Should I be worried?

[enigma]

I was just looking over my driving record and reflecting on how I thought that my driving lessons were going when a thought suddenly occurred to me ....... I think that I scare the crap out of my driving instructor! I have noticed more and more that when I am out on my lesson, he has one hand on the clip for his seatbelt and another on the handle of the door. It is starting to irritate me now because i'm not THAT bad a driver and I sometimes feel tempted to say to him' Do you want to jump now or later?' Has anyone else had a similar experience or do you think that I scare the man so much that he's getting ready to bail on me?

[dot.hawkes]

As long as he doesn't keep his hand on the ripchord of his parachute i think you will be ok

[sleepy1]

just look at the colour of the seat when he gets out the car next

[ummmm]

I wouldn't worry. I'm the same as a passenger with people that have been driving for years. I'm always putting my foot down to break even though I'm not driving.

[enigma]

Lol ! Not sure about a ripchord Dot but he may have an ejector seat fitted too. Just a rumour I heard mind ! Oh and I would check the seat Sleepy but he always waits a while until I am in my house before he gets out to climb back in the drivers' seat. This may be due to the following possibilities:

1 He's paralysed with fear and needs a few minutes to regain composure.

2 He has indeed left a sticky trail on the seat which he doesn't want me to see.

Seriously though, it's bugging me. I mean you can imagine how I feel when i'm driving along thinking that i'm doing great and he's clinging on for dear life. I'm not that bad , I swear and i'm certainly not as bad as my sis who not only took her eyes off the road but actually turned around in the car to wave to my brother when she passed him in the street ! Now THAT'S bad !!!

I hear what you're saying ummm but clinging on for dear life? Mind you, it's a step up from my early days when he not only clung on but puffed his inhaler too ........ well , twice actually but i'm a lot better since then. He threw a right strop a few weeks back when I stalled at a very busy junction. Obviously it was a pain in the backside for everyone stuck behind me but I just had an off day and he went daft and sat with his head thrown in his hands muttering at me and gesturing to the guy at the back , apologising for me. Maybe i'm just not cut out to be a driver.

[dot.hawkes]

well some men just crave the attention, that is why they take up being a driving instructor i think

[enigma]

Too true Dot , excellent point.

[laurence2]

can't blame the instructor.

This is the effect ''women drivers'' have on us men!

[warpig3]

enigma, I would get a new instrustor. I am currently learning to drive to and if my instructor behaved the way yours did when you stalled at a junction I would be very angry, you are learning to drive and these things happen, him throwing a tantrum will not help your confidence or the situation, sounds like a bit of a kn0b to me!

[DC_FC]

To be honest with you if hes a good instructor he should tell you if are a good driver,

[warpig3]

mdoo and the instructor should instill confidence in the learner.

[enigma]

What a ridiculous statement to make mdoo98 ! Firstly, in answer to your question about who holds the licence when I am out on my lesson, well actually we BOTH do. He holds a full current driving licence and I hold a provisional licence, otherwise I wouldn't be allowed to learn to drive. Secondly, I HAVE to hold on to the steering wheel or we would both be in trouble. This is a mandatory requirement of any driver - learner or not - however it is not a prequisite for a passenger to hold onto anything because the driver does. Not really sure where you are going with that to be honest. Furthermore, my FULL attention is on the road actually. I do have ears though and can hear him clutching at the seatbelt clip and as I stop at junctions or park up, I observe him holding onto the door and seatbelt clip. Where exactly did I say that I had taken my eyes off the road? Not quite sure why you would have presumed that. I did say that I personally felt that this was unwarranted as my driving isn't that bad and I can assure you that I most certainly NEVER take my eyes of the road. I have children and want to be a responsible driver as if and when I pass my test, I will be carrying the three most precious people to me in the back of my car.


Finally, in order for the driving pupil to instill confidence in the instructor, the instructor has to instill confidence in the pupil by placing faith in them, instead of acting like a nervous wreck and throwing a strop when they make a mistake. Hardly bodes well for the future in preparing them for their test, does it?

[enigma]

Lol Laurence but isn't it correct that statistically speaking, women cause LESS accidents than men? Mind you, I said that to my dad and he argued that this was correct ........ because men were getting caught up in accidents by trying to avoid silly things which women do on the road ! From what I have observed both as a learner driver and a passenger, I would beg to differ :-)

Warpig, in all fairness he is actually a really nice guy and he does chat away to me - a bit TOO much though sometimes which annoys me occasionally. He doesn't throw a strop very often but when he does, it bugs me because mistakes happen when you are learning , that's why I don't have a full licence yet because I am not ready for my test but I feel that any good instructor should make allowances for that. How are your lessons going?

DC_FC he does tell me when I am doing well a lot of the time but I sometimes feel that if he has had a rotten day, then it is reflected in my lesson sometimes. When I am driving at say 50 mph , he tends to get nervy because I hear him shuffling about which I find really off putting. It's not as if I am weaving in and out of traffic or plummeting out of control - I keep the car steady and he knows that my steering is good but it seems that he personally feels uncomfortable when I am travelling at this speed. I haven't done anything silly but it may be that he is conscious that we are travelling on narrow windy roads and I AM a learner. I'm not stupid though, I do break my speed down on approach at bends etc so I wish he would credit me with having common sense. I just feel that he is quick enough to highlight any errors I make but not so quick to praise my good efforts too.


Thank you to everyone who answered my question, your input is much appreciated x

[warpig3]

enigma, they are going ok, i guess. It just takes practice and patience but I am getting there.

[warpig3]

mdoo you were doing your test, enigma is only learning, that is the difference! Yes, in an exam environment you should show confidence and capability but this only comes with time when you are learning and has to be gained through experience hence the need for lessons.

[chicklin]

I'd just say what you suggested in your question!

I'll say anything for a laugh, and he may not have even realised that he's doing that till you point it out! lol!