Learning To Drive

[Keva]

Just had my first driving lesson. Had a two hour one as I knew it was gonna be mainly talking and I wanted to at least drive a bit.

He's a local instructor, name is Julllian and is very relaxed and is a good laugh.

The first hour or so was just going through the cars control's and teaching how it all works. Then came the proper stuff, moving and then stopping the car. Their was quiet alot to remember and isnt as easy as it looks. The "gas" (as he referred to it) was so bloody sensitive. Trying to find the "biting point" was nigh on impossable. Guess its 'cus im so heavy footed.

Seeing him again on Wednesday after work.

[drunkn_munky]

That's because you're in low gears. As soon as you get used to cruising around it higher gears it's not so sensitive. You just learn where the biting point is without thinking about it.

[super mike]

Good luck mate, welcome to the money pit called driving!

But it does get easier, a second nature, like riding a bike.

[B B Leo]

Seeing him again on Wednesday after work.

so did u ask him or he ask u for the date?????

[Little John]

Just to let you know every car is different as well. Even jumping in another car of the same model year etc it will be different so the best advice I can give is untill your driveing without thinking about ballenceing on the clutch etc then don't get behind the wheel of another car. Your driveing instructor will be able to tell you have done it as you will spend 30 minutes getting used to his car again.

[Keva]

Now you tell me Went in my Dads Ford Focus at the weekend. Was just driving it forwards then reversing back. Was still VERY sensitive though. Only had to rest my foot on it to go forward with some speed. Need to work on going slow :/

Am bricking it already about the test though.

[Keva]

Just got in from my second lesson. Went to a quite estate and just practiced starting and stopping. Trying to find the "biting point" is bloody hard still. He says you can hear it.. which you can I guess but its so soft that you hardly notice it.

Dont think ill ever get this driving malarkey

[callo]

get in ye dads car.... make sure its out of gear and the handbrake is on....... turn engine on and press clutch all the way in....
put gear lever into first......
now slowley release the clutch, very slowley....when you first feel the car trying to move forward, thats 1mm forward of the biting point.
practice it many times from the start, and your next lsson will be a breeze.
when you first learning, you might feel as though your left foot is shaking as your releasing the clutch, thats because your doing it a bit too slow, practice very slow at first, then speed up a bit and you will find your leg wont shake.

[crazyadi]

leg is shaking cos your shitting yourself!!
but he is right, and once you find the bite it becomes second, no first nature very very quickly!! dont worry you will get it a lot quicker than you feel you will!

just remeber when you pass drive safe and give due consideration to all road users, well except cyclists!!

crazy

[Freddy]

Have a few pints before the test to calm the nerves fella. I'm pretty sure drink driving doesn't count until you have a full license. Ahem.

[grint]

As per Freddy's post..."In Russia...car drives you".

[super mike]

Have a few pints before the test to calm the nerves fella. I'm pretty sure drink driving doesn't count until you have a full license. Ahem.

Or a joint.

[Freddy]

Or a joint.

That's a fucking ridiculous suggestion. Munching pringles and talking about the 6th dimension is a sure fire way to piss the examiner off. Bag of pork scratchings and chat about footy is the way I tell thee.

[Mobileman]

go out with a family member and drive in your socks practice in a super market car park etc, oh and dont wear fooking huge shoes or boots when in your lessons !!

its sounds mad but one of the best ways to feel what the car is doing my grand master
sensei schumaker taught me this 20 years ago when i was a little lad of ten. (ok it was my mam, i didnt have a grand master)

[super mike]

That's a fu(king ridiculous suggestion. Munching pringles and talking about the 6th dimension is a sure fire way to piss the examiner off. Bag of pork scratchings and chat about footy is the way I tell thee.

Not if you share it with them, 3 toke pass, drive past dominos and get a pizza then watch bits of This Is Spinal Tap that you've saved on your phone, whilst eating the mountain of chocolate you brought with you. Sure fire method.

Unless you get a woman, drive round the corner, GHB, nearest pub for a pint, come back to the car 30 minutes later and drive back into the car park with 0 minors. Jobs a goodun.

[grint]

Best thing to do, is don't worry about it...seem's complicated right now but thats the learning process in action. In five years you'll be cutting up freaks like it was your last dinner waiting for you at home.

Slightly different subject, but on the way home tonight, I thought about all the times the horn (and yeah its geeky, but the mechanics of the process ran through my mind at the same time, electricity and shit) saved my car from being a total write off, and I counted 4 since I had 'really' needed to use it. Point of the matter is, fucking idiots are all around us. Just be aware when you do pass.

[Keva]

Thanks for the tips guys, will be going out over he weekend to practise aswell as my lesson on Saturday. I know it takes some time to get used to it.. its a new skill after all.

Just thought id be better at it thats all

[Keva]

Third lesson today.

Went quite well. Im still stalling but less often. Need to work on my clutch control being more smoother.

Also need to work on my positioning on the road.

[Sanj[UK]]

i hated learning to drive.. cudnt stand it..i saw it as a waste of time but thank fuck i went through with it..the only problem is the test does not prepare you for how much it costs to run a car these days :@

[2die4]

Good luck with it mate. I couldn't wait to get my license when I was learning. One thing about learning to drive is as rewarding as it is it can also be frustrating as hell. At times one lesson will go brilliant. You will get everything right, gear changes will be smooth, clutch control will be perfect with no rolling back or stalling the engine and you feel real good about it. Come the next lesson it might be the complete opposite and you make mistakes that you know you shouldn't be since you did so well on the previous lesson. It's all part of the learning curve m8, hang on in there !!!

By the way what does it cost for a 1 hour lesson these days ? When I was 17 I used to pay £10 for a 1 hour driving lesson *L*