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>> No. 2981 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 1:03 am
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My first driving lesson tomorrow.

I'm really fucking nervous and scared, i'm an anxious person by nature but this has got me shaking. I feel like I'm going to fuck up big time. I have been in the driving seat before and I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility and power as I sat in a small quadrant of a speedy killing machine.

Holy fuck what's wrong with me, how can I combat these nerves? Any advice on what I can learn/watch beforehand to smoothly transition into the lesson? fuck i'm so pathetic.
Expand all images.
>> No. 2982 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 1:04 am
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>>2981
As long as the car has dual controls (they nearly all do when learning), there is absolutely nothing to be scared of.
>> No. 2983 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 1:09 am
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>how can I combat these nerves

Breathe in for four seconds. Breathe out for four seconds. Repeat indefinitely. It might sound daft but it calms you the fuck down.

Other than that, remember billions of people can drive. 50 odd million have passed the very same tests you will be doing. A great deal of them are morons - you likely know a few of them. If they can do it, why can't you?
>> No. 2984 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 1:11 am
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>>2981
Man I'm still struggling with clutch control, my instructor actually got pissed off at me and I felt terrible.

Good luck to you.
>> No. 2985 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 1:14 am
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>>2981
Just remember you'll never be as bad as Maureen from Driving School.

https://www.youtube.com/v/nZZNshjMA2A
>> No. 2986 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 2:41 am
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Play a bit of Mario Kart Racing, lad. It's the same principle.
>> No. 2987 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 9:44 am
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>>2986
I often thought Koopa Troopa Beach was eerily similar to the A26.
>> No. 2988 Anonymous
13th August 2014
Wednesday 10:43 am
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>>2984
My friend once told me his instructor explained what a clutch is and how it works, and it said it helped him. Knowing why you're pushing that pedal, what it actually controls may help. Have a check on youtube.
>> No. 3014 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 11:19 am
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Not OP, but thought I might as well use this thread. My theory test is today; but I've yet to take any actual lessons. Is this recommended or should I have done a few lessons first?
>> No. 3015 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 11:21 am
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>>3014
Why are you asking now?
>> No. 3016 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 11:23 am
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>>3014
Theory test is fine without taking lessons before, as long as you've read the highway code and have a decent grasp of it. Though certain things are easier to learn through practice rather than reading theory alone, particularly the hazard perception. Though if you've played a lot of video games, hazard perception is just like a really banal version of Dragon's Lair but much eaiser.
>> No. 3017 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 11:28 am
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>>3016
I um... acquired a copy of one of those PASS YOUR TEST software packages with all the practice questions and Haz Perception stuff in. It's the 2012 spec one but I don't imagine it's changed a whole lot since them. Some of the practice HP videos seemed wholly unfair; one of them requiring you to pick out a 4 pixel high (I measured it) grey cyclist on a grey background to get 5 points. Most are more obvious and clicking when you -think- one might approach is a good tactic too. Oh well, it's at 15:30 so I'll see how it goes.

I just wanted to get it out of the way so I just just work straight towards the practical.
>> No. 3018 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 12:28 pm
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>>3017

The hazard perception test is trivially easy if you have a solid understanding of the DSA's definition of a hazard. The vast majority of people who fail on the hazard perception are just guessing.

"A developing hazard is something that may result in you having to take some action, such as changing speed or direction."

A pedestrian isn't a hazard; A pedestrian looking to cross the road is a hazard. A vehicle in front isn't a hazard until the brake lights or indicators turn on. It's really quite simple if you keep the above definition in mind.

Of the fourteen clips, one will contain two hazards and the rest will contain only one hazard. You don't need to go clicking about like a maniac, and you won't get any marks for a clip if you click too often. Bear in mind that the pass mark is quite generous - you only need 44 out of 75 to pass the hazard perception test.
>> No. 3019 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 3:33 pm
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>>3014
I took the theory test without any lessons, and I was drunk. I was so close to failing.
>> No. 3020 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 4:00 pm
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Passed with 64/75 on HP. Now to book lessons I suppose.
>> No. 3021 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 6:33 pm
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>>3020

How long does your theory test last these days?
>> No. 3022 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 7:44 pm
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>>3021
It's down for an hour for 50 questions, but if you've been paying any attention to your instructor during your lessons, many of the answers should be common sense, hence the higher pass mark of 43/50.
>> No. 3023 Anonymous
29th August 2014
Friday 8:31 pm
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>>3022
>>3021
I had the questions down in about 15 mins, and the HP took me maybe 15-20?
>> No. 3028 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 12:27 am
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M8s, how do I change lanes and traverse the roundabout without shitting myself?

My instructor has to tell me and assist me everytime when to change lanes (particularly on busy dual carriageways and sliproads). I sweat buckets at the thought of ramming into someone as I try and switch lanes.

Im finding it hard to judge distance in my mirror and find a right moment to go in. Sadly I'm not a speed freak, i've got maneuvers down to a T but high speed lane changing and the like make me sweat buckets.
>> No. 3029 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 12:38 am
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>>3028
Well have a glance over your shoulder too. I'll quite often have a quick glance when pulling out into a faster lane, just to make sure there's not someone zooming up, rather than just using the mirrors. And this will help to build up a sense of how what the mirror shows maps to reality.

Pulling in to the slower lane is much easier if you've just over taken the person, and are moving faster than them.
>> No. 3030 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 12:46 am
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>>3028
Indicating helps. That is what the little fuckers are there for after all; indicating your intention to turn or change lanes to other drivers.
>> No. 3031 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 1:16 am
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>>3028

I know what you mean m8, I was the same before passing my test. Turning my head never helped much either because then I would shit myself at not looking forwards and end up accidentally starting to swerve in the direction I was looking- Although it is vital you get comfortable doing this, because sometimes you can literally have a whole fucking house hidden in your blind spot, so someone on a motorbike will be practically invisible.

What I found helped was just getting comfortable with the entire idea of speed as you drive. Sometimes I look at those situations now and think "How did I struggle when I was learning?" The difference now is that I'm comfortable with the whole idea of going around the roundabout and getting into the lane, and I do that without thinking- So the bit where I check my mirrors and look over to make sure the other cunt hasn't put his toe down, is a safety precaution and a sort of ritual, rather than something I get panicky about. You sort of have to judge the place you want to stick your car well ahead of actually doing it. You visualise it way before you are even on the roundabout, and plan for it. You think, "Right, so I'll be swinging round here, then when I'm about halfway make sure there's nobody there, then if there is I will have time to either speed up or slow down a bit to get in in front/behind them."

If you're fretting about not having time to judge the situation then for this reason you needn't really worry, it's just a simple matter of slotting yourself in front/behind the next guy. In real life it's very rare that somebody won't let you in, and even rarer that there physically isn't space to get in. Those are the times you have to drive like a cunt and kind of barge your way through, but for your test, obviously, you want to be sticking with the "Ahh it wasn't safe boss so I went round another time just to be sure" line of thinking.
>> No. 3032 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 1:42 am
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>>3031
>because sometimes you can literally have a whole fucking house hidden in your blind spot
If this happens, you haven't got your mirrors set up properly. (If you can see your own bodywork in your wing mirrors, they're wrong.) You shouldn't have much of a blind spot immediately to your right - the left is a different matter, though again if you have your mirrors set up properly you should be able to see a bike approaching.
>> No. 3033 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 1:57 am
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>>3032

No, lad. Unless you drive one of those things from The Jetsons.
>> No. 3034 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 9:02 am
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>>3033
That's the worst blind-spot diagram I have ever seen.

Mirrors should be set up as close to the diagram on the right as is possible for your particular car.

>>3029
>Pulling in to the slower lane is much easier if you've just over taken the person, and are moving faster than them.
There is a very special breed of fuckwit who sees being overtaken as an insult to their manhood, and will speed up the second you pass them.
More of a /101/ post, but there is a 60mph average speed check area near me, people have a tendency to sit at 55 along most of the distance, whenever I try and overtake almost everyone will suddenly speed up, leaving me stuck exactly by their side and barely able to go fast enough to overtake. At this pooint a BMW will almost invariably appear from nowhere and sit on my bumper because his 60mph is much faster than everyone elses 60mph.
>> No. 3035 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 9:22 am
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>>3033
Well that's awful. If only cars came with some kind of reflective device that would let you see around those pillars.
>> No. 3036 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 9:23 am
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Speedo rules are getting fucking ludicrous.
Why on earth they're allowed to be this inaccurate, I don't know.
Sure, I can see why under-reading is discouraged, but reading 60 at 48? Tell people the truth and let them deal with it, rather than randomly lying.
I'm sure it used to be +10%, -0%, and that was bad enough.
>> No. 3037 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 12:30 pm
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>>3036
>Tell people the truth and let them deal with it
In principle I agree with this, however, presumably this is the consequence of research showing that lots of people, possibly a majority, tend to push a bit past the limit trying to be fucking clever, and not considering the consequences.

I think my satnav tells the truth, it's always showing a ~10% lower MPH reading than my car's speedometer.
>> No. 3038 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 1:47 pm
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>>3036
That's the allowed tolerance - not a difference desired by the government.
>> No. 3039 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 1:56 pm
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>>3038
Yes.
Why permit such massive inaccuracy? Where else is a 33% wrongness considered even remotely acceptable? Weights and measures people would be justifiably pissed with such sloppiness, but road speed seems to be special and medieval measurements are fine.
(That's a snippet from the DVSA's IVA manual - I'm starting to hope that the real construction & use regulations are a bit tighter.)
>> No. 3040 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:07 pm
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>>3038>>3039

It's certainly not in the interests of most manufacturers to have their speedos towards the lower and of that range (depending on the target audience of any particular car)
If someone goes out for a test drive and the speedo says 40 when he's going at 30, he's going to go back to the showroom and say it "feels" slow and boring.

Manufacturers will set their own limits. When someone like Ford is developing their latest hatchback, I'd guess that they prbably set a requirement that the speedo should state 70mph when the car is between something like 66-68mph. A high-end German car might be calibrated to state 70mph when the car is between 69.0 and 69.5.
>> No. 3041 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:14 pm
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I don't think they can cut it quite that tight, unless they calibrate constantly against GPS. Tyre wear and stuff...
That said, calibrating speedo agaist GPS is hardly difficult, decent satnav has a speedo input, so it can keep guessing when it loses the sky.
I guess you can also make a case that changing tyres a little (but still within the manufacturer's recommended sizes - say, tall skinny winter tyres) shouldn't push the speedo into under-reading.
>> No. 3042 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:45 pm
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I've been doing driving lessons recently and it's made me wonder how one does a hill start/move off from traffic lights/engine brakes in an automatic?

All of what I just listed requires clutch control in a manual. Do you switch from brake to accelerator as fast as you can and hope you don't stall?

Sage for not strictly related.
>> No. 3043 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:52 pm
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>>3040
>If someone goes out for a test drive and the speedo says 40 when he's going at 30
How exactly would he know?
>> No. 3044 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:55 pm
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>>3042
Handbrake? Like you know you should?
Or jump from pedal to pedal - autos tend to drag forward a bit, even with no accelerator.
>> No. 3045 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 2:57 pm
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>>3043
the queue of held-up people forming behind?
spidey-sense tingling? 40 and 30 should feel quite different - although a new car on a test drive might well change that.
>> No. 3046 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 3:00 pm
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>>3045
My point is that they've no real frame of reference. Speedometers already do this and people don't notice.
>> No. 3048 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 4:08 pm
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>>3036
>>3039
As >>3038 said it's a tolerance range, not an expected uncertainty. Out of all the nearly 30 million cars on UK roads if even 5% give readings under the true speed and 5% of these are caught speeding in a given time period you're still looking at 10s of thousands of people who will hold the car companies responsible for their fine.

Going with >>3041, tyre wear of even a few mm on a 25cm radius wheel gives an error of about 2%. Additional uncertainty in measuring the angular speed might push the overal uncertainty up as high as 3-5%. To be 95% certain of not reading below the true speed you want to aim to read two standard errors above - 6-10% which at 60mph could be as high as a 66mph reading. Since you could just as easily read above the true speed, at 60mph you could be reading as high as 72mph within the 95% confidence range.
>> No. 3049 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 4:24 pm
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Oh bugger I forgot tyre wear, of course you're all right.

>>3042
In an automatic, as you have no clutch to use, you can simply have one foot on the brake pedal and the other on the accelerator and move off that way.
Of course people also need to avoid the bad habit of holding the car on the foot brake while stationary.
>> No. 3050 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 4:29 pm
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>>3042
I've only driven an automatic once and you could pull off just by releasing the brake without even touching the accelerator. Basically impossible to stall one.
>> No. 3051 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 4:43 pm
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>>3050 Basically impossible to stall one.

also impossible to stop one stalling, if it wants to. Driving a distressed automatic is a nightmare.
>> No. 3052 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 5:06 pm
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>>3051

I've seen bus drivers stall a few times, which I always find funny. I think it is almost certainly due to the age of the buses though, rather than driver error.
>> No. 3053 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 5:18 pm
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>>3049

Underinflation is an even bigger factor than tyre wear. A lot of people never bother to check their tyre pressures, leading them to drive around on very soft tyres. Underinflated tyres have a smaller effective circumference, because the tyre is constantly sagging under the weight of the vehicle.

Experienced cyclists are well aware of the issue of tyre drop. Calibrating a bicycle computer by simply measuring the tyre circumference will give an inaccurate reading, so the effective circumference is found by rolling a fully laden bicycle for a given number of wheel rotations and measuring the distance travelled. Prior to GPS, an accurate odometer was a vital navigation tool; This remains the case in rallying, where GPS is prohibited.
>> No. 3054 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 6:31 pm
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Was doing turn in the road today, did all my mirror checks and as I'm reversing a fucking cyclist goes behind me out of nowhere. Not even my instructor saw him but he flamed me anyway because I should be more aware or some shit.

I'm literally vertical on the road and you're gonna swerve around as I reverse. I swer to god if a cyclist crosses my path on test day resulting in a major i'm gonna crush his bike and play dumb like I lost control of the car in a panic. Fuck cyclists.
>> No. 3055 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 6:38 pm
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>>3054
Mate, cyclists aren't magicians. They don't appear from nowhere.
>> No. 3056 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 6:43 pm
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>>3044
I meant in the period between handbrake release and moving off. In a manual you'd use the bite to do that. Now I've had it explained it makes sense. I didn't think it'd have enough idle speed to pull off from a hill though.
>> No. 3057 Anonymous
29th September 2014
Monday 6:50 pm
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>>3055
Oh yes they fucking well do.
>> No. 3058 Anonymous
2nd October 2014
Thursday 10:14 pm
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>>3052

Majority of buses nowadays are automatic, which is a fucking godsend as far as I'm concerned.

How's the driving lessons going, OP?
>> No. 3059 Anonymous
2nd October 2014
Thursday 10:17 pm
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>>3058
I think some are semi-auto; there is a gearstick but the clutch is engaged and disengaged automatically.
>> No. 3060 Anonymous
2nd October 2014
Thursday 10:40 pm
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>>3059
>semi-auto

Christ lad it's a bus not an assault rifle.
>> No. 3061 Anonymous
2nd October 2014
Thursday 10:47 pm
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>>3060
By definition, assault rifles are capable of both semi-automatic and automatic fire.

Anyway more info re semi-auto transmission http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/car-features/automatic-gearbox-guide/automatic-gearbox-faqs/
>> No. 3062 Anonymous
2nd October 2014
Thursday 10:54 pm
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>>3061
Technically an assault-rifle only has to have selective fire. Most models of M16 don't have a full-auto fire mode.

I really wish that 'flappy paddles' was used more often as a technical term mind. Good ol' Top Gear.
>> No. 3063 Anonymous
3rd October 2014
Friday 11:46 am
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>>3061
>>3062
Oh my god fuck off gun nerds before this really gets out of hand.
>> No. 3064 Anonymous
3rd October 2014
Friday 12:20 pm
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>>3061

Why did you feel the need to offer this information re: assault rifles?
>> No. 3065 Anonymous
3rd October 2014
Friday 1:12 pm
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>>3064
I hope that anxious-lad who started this thread has been reassured.
>> No. 3066 Anonymous
3rd October 2014
Friday 5:51 pm
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>>3064
Why do you feel the need to question why I might want to tell someone something they might find interesting? Worst case scenario is that they're not actually interested. It's not like I'm losing my best m8 over the fucking thing.
>> No. 3084 Anonymous
19th December 2014
Friday 6:56 pm
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Some days I can drive like it's second nature, but other days i fail abysmally.

In todays lesson, i almost crashed because the sun literally blinded me and i scrambled to get that thing open, the instructor went off on me, and the adrenaline rush went into my legs and they feel well sore now.

Went to do manoeuvres which I rocked last week, but this week i kept stalling and hittign the kerb, and my instructor like a robot was like "use the v shape reference when reversing" everytime, even though i insisted the reference doesnt work for me because im not a fucking manlet like you

holy shit 20 lessons in and this is still happening fuck me.
>> No. 3085 Anonymous
19th December 2014
Friday 7:04 pm
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>>3084
That's perfectly normal.
Everyone had good days and bad days when they're learning, I doubt you're as bad as you think too.

You do sound like you have a bad instructor though.
>> No. 3086 Anonymous
19th December 2014
Friday 7:24 pm
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>>3085
Agreed.

I also found that lessons after work were a spectacularly bad idea. I was always knackered and unable to properly concentrate or learn.
>> No. 3087 Anonymous
19th December 2014
Friday 11:05 pm
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Just had my Theory yesterday, 47/50 and a rather flukey 51/75 on the Hazard Perception.

Not bad considering I only did the multiple-choice test on a free website twice, and the Hazard Perception once at 1am on the day of the test, which I failed (I believe to try and get me to buy premium access).

About 7 lessons in, two hours at a time for £30. Booked in for Feb 6th, hope the weather doesn't shit on this. 23 now, wish I'd done it years ago rather than faffing about with scooters and bikes.
>> No. 3088 Anonymous
20th December 2014
Saturday 12:37 am
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>>3087

Get this if you don't already, passed first time with only a few points down on the hazard perception by just pulling an all nighter on it and listening to an audio version of the highway code on the way to the test.

YMMV.
>> No. 3089 Anonymous
20th December 2014
Saturday 12:39 am
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>>3088
>>3087

Nevermind, I'm tired and drunk and honestly thought the pass mark on the hazards was around 60-70
>> No. 3091 Anonymous
20th December 2014
Saturday 12:57 am
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>>3089

Aye, I should have practised properly really, not so much the actual act of percieving hazards, I often find myself stopping for cyclists and the like that even my instructor hasn't seen, but the way the test system works.

I think a lot of my scores were 3's and 4's out of 5's, as I'd click too early to get the 5 as the hazard hadn't fully "developed" (even though it's fucking obvious which one it's going to be), and by the time of my second click to notify it'd be too late to score 5.

Could do with a real re-jig to make it actually about spotting danger and not gaming the timing of clicks. The videos are ancient too, could barely see what the white blobs representin sheep in the distance where.
>> No. 3092 Anonymous
21st December 2014
Sunday 10:32 pm
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How do I stop stalling on the camber when doing turn in the road?

I'm really struggling with this one, every time I go over the half way point the car rolls faster and in a panic I stall. Am i meant to depress the clutch down a lot or something?
>> No. 3093 Anonymous
21st December 2014
Sunday 10:45 pm
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>>3092
It sounds like you're rushing the clutch or not giving it enough gas and need to work on your pedal control.

You could always, you know, ask your instructor.
>> No. 3094 Anonymous
22nd December 2014
Monday 2:12 am
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>>3092

Hold the throttle steady at reasonable revs and control the speed with the clutch. When the car starts picking up speed, depress the clutch fully and focus on turning the car. If you're really nervous about the car getting away from you, cover the brake when you dip the clutch.

If you're not 100% confident in your clutch control, don't be afraid to go back to basics and spend half a lesson pottering around on an industrial estate or an empty car park. It's much easier to practice clutch control on a flat and straight bit of road, so you're only having to think about one thing.

Visualisation exercises between lessons can be really useful in cementing a manoeuvre in your mind. Sit in a quiet room with your eyes closed and imagine being in the driver's seat. Picture the road ahead of you and pantomime the actions you need to take, reciting aloud as you perform each one - "observations, signal, clutch down, into first, gentle revs, ease out the clutch...". This sort of mental practice can really reduce your level of stress while driving, as once you're no longer struggling to remember what to do, you can concentrate fully on controlling the car.
>> No. 3095 Anonymous
22nd December 2014
Monday 11:19 am
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>>3092
It'll come with time. It's one of those things where you just get a feel for it in the end and don't even think about it.
>> No. 3096 Anonymous
3rd January 2015
Saturday 3:36 pm
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I just had my first lesson and he had me out on main roads didn't stall once

But is it normal for them to hold onto the wheel to help at the start?
>> No. 3097 Anonymous
3rd January 2015
Saturday 3:48 pm
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>>3096

Not really, my instructor started me on an empty car park to see if I could drive around okay first, I can see that him holding on to the wheel on a main road would be majorly distracting.
>> No. 3098 Anonymous
3rd January 2015
Saturday 5:00 pm
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>>3097
He only helped while turning.

Had me up to 3rd gear doing left and right turns.
>> No. 3099 Anonymous
3rd January 2015
Saturday 8:02 pm
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I've been driving for a year now, last week I realised that it had been quite a few months since I last stalled the car. Drove to my parents today and stalled about five bloody times at different points.
>> No. 3100 Anonymous
3rd January 2015
Saturday 10:43 pm
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>>3099

Fun practical joke for learner drivers: when you're a passenger in a car and the driver is just about to pull away at a busy junction, say "remind me, how do you find the bite point?". Try to keep a straight face when they descend into a blind panic and forget how to operate their limbs.
>> No. 3102 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 4:22 pm
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New to learning to drive my instructor is very keen on me block booking lessons. Is that normal?
>> No. 3103 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 4:42 pm
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>>3102
Yes. If you block book he gets all the money upfront. Low risk to him, and you can't chicken out.

Just tell him to fuck off.
>> No. 3104 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 4:47 pm
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>>3103
Its £180 for 10 lessons or £20 a go

He seems like such a good instructor thought been doing for 30 years and really explains everything and lets me drive
>> No. 3105 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 5:01 pm
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>>3104
My instructor did the exact same thing. If I recall correctly I had a few at £20 each before block booking 10. If you're completely new to driving it will take a while to get up to test standard so it's not wasted unless you decide to change instructor or give up entirely.
>> No. 3106 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 5:07 pm
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>>3105
I am enjoying driving even in London so I won't give it up. Don't think I will change instructor either he seem like a good guy
>> No. 3107 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 5:17 pm
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>>3104

£180 is a good price for a block booking.
>> No. 3108 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 5:22 pm
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I drove with my parents a lot and had five lessons and passed with one minor. The instructor basically taught me how to pass rather than how to drive.

I miss driving. It was fun. I passed four years ago and haven't driven since, there's just been no need.
>> No. 3109 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 5:31 pm
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>>3108

You haven't even borrowed your Dad's car to get a 3am Chicken Legend meal? m8.

If you miss it and you still need to find an excuse to drive in the current climate where petrol is sitting around £1.09, I'm confused as to why you learned to drive in the first place. Just up sticks and go for a wee jaunt down a nice road.
>> No. 3110 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 6:27 pm
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>>3108
>The instructor basically taught me how to pass rather than how to drive.
I imagine this is the rule rather than the exception.
>> No. 3111 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 6:42 pm
3111 spacer
>>3110
There are enough instructors who are remarkably inept at both.
>> No. 3112 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 6:48 pm
3112 spacer
>>3109
I've actually owned two cars in my life, one I've never driven and one I just used until I passed, then my parents acquired it.

They bought both. Both were very cheap but pretty good for the money, a Renault Clio and Megane that I've now 'owned' for two years and never driven.

I learnt to drive because A) it's a pretty necessary skill and B) I didn't pay for it.

I had fun anyway. It's more the insurance cost than anything.
>> No. 3113 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 8:27 pm
3113 spacer
>>3110
I'm assuming that was specific to that poster's circumstances of being able to drive but needing to pass the test, rather than an assessment of the instructor's usual style.
>> No. 3114 Anonymous
10th January 2015
Saturday 8:42 pm
3114 spacer
>>3112

Yes, a skill so necessary you haven't needed or indeed bothered to keep it honed.

You'll be lucky not to stall out the blocks the first time you get back in one, you need to keep up the practise lad. You don't stop learning after you pass.
>> No. 3115 Anonymous
11th January 2015
Sunday 7:30 am
3115 spacer
Test booked for Feb 18th. Already bricking it.
>> No. 3116 Anonymous
11th January 2015
Sunday 7:32 am
3116 spacer
>>3115
Should note I'm not OP nor anyone else in this thread.
>> No. 3117 Anonymous
11th January 2015
Sunday 7:36 am
3117 spacer
>>3115

At the risk of accidentally making it worse, I very much suggest trying your hardest to be as zen as possible about the outcome of your test. I managed to fail spectacularly twice due to unmanaged nerves. I only passed the third time because I thought I'd failed about a minute in, and resigned myself to a calm, quiet drive.
>> No. 3118 Anonymous
11th January 2015
Sunday 9:19 am
3118 spacer
>>3117
Yeah. I also hear saying everything you do aloud really helps. I already do that when doing maneuvers so it's not too much of a jump to make.
>> No. 3119 Anonymous
12th January 2015
Monday 10:49 pm
3119 spacer
>>3084

If your instructor is losing his temper at you when you make a mistake then he is not a good instructor. Instructors are supposed to help you iron out your driving faults and help you gain confidence. Being shouted at by an instructor who loses his temper will do the exact opposite.

I'd seriously think about changing instructors.
>> No. 3120 Anonymous
13th January 2015
Tuesday 2:16 am
3120 spacer
>>3119
Totally. Life is too short for rude teachers of any kind. I had a crap one when I learnt to drive - AVOID
>> No. 3121 Anonymous
13th January 2015
Tuesday 3:39 am
3121 spacer
>>3120

I'd third this notion. Why pay a cunt £30 an hour to be a cunt?
>> No. 3122 Anonymous
20th January 2015
Tuesday 2:17 pm
3122 spacer
>>3115

Good luck. Mine is on the 16th.

Still not entirely confident though... roundabouts scare the fuck outta me - im so scared to pull out, and when i do a car comes out of nowhere, i literally don't see them coming, and i'm meant to make progress but at the same time i have to be super patient to ensure a car isnt coming, all while other lanes are moving out...

My posture is horrible, my instructor has never said anything about it but I know it's wrong. You know when you're gaming and you lean forward when you're really focusing? I do that and... it's awkward but it does the job, if you know what I mean? If i lay back it's almost like i'm gonna lose control if shit hits the fan.

Oh and can't forget dual carriageways, i reckon i fluked it every time i had to change lanes so far, couldnt even calculate what lane i was looking at in my wing mirror and just sped up and made the move. Otherwise maneuvers are fine and I stall like once a lesson now.
>> No. 3123 Anonymous
20th January 2015
Tuesday 3:17 pm
3123 spacer
My instructor kept subtley using his clutch in lessons so during my test it felt completely different and I failed badly.

Drives me mad when you see idiots you wouldn't trust to post aletter pass first time.
>> No. 3124 Anonymous
20th January 2015
Tuesday 3:21 pm
3124 spacer
>>3123
He was probably worried that he would have to replace it all the time.
>> No. 3125 Anonymous
20th January 2015
Tuesday 5:53 pm
3125 spacer
>>3124

Perhaps starting a business where numerous unskilled drivers would be using his car was a bad idea then?
>> No. 3126 Anonymous
20th January 2015
Tuesday 10:04 pm
3126 spacer
>>3123

I'm curious, how do you guys manage to find such bad instructors?

Personally, I was recommended by a friend who actually passed with his instructor, and I recommended him onto my cousin - and the circle of life continues.

Probably one of the most important careers where word of mouth is the most important marketing.
>> No. 3127 Anonymous
21st January 2015
Wednesday 6:36 am
3127 spacer
>>3123
When our lass took her second test there was a lady who drove to her test, took and failed her test and still proceeded to drive home uninstructed with two kids in the back the whole time
>> No. 3128 Anonymous
7th February 2015
Saturday 10:47 pm
3128 spacer
Penultimate lesson before my practical tomorrow morning. There's nothing I can't do properly, and for large sections of the lessons and whatnot I've been driving properly, but then I'll have 10 mins of fucking it up.

I really don't want to fail this, because it's fucking expensive.
>> No. 3129 Anonymous
7th February 2015
Saturday 10:53 pm
3129 spacer
>>3128
Good luck mate.
>> No. 3130 Anonymous
8th February 2015
Sunday 12:37 am
3130 spacer
>>3128
Offer the instructor to nibble on his cock.
>> No. 3131 Anonymous
12th February 2015
Thursday 4:31 pm
3131 spacer
>>3128

If you're anything like me, you're probably way above the standards of 90% of people out there on the roads, but your instructor is being a harsh cunt with you just to make sure you don't get complacent. Mine was a proper arsehole sometimes, but I thank him for it now.
>> No. 3132 Anonymous
15th February 2015
Sunday 10:34 pm
3132 spacer
Oh my gosh. My test is tomorrow morning. Got butterflies in my stomach...

I hope the traffic is low. My last lesson went really well but it was such a fluke - the roundabouts were empty and I went on my merry way, roundabouts still scare me and I still struggle with them. Fingers crossed. I won't be sleeping tonight it seems.
>> No. 3133 Anonymous
15th February 2015
Sunday 11:50 pm
3133 spacer
>>3132
Wednesdaytestlad here, talk yourself through it audibly. Roundabouts used to be a problem for me but as long as I talk myself through it and most importantly REMEMBER THE FUCKING LANE then you'll be right.
>> No. 3134 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 12:09 am
3134 spacer
>>3132
ITS GONNA BE GREAT M8
>> No. 3135 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 5:32 pm
3135 spacer
>>3134

Well. I failed. For the most silly reason. To start with, my instructor was in the back seeing everything and disagreed with the test instructors remarks, later calling him, and I quote "a lying prick".

I did everything pretty good, but the test instructor failed me on minors for failing to make progress/hesitation/speed. He said that throughout the entire test I took too long to turn corners and leave junctions, causing delays for other drivers which caused me to be overtaken by 3 cars, apparently... hence the "lying prick" comment. Now, the reality is this is how I drove with my instructor and this is how I was taught... to have a slow and steady speed when turning corners because you don't know what's lurking behind there.

When talking to my instructor I was like yeah I fucked up and felt super depressed, luckily he convinced me that it wasn't really my fault and will look into it with his instructor friends. I can fucking drive - now I have to wait till march for another test. I can't afford this shit either.
>> No. 3136 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 5:43 pm
3136 spacer
>>3135

So test centres are essentially out to make money, as you failed on 3 minors with no majors? Fucking cunts.
>> No. 3137 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 6:17 pm
3137 spacer
>>3136
It's more likely that his instructor is grooming him for extra lessons. The instructor purposely taught him bad habits that would likely lead to test failure and back into his money-grubbing clutches. Why else would he sit in on the test if not to poison the well against a perfectly diligent examiner? That the bad habits were only minor further convinces me I'm right as you have to maintain an air of plausible deniability when your entire professional reputation is on the line. You can tell he's done this many times before because he's grown confident enough to cut in his mates.
>> No. 3138 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 6:19 pm
3138 spacer
>>3136
That's one of the two ways you can fail on minors, the other being to get too many minors in total (15?).
>> No. 3139 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 7:26 pm
3139 spacer
Examiners will often fail you if your driving is basically OK but you seem hesitant. I understand your frustration, but I think they're often right to do so.

My first motorcycle instructor signed off on my CBT in spite of his doubts about my riding; I only lasted a few months before selling my bike, because I just wasn't confident enough in traffic. Two years later I had another go at biking; My second instructor encouraged me to take my time and not to ride outside of my limits, so I ended up doing a full DAS course and some post-test training before riding solo.

You could easily argue that my second instructor was just milking me for extra lessons, but I'm very grateful for his approach and in hindsight I would happily have paid twice as much. Driving or riding is about much more than abiding by the rules of the road - it's about being able to confidently interpret your environment and control your vehicle, so you have the resources to cope when the unexpected happens. I know several people who just barely scraped through their test and had accidents shortly afterwards.

It's natural to be eager to pass your test and get out on the road, but the bad habits you can pick up as a new driver are very hard to shake. We often think in binary terms, that someone either can drive or can't, but really it's a spectrum. The minimum standard required to pass is just that - a minimum. The test shouldn't be seen as a hurdle to jump over, but the beginning of a long journey towards good driving.

As an aside, be glad you're not a motorcyclist, as we're subject to much stricter rules. Our test includes an extra off-road assessment of your bike handling skills. If you pass your bike test before the age of 24, you only get a restricted license have to retake your test after two years to be allowed to ride a full-power bike.
>> No. 3140 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 10:02 pm
3140 spacer
Wedstestlad again -- reading this I must have a good instructor. He always encourages me to not stop for any longer than is absolutely necessary and if it's a wide junction to take it straight without stopping. The thing that'll get me is mirrors (I frequently forget to check the rearview when turning) or steering (I don't steer fast enough sometimes) but both of those are easily correctable minors, so I'm optimistic, but not too optimistic.
>> No. 3141 Anonymous
16th February 2015
Monday 10:11 pm
3141 spacer
My instructor used to smoke weed in the car while I drove. Sometimes we shared it, and he sometimes (most of the time) wouldn't take my money. I developed horrific driving habits, but I still passed at my first go. It is all arbitrary.
>> No. 3142 Anonymous
17th February 2015
Tuesday 11:38 pm
3142 spacer
Had a lesson today (hopefully my final), went brilliantly. Feeling pretty chilled.
>> No. 3143 Anonymous
17th February 2015
Tuesday 11:47 pm
3143 spacer
>>3142
I hope you fail.
>> No. 3144 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 12:13 am
3144 spacer
>>3143
Thanks lad, means a lot.
>> No. 3161 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 3:52 pm
3161 spacer
Passed the fuck out of it.

Sage for /blog/
>> No. 3162 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:05 pm
3162 spacer
>>3161
Well done that lad.
>> No. 3163 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:06 pm
3163 spacer
>>3161

Congratulations.

I'd highly recommend going on to do a Pass Plus course. It'll pay for itself in reduced insurance premiums, and a lot of local authorities offer discounted rates.

https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus/overview
>> No. 3164 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:13 pm
3164 spacer
>>3161

Well done, that man.
>> No. 3165 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:16 pm
3165 spacer
>>3161
What an inspiration! I'm not even a nervous wreck, and now I know it's possible to pass your test merely eight months after your first lesson.
>> No. 3166 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:17 pm
3166 spacer
Oh wait you said you weren't the OP. Gosh darnit.
>> No. 3167 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:18 pm
3167 spacer
>>3163
I did a Pass Plus, I ended up without a car so never got any of the financial benefits but it certainly made me a lot more confident about driving on a motorway. It was worth it for that alone, really.
>> No. 3168 Anonymous
18th February 2015
Wednesday 4:20 pm
3168 spacer
>>3165
>>3166

Technically I started my lessons 3 years ago, but then ran out of money and had to wait for the best bit of 3 years.

>>3167
Luckily I had motorway driving in my lessons (urban motorways), but it still seems interesting. I'll take a look.
>> No. 3174 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 8:36 pm
3174 spacer
When breaking do you push the clutch in?
>> No. 3175 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 8:41 pm
3175 spacer
>>3174
If you're breaking, you've fucked up somewhere.
>> No. 3176 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 8:42 pm
3176 spacer
>>3175
You have to stop at traffic lights
>> No. 3177 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 8:53 pm
3177 spacer
>>3174
No, unless I'll now need to be in a lower gear.
>> No. 3178 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 8:57 pm
3178 spacer
>>3176
>>3174
He was trying to tell you you meant braking.

And most of the time, you do. Not always -- if you're going 42 and you need to be at 40 you can tap the brake without using the clutch, but if you want to reduce the speed by any major level you need the clutch.



I'm picking up my first car on Sunday, and it'll be my first time driving alone. Does anyone have any general advice about that? I'll probably put £40 in the tank and drive around the rural roads for a couple of hours, but is there anything I should be wary of?
>> No. 3179 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 10:23 pm
3179 spacer
>>3178
Remember to turn your headlights on if it's dark.

(It's not serious advice, but I did manage to drive half way through town after passing my test without my headlights on, I was so mentally knackered that I managed not to realise the obvious despite at some point wondering why everything seemed so dark.)
>> No. 3180 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 10:29 pm
3180 spacer
>>3178

The main thing at this stage is building up your confidence and putting what you've learned into practice. When kids are first learning to ride a bicycle, they're often going along fine until they realise that dad isn't holding onto their saddle any more, at which point they immediately fall over. It can be the same with driving - some new drivers are fine from the outset, but some regress a bit due to the nerves of driving solo and need a bit of practice to build themselves back up to test standard.

Driving solo for the first time takes a lot of concentration and can be very tiring, so plan a short journey on familiar roads close to home. In your first few weeks, aim to do lots of short drives and build up gradually to longer journeys on faster roads. Don't try and push yourself too hard, just focus on solidifying your skills. You'll know that things are slotting into place when you start to get bored, at which point you can move on to something more challenging; Boredom means that you're relaxed in the car and your skills becoming automatic habits.
>> No. 3181 Anonymous
22nd February 2015
Sunday 10:35 pm
3181 spacer
>>3180
Unfortunately I have to keep the car at home, and I'll mainly be using it during the breaks from uni to go to work.

I'm picking it up on Sunday, and I'll have to do about 70 miles of driving -- but I plan to drive home 'the road way'; which as there is a parallel motorway should be very quiet which will be useful.

Thanks for the advice, though. I'll try to apply it when I'm back for easter and the like. Work is only 5 or 6 miles away but as I work at night getting buses or taxis, especially on Sundays is hell.
>> No. 3182 Anonymous
23rd February 2015
Monday 4:49 pm
3182 spacer
>>3181
What is the damage from the insurance?

I passed when I was 18 and it would have been a struggle getting under £2500 in a 1.2l hatchback in 2010. Didn't drive for a few years and I'm now on about £700 with a years no claims for a 1.6l.

If possible, try putting a parent on as a named driver. Even if they won't be driving it at all, having my Dad on mine knocked off a few quid; assuming that you aren't the named driver.
>> No. 3183 Anonymous
23rd February 2015
Monday 5:05 pm
3183 spacer
>>3182
>If possible, try putting a parent on as a named driver. Even if they won't be driving it at all, having my Dad on mine knocked off a few quid; assuming that you aren't the named driver.
How does the no claims thing affect this? If the parent name is removed later does that mean and end to the no claims bonus?
>> No. 3186 Anonymous
24th February 2015
Tuesday 12:33 am
3186 spacer
>>3182
£1200 with a box on a 1.4 84PS 2005 Rover 25 petrol. I have a parent with 20+ years NCD on. I should note I'm 20.

>>3183
As you are the main driver, then no - the NCD gained is yours.
>> No. 3187 Anonymous
24th February 2015
Tuesday 12:46 am
3187 spacer
P.S.

How did OP fare, in the end?
>> No. 3195 Anonymous
1st March 2015
Sunday 7:13 pm
3195 spacer
>>3180
That was absolutely right - I was driving fine until I realised I was driving fine and then I stalled it at every junction. Small petrol engines just have so much less torque and the clutch is nowhere near as smooth as I'm used to in a bugger expensive new diesel. I've no idea how I passed my test, though, I realised about 35 miles in barely even looked at my mirrors. I'm gonna need a lot of practice.
>> No. 3196 Anonymous
4th March 2015
Wednesday 6:28 pm
3196 more /blog/
Now I've stopped trying to drive it like the car/s I learned in, it has become much easier. I rarely stall it (though I did forget it was in gear with the handbrake on in the petrol station). Driving around roads I know is also nice. What us it with van drivers getting an inch behind you and then getting impatient when you are extra careful in moving off from a hill so you don't fucking hit them? Or staying an inch behind you when you're doing the speed limit? I'd speed up if I could but I have the tracker box on and I'd like to not pay out of my arse for insurance (more than I already am). I've half a mind to brake check them.
>> No. 3197 Anonymous
4th March 2015
Wednesday 9:30 pm
3197 spacer
>>3196
Slow down and piss them off a bit. Then "test your brakes." Then, make sure you tell the insurers that the whiplash fucked with your neck.
>> No. 3198 Anonymous
4th March 2015
Wednesday 10:05 pm
3198 spacer
>>3196
>What us it with van drivers getting an inch behind you and then getting impatient
It's a combination of things. Work vans are predominantly driven by bored and not particularly bright young men who have a typical youthful tendency towards impatience. They're also driving a vehicle that's likely much more powerful than their own, whilst using fuel that they don't have to pay for, and many are on absolutely frantic schedules, compelling them to push the limit. On top of all this they are sitting significantly higher above the road, which tends to give an impression of distance between them and the vehicle in front, and makes speeding much less noticeable. If you're used to driving some boxy little hatchback and you get into a LWB Transit, 60MPH feels very, very different - in the latter it feels like you're dawdling along, even if you're driving on roads you know.

None of this makes tailgating excusable, but it does go some way to explaining why it's so common.
>> No. 3199 Anonymous
4th March 2015
Wednesday 10:36 pm
3199 spacer
>>3198

>On top of all this they are sitting significantly higher above the road, which tends to give an impression of distance between them and the vehicle in front, and makes speeding much less noticeable.

If only the driver had some sort of instrument giving him an indication of his speed.
>> No. 3200 Anonymous
17th March 2015
Tuesday 11:51 pm
3200 spacer
Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Fuck.

Haven't participated in this thread much, but it's my practical test tomorrow. Ability-wise I'm feeling pretty comfortable, a variety of factors mean that since January or so I've just been going through the motions and waiting for it.

Anyway, I've got out my two parts of my driving license, and my Theory Test Certificate is nowhere to be fucking seen. Apparently they ask for it sometimes, but not all times. Fortunately, I at least have a photocopy of the front of the certificate which has the reference number on it, but the back part has the certificate proper so to speak.

One possibility is when I went on an unrelated course recently, they actually took the original rather than the photocopy off me.

Looking at gov.uk, they don't re-print lost certificates, but will send a letter with the reference number on it, though with my photocopy I still technically have that. And of course I couldn't have booked the test without passing my theory first.
>> No. 3201 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 10:57 am
3201 spacer
>>3200

Just rang my instructor, and when I mentioned the theory certificate he immediately said I wouldn't need it. Thank fuck.

Panic over.
>> No. 3202 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 2:11 pm
3202 spacer
>>3200
>>3201
I forgot the paper part of my provisional license when I went for my test. Luckily, the examiner was running behind and I had time to ring my dad and ask him to bring it down for me. I remember there was a different examiner who was laughing at me when I got off my phone all pissed off with myself and shouting "You've messed that one up, haven't you, kid? Never pass now!" and then fucked off with some poor lass on her test. As I was pulling back up after my test and shaking my examiner's hand and whatnot, he was outside having a fag and was fucking flabbergasted that I'd manage to pass my test. "You're fucking passing him?", I remember, as though forgetting a piece of paper is a direct reflection on my driving skills. I shot him a sly two fingers and was on my way.
>> No. 3203 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 2:30 pm
3203 spacer
>>3202
Excellent work lad. Congratulations.
>> No. 3204 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 3:26 pm
3204 spacer
>>3202
You reckon the bloke is just a twat or was it some backhanded way to make you more determined to pass in order to spite him?

Well done, anyhow ladm8.
>> No. 3205 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 4:09 pm
3205 spacer
>>3203
>>3204
I think he was just a twat, mate, in all honesty.
>> No. 3206 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 4:15 pm
3206 spacer
I failed anyway. Gutted, didn't have any nerves or jitters at all.

When they pull you over, then ask you to set off again, apparently I wasn't checking my right shoulder blindspot often enough. It's no excuse, but my instructor has never been one to bang on about your six-point check, in fact he's never really mentioned it.

Other than those three dashes, my sheet was completely clean.
>> No. 3207 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 7:29 pm
3207 spacer
>>3206
Next one's gold with that clean sheet then, eh chap?

Do drivers actually look behind their shoulders when making manoeuvres? It almost seems unnecessary with the wide angle mirrors in most recent cars, although I still do it out of habit.
>> No. 3208 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 7:59 pm
3208 spacer
>>3207
In my current car, looking over my shoulder just has me looking a foot-wide border of plastic between the doors. If I don't stop six feet before the line at lights, either, I often can't actually see them without winding my window down and sticking my head out, because the roof of the car goes way too far forward. I don't know why Peugeot designed a car this way.
>> No. 3209 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 9:00 pm
3209 spacer
>>3208
You're sitting too far back, m8.
>> No. 3210 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 9:02 pm
3210 spacer
>>3206
Eh? Are you >>3202? I thought you'd said you passed? Did you just assume you had?
>> No. 3211 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 10:27 pm
3211 spacer
>>3210
No, I'm >>3202 and my anecdote is seven years old.
>> No. 3212 Anonymous
18th March 2015
Wednesday 11:12 pm
3212 spacer
>>3211
Calm down, Spartacus.
>> No. 3246 Anonymous
27th March 2015
Friday 4:31 pm
3246 spacer
I passed lads (2nd attempt). I'm so fucking happy. 6 minors. The assessor was fantastic - some bantz and laughter were had. Felt as ease and gave him a smooth drive.

I actually touched the kerb (by a millimeter) but he said it was ok as everything else went well. Ah that sense of relief.... there are no words for it.
>> No. 3254 Anonymous
20th April 2015
Monday 5:55 pm
3254 spacer
>>3246

That's uncanny.

I'm >>3206, and I actually felt pretty unprepared and nervy this time. My "lesson" before the test wasn't as smooth as I've ever been, and Hull's test centre has moved since my last one, and there's a few busier roads and roundabouts to navigate. Some poor lass having a total meltdown outside whilst I was waiting didn't help.

We go through the quiet, wide roads of an industrial estate and into the more windy roads of suburbia, only to come across a bus having its path blocked by a cement mixer. We were sat there for ten minutes, during which the bus driver had got out and started remonstrating. We then follow the bus for another ten minutes, and running out of time go back through the industrial estate, where he asks me to stop (not even safely, in the middle of a factory driveway) just so he can see me pull out from behind an obstacle.

Knowing we're nearly back and I haven't done one maneuver yet, he'll ask me to bay park when we get back, which is no issue as I had done one just to park up before the test. Only when I got back, the car park was basically full, and for some reason I chose the most awkward spot, at the end with a kerb on one side, and a car on the other. It was a tight angle, and on my first approach I feel my back left tyre on the kerb. At this point, the odd polite mutter of "bugger" is all I say, and I pull out a bit to straighten up, only to this time again bump the kerb. So I straighten out again, and there must have been about a quarter of an inch between the alloys and the kerb. The tester tells me that is enough. I go from "bugger" to a straight "oh, fuck, for fuck's sake", since I think I've got all the way round and bottled it on a simple maneuver, on an already delayed test.

The wave of relief when he passed me was orgasmic. Two minors, both on that fucking bay park. They can't take it off me now if I'm sensible.
>> No. 3310 Anonymous
1st May 2015
Friday 1:36 pm
3310 spacer
I failed my first test today for being too close to the car in front of me


How do I keep the nerves under control for the next one?
>> No. 3311 Anonymous
1st May 2015
Friday 2:31 pm
3311 spacer
>>3310
Benzos.
>> No. 3312 Anonymous
1st May 2015
Friday 2:34 pm
3312 spacer
>>3310
>>3311

Special Brew.

No seriously, if your nerves are being that much of a problem talk to your GP about a one-off prescription for some kind of mild beta blocker. A colleague of mine used to properly freak out, sweat and stutter like mad when he had to talk in public, now he just drops a pill an hour or so before and he's out there like the fonz.
>> No. 3313 Anonymous
1st May 2015
Friday 4:14 pm
3313 spacer
first test as I pulled out of the car park I hit the wing mirror of another car
>> No. 3314 Anonymous
2nd May 2015
Saturday 12:21 pm
3314 spacer
>>3310
Is that all you failed it on? If so, just use the old 70s trick of "Only a fool breaks the two-second rule."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf5d2DP4Pp0
>> No. 3315 Anonymous
2nd May 2015
Saturday 7:21 pm
3315 spacer
>>3314
I picked up another one because i was turning right into a road, couldn't see as a van had parked right on the corner blocking the view. So i edged out slowly to get a better look and he put the breaks on
>> No. 3316 Anonymous
3rd May 2015
Sunday 10:52 am
3316 spacer
>>3315

What are you meant to do?
>> No. 3317 Anonymous
3rd May 2015
Sunday 12:05 pm
3317 spacer
>>3315
>>3316
That's what you're supposed to do, but I would wager you didn't a) check your mirrors or b) check your other side, and there was a car coming.
>> No. 3318 Anonymous
3rd May 2015
Sunday 12:49 pm
3318 spacer
>>3317

I check it was clear, I didn't get any minors for mirrors
>> No. 3319 Anonymous
3rd May 2015
Sunday 12:52 pm
3319 spacer
I also failed a test for >>3315, which was absolute bollocks because there was nothing else I could do in that situation.
>> No. 3320 Anonymous
3rd May 2015
Sunday 2:22 pm
3320 spacer
>>3318
>>3319
Dunno then. Maybe your examiners were cunts.
>> No. 3345 Anonymous
12th June 2015
Friday 4:08 pm
3345 spacer
I FUCKING PASSED

FAILED FIRST TIME BUT 2ND TIME PASSED WITH MORE MINORS

BUT FUCK IT I PASSED
>> No. 3346 Anonymous
12th June 2015
Friday 4:21 pm
3346 spacer
>>3345

Well done lad, I always believed you could do it.
>> No. 3347 Anonymous
12th June 2015
Friday 4:32 pm
3347 spacer
>>3346
Thanks lad

This is me >>3310>>3315
>> No. 3416 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 3:21 pm
3416 spacer
Fuck roundabouts, seriously. I'm ok with standard ones, but the multi lane nightmares in the city keep fucking me over.
>> No. 3417 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 4:40 pm
3417 spacer
>>3416
Roundabouts are a beautiful and elegant piece of road design. The main issue is that most people are shit drivers.
>> No. 3418 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 6:05 pm
3418 spacer
>>3417

There are shit roundabouts too. The type designed by Council contractors with a blank cheque and too much free time.

There are plenty of roundabouts with no indication of the correct lane to use, and others where the only possible way to take the exit you want is to cut across one or more lanes.

There are also other terrible design decisions, such as ones where a pedestrian crossing is placed immediately after a busy roundabout, which cause all the traffic driving round it to have to suddenly slam on their brakes when the light changes.
>> No. 3419 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 7:35 pm
3419 spacer

spiderisland.jpg
341934193419
This bastard thing is a cause of much hassle for me. Sorry about the LOL MEME but it's the best image I could find of the whole thing.
>> No. 3420 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 8:38 pm
3420 spacer

spiderislandgoogleearth.jpg
342034203420
>>3419
I've seen worse, I can see it being a ballache during the rush hour, but the lane markings look completely clear and self-explanatory.
>> No. 3421 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 9:48 pm
3421 spacer
>>3420

Going with this lad.

No one will even come close to ramming you if you just stay in the centre until you need to leave then keep going forward, it actually seems easier than most roundabouts due to the centre lane going all the way around forever and not just for right turns.
>> No. 3422 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 10:01 pm
3422 spacer

fuckabout.png
342234223422
This is a roundabout near me, the amount of cunts who follow the red lines while you're at the greens respectively without indicating at all makes my piss evaporate instantly, because you're just sat there looking like a dick as car after car goes past, it's much worse with the top one because it's custom round here to not indicate right if you're just going straight across. Bellends.
>> No. 3423 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 10:34 pm
3423 spacer

pairofminis.png
342334233423
>>3422
If you're approaching on the blue line in the morning, you'll be waiting for all the traffic coming from the yellow line. If you're approaching on the yellow line in the evening, you'll be waiting for all the traffic crossing in front of you. If you're approaching on the green line at any time when there are more than a handful of cars on the road ... yeah, good luck with that.
>> No. 3424 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 10:38 pm
3424 spacer
>>3419

Hello fellow Derby person. I have a red mini, please try and avoid crashing into it.
>> No. 3425 Anonymous
7th September 2015
Monday 11:12 pm
3425 spacer
>>3424
Don't worry chap. I'm in Alfreton for the most part, just venturing into your territory for lessons on big city roads.
>> No. 3426 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 10:59 am
3426 spacer
Just relax, all of you. Don't overthink when you're out there, just enjoy the ride.
>> No. 3427 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 11:12 am
3427 spacer

rotatoriamagica.jpg
342734273427
I feel for anyone learning to drive in Swindon.
>> No. 3428 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 12:40 pm
3428 spacer
>>3104
My chap is £250 for 5 2 Hour lessons.
>> No. 3429 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 1:10 pm
3429 spacer

1.png
342934293429
Here's Mitchum's Corner, Cambridge's local kill-the-teenagers spot.
>> No. 3430 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 1:19 pm
3430 spacer
>>3427

I've completely abandoned city builder games for less obnoxious mistakes than that. Hint, hint, Swindon council.
>> No. 3431 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 3:10 pm
3431 spacer
>>3429
I bet those houses smack in the middle are worth fuck all.
>> No. 3432 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 5:06 pm
3432 spacer
>>3431
Oh, bless. Probably about £700K a pop? 4-storey rental fodder.
>> No. 3433 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 5:56 pm
3433 spacer
>>3432

Not a chance. They don't have parking and have tiny north facing gardens meaning you can't dry clothes. They don't look big enough to have a laundry room, chimneys suggest upstairs downstairs terraced flats, so a tumble dryer is out of the question.

With that in mind, and the location, absolute maximum £400K a unit. Maximum. Someone who knows where this is get a Google street view on the go so we can have a proper butchers at the front and rear.
>> No. 3434 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:01 pm
3434 spacer

bassets pole.png
343434343434
This island is an absolute joy.

Both of the green arrows on the entrance to the roundabout are marked as leading to the blue exit.
However, it is physically impossible to take the middle lane for this exit without having to cut up anyone on the inside lane going the same way.
>> No. 3435 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:02 pm
3435 spacer
>>3433
Search for Cambridge Staples.
>> No. 3436 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:32 pm
3436 spacer
>>3435
https://goo.gl/maps/tDj2k should do.
3433's objections don't really count for rentals, where you can ram a succession of disappointed foreign students through, year after year.
>> No. 3437 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:34 pm
3437 spacer
>>3434

Yeah, that's a bit of a tight squeeze.
>> No. 3438 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:35 pm
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1.png
343834383438
It looks a bit of a shithole, I have 4 pictures for us to gaze upon.
>> No. 3439 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:35 pm
3439 spacer

2.png
343934393439

>> No. 3440 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:36 pm
3440 spacer

3.png
344034403440

>> No. 3441 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:36 pm
3441 spacer

4.png
344134413441

>> No. 3442 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:39 pm
3442 spacer
>>3436

There are a couple for sale in this image, check the listings and see if any are for sale. I'm intrigued.
>> No. 3443 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 6:51 pm
3443 spacer

Chesterton.png
344334433443
>>3442
None seem to have sold recently. From this, some are flats, some probably HMOs.
>> No. 3444 Anonymous
8th September 2015
Tuesday 7:06 pm
3444 spacer
It's also directly opposite Cambridge's only porno shop, and handy for the (superb) Portland arms, and massive, shite, burned-out Tivoli. Add all of those attractions to the constant traffic and risk of death-by-bus, and you can see why they're such a bargain, by Cambridge standards.
>> No. 3451 Anonymous
13th September 2015
Sunday 2:48 am
3451 spacer
Theory test coming up. Doing well 95% of the time on my Practice theory and hazard perception, but still the underlying suspicion I will bollocks it all up.
>> No. 3485 Anonymous
23rd September 2015
Wednesday 7:47 pm
3485 spacer
>>3451
Nailed it. 49/50, and 58/75 Hazard perception because I got 0 for 2 clips by clicking too much.
>> No. 3514 Anonymous
29th October 2015
Thursday 12:17 pm
3514 spacer
Fucking roundabouts.
Fine on standard affairs, it's multi lane jobs that fuck me over, I keep drifting lanes because I cant make out where I am due to the sheer amount of paint on the road.
>> No. 3515 Anonymous
29th October 2015
Thursday 1:58 pm
3515 spacer
Lads I'm not gonna lie I passed with no minors first time but I feel I cheated.

This was about 4 years ago depressingly enough but if any young lads are yet to book a test, just book it for rush hour. Everybody acted like I'd just pissed away the test fee and I'd made a right fucking mess of it telling me how people would be causing problems everywhere and I'd have to deal with loads as opposed to doing it at lunch when nobody was about.

What actually happened was that it was rush hour for work and school and I did nothing but edge forward in first and second, did my manoeuvre and went home.

I've no idea why this isn't a popular option, I literally passed by sitting in traffic and edging my way back to the test centre before I'd really had chance to leave.
>> No. 3581 Anonymous
1st December 2015
Tuesday 3:13 am
3581 spacer
Big day coming up lads. test on the 7th.

Fuck me I hope it goes well. It's not that i cant afford another go, it's that it'll be about 3 months waiting.
>> No. 3582 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:01 am
3582 spacer
>>3581
Here goes nothing ladm8s.
>> No. 3583 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:08 am
3583 spacer
>>3582
Come on lad. You can do it.
>> No. 3584 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:09 am
3584 spacer
>>3582
Good luck, godpseed!
>> No. 3585 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 2:53 pm
3585 spacer
>>3582>>3583>>3584
I did it ladm8s! 5 minors. What a relief.
>> No. 3586 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 3:06 pm
3586 spacer
>>3585

>5 minors

You monster! Well done, lad.
>> No. 3587 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 3:16 pm
3587 spacer
>>3585
Nice one mate.
>> No. 3588 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 7:47 pm
3588 spacer
>>3587>>3586
Cheers lads. This thread helped with a few bits of advice. But now the fun of getting insurance etc starts.
>> No. 3589 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:43 pm
3589 spacer
>>3588

I'm genuinely pleased for you, I really am. Driving is a liberating skill to have which grants you a lot of freedom, however you need to learn how to use a comma. It's not difficult to do and the majority manage it fine, so just pay attention to them.

I don't want to piss on your chips here, today is a day of celebration, so I'm giving you a friendly warning instead. Sort it out, lad.
>> No. 3590 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:47 pm
3590 spacer
>>3585
Congrats lad, may as well get mine out the way while this is on the top of /sfw/ . You'll thank yourself for getting this out of the way early in life.
>> No. 3591 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 8:54 pm
3591 spacer
>>3588
Insure it under your dead Granddads name, so that it comes up as insured in all the cameras used to keep us safe.
>> No. 3592 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 9:04 pm
3592 spacer
>>3591

My Grandad died in a car crash, m8. His no claims is fucked!
>> No. 3593 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 9:09 pm
3593 spacer
>>3592
What about your nan?
>> No. 3594 Anonymous
7th December 2015
Monday 9:26 pm
3594 spacer
>>3593

I don't think he was expecting a follow up question to that pretty obvious joke, spectrumlad.

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