Driving

[mrpyro]

Over recent weeks I've been getting interested in the idea of actually learning to drive. As a result of my incessant pestering of boobook while she's been driving to explain how it all works, she dragged me out to the Sheffield Arena carpark on Sunday afternoon and gave me the wheel

Comments

[elvenstranger04]

do it its good fun!

If you want an instructor I have a friend that teaches, you may find him annoying (a few of my friends do) but if you want I'll ask and see if I can get a good price for you!

[mrpyro]

I'm going to wait a while (for money reasons), but that sounds cool. I may well take you up on it.

[_joss]

Ah, I always imagined you driving something more like this:

[mrpyro]

I've often considered taking motorbike lessons; actually one of the main things that turned me against it was doing the quad-biking for Andy's stag event, which I really didn't enjoy.

Also, being able to drive means that we can do long distance driving more easily by swapping drivers halfway, so it's a bit more practical, although not nearly as cool.

[edy_]

Sounds like it went well. Fingers crossed for when the lessons start.

[mrpyro]

It was OK. My main bad point was that I kept forgetting to put the handbrake on after stopping.

I also don't know how I'll handle going at proper speeds, given that I was terrified at going more than about 6mph.

[dave_chimaera]

my advice would be to go with Jo again a few more times - it'll make the initial process of learning with an instructor much more painless...

(I speak from experience - My dad took me to a car park to tootle around in maybe a half-dozen times before I was 17 and started learning formally - by the first lesson I already had basic car control down (shifting, accelerating, braking, turning, reversing and so on) so I could focus a lot more on the why then the how - made the *actual* learning process trivial.

Other big poing to remember - when you learn you will make mistakes and (if you're anything like me) will feel like a complete tool more than once - just remember we all went through it.

Oh and the best advice I ever got from my instructor:

Expect idiocy from other road users and you'll rarely be disappointed.

Anyway, if I can help at all (even if you just want to try driving a different car or something) give me a shout, sure we can sort something out :)

[mrpyro]

Assuming Jo will let me drive around in her real car, instead of the courtesy car she's had for the last week, I intend to (one of the reasons we went this weekend was, in her words "if you're going to stall a lot, I don't want you doing it in my car").

[boobook]

I'm using lj because I couldn't remember your email address from school - try looking up "Mandale House" in the Peak District. It is near Lathkilldale and is the campsite John was talking about. Sounds good...?
See you later
love Jo
xxx