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.

I think I've got an interactive dvd Gauchita, but thank you. It's a BSM one. I walk towards it, almost insert it in the computer, spy Pride and Prejudice next to it and watch that instead. I'm quite good at retaining information if I'm interested in it but the theory stuff just puts me to sleep. The book's next to me right now and I'm ignoring it.

I find reversing round a corner easy as I use my mirrors effectively. And I can see the road behind me. But reversing into a parking space I can't do because looking out the window as you're supposed to at the start of the manoeuvre, I can't see anything on the actual floor, can't see the lines or anything and staring into the middle distance isn't helping (and I daren't try and park between actual cars yet). If I could use just my mirrors it would be simple.

With roundabouts I've taken to assuming that nobody knows where they're going and if they've bothered to indicate they've probably done it wrong. My other bil failed his test first time for waiting too long at a roundabout. The first time he tried to go a lorry was indicating incorrectly and BIL had to do an emergency stop, then he waited too long because he was nervous of the same thing happening again.

Had a good lesson last night I think. Realised at one point I was actually chatting to dh whilst driving and had been for a while. Was shocked that I could manage a conversation whilst driving.

Thankyou for the link Sugar watched it 6 times!
Then, to make myself feel better, I watched this!
Good ol' Maureen, hope for us all!

ttalloo- I get distracted by things too!
I was doing a turn in the road, and grabbed my instructor to squeal " Look! Look a fox! It's looking over at us!" Too much time with DS.
I pushchair spot a bit too, and nose at other learners!

I've rebooked my theory test for 9.30 on Thursday 29 July!

It was supposed to be this Thursday but I have to give a presentation at work on Friday and need to prepare for it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I haven't revised enough , and am getting increasingly resentful of the fact that I need to know useless information about the right widget for towing caravans to stabilise them on motorways.

blackfly I nose at other learners too. And then stall.

Hi all!

SOH, no problem, glad you have a DVD, it makes things a bit more entertaining. I think what helped me is I didn't know I had to read books or codes , I literally did mock test after mock test after mock test. I can't blame you for having the book/highway code unopened next to you, having to read/memorise something we're barely interested in is not our idea of fun. What happened to your BIL in his first test is one of the things that scares me the most. I asked my instructor about bay parking and it turns out they don't test that here, only parallel parking.

Ttalloo, 29th July it is then Hope the presentation at work goes well.

Blackfly, at "look, a fox!" I'm trying to keep my eyes on the road after the swaying incident

Drloves, sugar, hi!

Has anyone looked into car insurance? I was shocked (to avoid using a swear word again) this evening when I tried getting some quotes and the cheapest one is £833 a year! That's reaaaaaally expensive, isn't it? How do they expect people to afford the learning process, the testing process and then paying such high fees I'll try and call some companies tomorrow to see if I can get any cheaper quotes.

Hope you're doing well, waves to all!

gauchia try asda car insurance ....it seems to be the cheapest at the moment ,(just 3rd party though).
WAS TRYING TO GET PUT ON DHs insurance yesterday as named (learner) driver ...his insurance people wont touch learners or people who have held a full licence for less than 2 years... .
That would be why its so cheep for dh then...
Im confused about that actually...they would insure someone who passed their test 2 years ago and who has never drove a car since , but wont insure a just passed who has drove loads ....who thought that one up? .muppets.
Anyway ,DH says he will buy me a car when i pass ( one of my own ).
...just need to focus and pass the damn test .
ITS TOMORROW -HELP !

Quick post!

Drloves, ALL the luck in the world for tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you. At what time is it? Thanks for the tip, I tried ASDA and it quoted me £300 more than the one I had found Oh well, I think I'll have to stick to the "cheapest" I found which was for £742

Sugar, glad to hear the mock test was good, despite the 3 faults. Now you know what you have to keep an eye on

DH bought me a car I'm extremely happy, of course, but soooooo scared at the same time!!!

Waves to all!

Thank you for the good luck messages , and the reminder to use the mirrors.
My test is at 11.45 . . cross fingers for me ? .
DRLOVES crosses fingers, legs aand eyes hoping for a miracle.

Gauchita , have you tried getting insurance as a named driver? Get someone who is over 25 to be the insurance policy holder ,(the older the better for this, parents ideal)
And get yourself put on as the named driver ...that way its loads cheaper.
It depends on your car as well. If you have insurance group one car (small engines up to 1.3 litres) its cheaper .
Insurance group 8 is the posh cars that are expensive to insure (big engines , flash looking).
Most peoples cars are somewhere in the middle.

Sugar - way to go ! you done good on the mock test keep it up !

SOH hows the theory learning going?
I didnt have a clue /couldnt be arsed with it until i discovered the DSA theory test game for the NINTENDO DS !
ITS A FECKING GAME ! you can even play parking , it helped me loads ....much more fun than pouring over the highway everynight.
I actualy passed the theory with nearly full marks on the questions and 78% on the hazard perception....shocked myself on that one.

Ooh good luck drloves, not that you need it, and you'll be all done by now!

Well done on the mock test Sugar, sounds like you're doing fab, feeling your annoyance at those corner reverses though! If only we could sign a disclaimer to say we'd never do it, and avoid it on the test!

Yay Gauchita, new car! No pressure then eh?

Wave to everyone else!

Just back from test centre ,...i failed again!

First thing i was asked to do was park in bay at test centre car park...had just done it perfect when i arrived there 5 mins before . TOTALLY MADE A DOGS ARSE OF IT !

Misjudged the starting point , and buggered it up didnt know how to fix it , as i usually did it ok.
.Had an undue hesitation , for not going out on roundabout quick enough

total 14 points including the serious parking failure .
Im getting worse . ... i failed last time with observation on roundabout (serious) and 8 points.
WTF????.
.

I still booked resit though ....if maureen can pass ...?

Ohhh drloves I'm sorry

Nothing will make you feel better right now I know.

Good for you though, booking your resit. Do you have long to wait?

D'you know what though, that undue hesitation thing really bobs me off. Surely it's sensible to wait until you're sure. Some silly beggars don't indicate and you need to check which way their wheels are facing before you throw yourself in the path of them. Actually a bit pissed off for you thinking about it!

Not which way their wheels are facing, bonnets.. y'know what I mean!

Blackfly , ive got 3rd of august , so its just over 2 weeks .... think you have to wait 10 days before your allowed to resit.
TEST FEE HAS JUMPED UP TO £75 ,ouch.

I know what you mean with the undue hesitation , last time i was apparently not waiting long enough ...This time i waited too long ...ARRRGGGH ! . I guess its the examiners opinion on the day that counts as well ,
.
oh well theres no point dwelling on it ...I will get it next time. .

£75! They kept that quiet didn't they?!
Oh I'm glad you don't have too long to wait -we'll be here rooting for you!

Thanks blackfly .
I had a wee cry , Dh phoned to see how i did , He set me off , saying it doesnt matter , id get it next time .

Oh, Drloves for you, and a bit angry on your behalf as well... this hesitation thing is sooooooooooooooo subjective, isn't it? They can fail you for going and not waiting and they can fail you for waiting what they think was too long. So bloody confusing and annoying. Glad you booked a resit and that you won't have to wait too long either. (small un-MN hug) Bless your DH, so sweet of him to say that.

Back later, lots of work, waves to all!

I'm in agreement with your DH drloves (he sounds lovely btw)
Just checked the fees, it rises to £75 for evenings and weekends-very unfair!

I seem to be making people nervous on the road. Someone shuffled their car away from me at a red light earlier, and last week, as I drove past a bus stop, an old lady about pressed her back up against the wall as I drove by- much to my instructors amusement!

Is anyone else making people uncomfortable, or is it just me?!

*slight over use of 'drove' there!

Did I mention that I drove around?!

Sugar , thanks for the info , i didnt know about "fronting" , i thought it was ok with the insurance thingy, why would they allow named drivers otherwise?
Does the owner of the car have to be the main driver /policy holder then?

DH will buy me a car ,that i will use to do school runs in for the 3 younger kids(teenagers high school is near by ,so they walk).
But as it will be smaller and use less petrol than his 7 seater, monster engine..he`ll probably use it too if he needs to go somewhere that doesnt require him to take most of the kids.
Would that be ok ?
Dont want to be doing anything dodgy...iykwim?

Havent read to the end but can I just say a masoove good luck to you all. I passed my test in febuary on the fourth attempt after 18 months of lessons, some situations still frighten me and ofren need to take 2 attempts at parking , but I am so glad I stuck with it. It is expensive and demoralising sometimes but it will all be worth it in the end. Good luck everybody