at the end :)

I hope next time you get a nice examiner :) my test is booked for march 17th and I am not looking forward to it. I've had a lesson this afternoon and my examiner has said we're doing our first mock test next week

Its so stressful isnt it, when you're learning to drive, its constantly on my mind! I cant wait for it all to be over!

aww happy i really feel for you, some examiners are assholes!!! At least you have a test rebooked!! I know what you mean about driving perfectly, it is annoying but it will help you out when you pass i promise, though you will get bad habits :)

Bumpy, its not long now, don't worry about those mock tests, my examiner said hardly anyone ever passed them but then do go on to past their test, cause they make them must stricter incase you get a mean examiner and so you find the test easier!!
I passed my mock with 6 minors, and then went onto pass test so dont worry!!

well I know he'll ask me to do the reverse parking into a bay cos I find that impossible that and an emergency stop as I hate those!

I cannot reverse round corners!! I was absolutely convinced I'd get this, but I got turn in the road!
Tip for bay park, line up your inside passenger door handle with one of the lines of a couple of bays in front while your straight and as you are reversing back, then full lock wheel and reverse, you'll come into the third bay :) then straighten wheel once your coming in straight and like magic you're in! Also put mirrors down so you can see the lines to double check your in, remember just to glance tho

I was about to say that I couldn't understand why you can't reverse around the corner if you can reverse bay park. Then I realised I'm the same but the other way round - I can do the reverse round a corner

I'm fine at the start of the manoeuvre (sp?), I know when to start turning in, like you said for the third bay I just don't seem to end up in the right place then it needs adjusting and my brain just melts

I'm sure I'll get it eventually, just need more practise.

i hate the corner, its the corner that gets me, reversing into a bay however same but no corner to catch me out
as you start to get into the space, take a quick glance to the front to see how straight you are, and just take some steering off to rectify

ah but corners are your friend! you'd never be able to get anywhere is there were no corners just straight lines

if I eventually pass my test I know I'll be fine not being able to bay park. Tesco deliver and I wanted to drive so I could go to Aldi and not have to carry it all home. Well it's the Aldi car park we've been practising in and there are LOADS of free spaces! I've got his mental image now of my instructor taking his other pupils there and seeing my car parked diagonally across three bays and shaking his head in despair knowing it was me!

HOW do I reverse around a corner?! I fluff it most times then try and correct it and steer the wrong way. GAH (just had a lesson).

reversing around the corner is not an easy task, i hate it!! I will literally NEVER reverse round i corner i can tell you that now!:)I think it's like algebra you never need it after you leave school in the two weeks since i've had my car and passed my test i have never once reversed or needed to reverse round a damn corner

Hi.had my test 2day and i passed with 5 minors..im still shaking lol.thought i had failed when i done the turn in the road n touched the kerb.i hit the accelerator instead of the brake..legs were shaking like anything.couldnt believe it when he said i passed..was crying like a baby lol.im glad its all over now.this learning to drive has been the hardest thing iv ever had to do in my 37yrs.i had bout 55 lessons,1 failed test and being skint just glad its all over now.now im dreading going in the car and driving myself without someone telling me what to do or where to go.

Congratulations missy!!!!! That's brilliant!

well done missy :):):):):)

well done missy ......soooooo jealous

congratulations missy!!!!!! wooooo!! Happy and becky are next :)

thanx every-one .good luck IGGLY for your test and HAPPY im sure u will pass yours next time now u know whats expected of you next time.xx