So, on Saturday, I had my first driving lesson. I’ll be honest, I was excited, but horrendously nervous. My workmate didn’t do anything to alleviate those fears by saying “You do realise you’re commanding a dangerous weapon.”.
Thanks.
Nevertheless, 10:30 arrived and I was picked up in a Volkswagen Golf Diesel to be driven to the first place to learn, which I assumed was a car park.
Oh no, I was wrong.
I was thrown in directly onto a road! Admiteddly it was a quiet road - the promenade in Colwyn Bay, and it was relatively quiet. Once we went through the controls and what they do, I was off. Just straight up and down the prom.
I know it probably shouldn’t be the first thought to go through my head when I was driving for the first time, but I couldn’t help but notice it was actually a really beautiful morning. I don’t know what was different, but it seemed like that. You know like you go somewhere with a girlfriend/boyfriend that you always go and it seems different? Kind of like that. My second thought was worse than my first: A Gran Tourismo track around here would be ace!
A couple of times up and down the prom, which really gained my confience. I only stalled the car twice on the straight and narrow, and I’m good at changing gear, I mean, seriously good. Ducks take to water with less enthusiasm and regularity than I did to changing gears.
We then went onto the next lesson, which was left turns (which are easier than right turns - took me a little while to work out why). This is where I began to struggle. At the moment, I’m rubbish at turning corners, and also pulling upto a junction. I put myself in completely the wrong place on the road when turning corners, and I seem to pull up a lot further away from the junction than I should. Stopping at a junction seems to scare me, and one time whilst stopping, I pulled out two quickly, stalled and rolled into the road I was going to pull into: pretty much the worst place to stall. After a couple of attempts to get it going, I limped uselessly to the side of the road. It was a scary moment.
The second scary moment was again, pulling up to a junction. I completely missed a car that was coming towards us. It seemingly appeared out of nowhere. I was stationary, and just about to go when I saw it. I wasn’t in any danger, just angry with myself at not seeing it.
Final scary moment was again going around the same course as I did last time. I bumped into a mate of mine as well driving (well, not literally bumped). He shook me up by honking me.
Thanks mate.
The hour was up and it was time to call it a day. People say to me “once you have one lesson, that’s it, you want more and more and more, and you’ll love it!”. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t grinning like a loon after the lesson, and I was a little weak in the knees. However, one thought did cross my mind as I waved goodbye to the instructor.
I want to go again. Now.
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Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay.
I like to go right sideways. I like to go left sideways too, but because of the way the differential turns you can’t get the inside wheel to spin… unless of course it’s wet, then it’ll spin no worries, but so does the outside wheel, which gives for a nice arse-kick sideways hehehe.
Scariest moment sideways: Travelling at 120 km/h (75 mph) along a dirt road, the corner I was turning into is banked, however the road had been recently graded, so the car pretty much drifted for a hundred yards or so until grip was returned and the car drove straight. Was bit of a thrill though… in a sick kinda way.
Good luck with the lessons. I’m in a similar position - I never bothered learning before leaving Wales, and I’ve been in London for since (no use learning to drive here). The one thing I did learn was getting the car out of our drive (a start on a hill, reversing UP the hill and out of the drive). I’m reliably informed this is one of the more challenging things to learn to do, yet it’s the *only* thing I could do. Driving the car forwards down a straight road I was useless. Go figure
Anyway, I’m moving back to Wales in June, so I’ll need to learn to drive sharpish if I want to get anywhere! I’m amazed you went this long not being able to drive.
A VW Golf as your instructors car?!? Wow, things really have changed - I’m sure we were all going around in Fiestas and Clios (I very much liked my instructor’s Fiesta, I’m not complaining).
I had loads of incidents like you’ve described whilst learning - the worst I think is when you’re at a crossroads pulling out. One time I didn’t realise someone opposite who was also trying to pull out (but I was very preoccupied trying to spot a break in the traffic myself). Had I not been stopped by my instructor (who let me nearly pull out then slammed on the handbrake to stop me - I assume he wanted to give me plenty of chance to notice, and failing that, a wake up call), we’d have both pulled out and hit each other.
These things happen while learning though, that’s why you have to have another driver in the car to also be on the lookout. Amazing how quickly it all becomes second nature though
Weird. Over the weekend I was involved in my first ever crash in 7 years of driving. Some boy racer crashed into me… for the first time in like 6 years I’m really scared of driving.
When I was learning, I stalled like 4 or 5 times (It was too intense to remember) in a row on a busy roundabout… my instructor was terrified.
Should have gone with BSM - they put you in a simulator - I already knew how to drive before I got into a real car - was awesome - started maneuvers almost immediately! I never stalled in my lessons! Well once but that was cos I moved the seat back forgetting I was on a hill and rolled off the clutch!!! LOL
mmm gear changing - love it! I was terrified of 4th! now I live in 5th!
“You do realise you’re commanding a dangerous weapon.” - what a way to put it :D. How nice of your friend to honk you, eh?
I can’t say I loved learning to drive or was eager either. Well done on getting past your first lesson :). Maybe you should convert to the intensive course since you’re enjoying it.
Just so everyone knows, there’s nothing wrong with a Fiesta! I’ve got a Fiesta ST and it goes like excrement off a shovel!
And Rhys, don’t worry mate. On my first drivers lesson I clipped an old lady crossing the road, did a brute of a wheelspin that literally took inches off the tire tread and the icing on the cake was when I parked up a little close to a bollard. And by that I mean I hit a bollard.
Ah to be young again!
Christian
So what’s the whole process for getting a license in Wales? In NZ you can start from 15, and sit a theory test for your Learners’, then pay $150 for the practical test to sit your Restricted (which means you can drive alone between 6am-10pm and not carry passengers who don’t have their Full license or are under 21 etc), then a year later you pay again, sit another test and get your Full license.
It used to be easier. I sat on my Restricted for about 7 years before getting my Full, mainly because I wanted to drive overseas.
You start driving at 17, from then you get a provisional. As you learn to drive you revise for your theory test, which you pass. Recently they’ve also introduced a Hazard Perception test (which, judging on Saturday’s escapades, I will walk!). You only upgrade to a full when you’ve passed your practical test.
Whole process can take over a year and is ridiculously expensive. Hopefully I aim to pass before that.
And then will you be applying for a job at Top Gear?
Hopefully!