The few, the brave - those of us taking driving lessons right now!

Thanks, Jennie - I hope so!

Practicing in the car with DH tonight...not such a great idea (not his fault though):

1) It was hot.
2) Sun was in my eyes.
3) I am more used to my instructor's car.
4) Windshield was filthy.
5) Turn here...no up there...uh, I'm not sure - I'm sorta turned around here...no, turn there...no, there.... 
6) A lot more traffic than as normal during my lessons & when I'll be taking the test.

I've just got to hope for the best on Friday, cos I'm not 'practicing' like that again. 

Right. Here goes me. Booked my first lesson for a week from today.

Test drove a used car today (second time I've ever driven here!) that's the same make and model of mine back home. I felt lots more comfortable -- even with the steering wheel on the wrong side! If our mechanic gives it a clean bill of health, it looks like we'll buy it. But the insurance company wants me on a UK license as soon as possible (and my US license runs out in November anyhow).

Right! Deep breath!

5) Turn here...no up there...uh, I'm not sure - I'm sorta turned around here...no, turn there...no, there.... 
I've just got to hope for the best on Friday, cos I'm not 'practicing' like that again. 

Oh no! I have to laugh though, because that's how it was for me when my husband tried to teach me.  Add to the confused directions a slightly panicky voice and a few ill-timed interruptions...and you have the reason why I needed "real" lessons.

It has to be better than that on Friday!  I'll be rooting for you! 

Right. Here goes me. Booked my first lesson for a week from today.

Good luck Stoatula!  It sounds like you'll be fine. 

It has to be better than that on Friday!  I'll be rooting for you! 

Good luck Stoatula!  It sounds like you'll be fine. 

And good luck from me as well!! 

I just took the plunge and called an instructor.  We start tomorrow!!  I am sooo nervous.  Also, if I'm being completely honest, the Geordie accent throws me a little bit still. 

Mrs. Robinson--good luck!  I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!

I just took the plunge and called an instructor.  We start tomorrow!!  I am sooo nervous.  Also, if I'm being completely honest, the Geordie accent throws me a little bit still. 

Mrs. Robinson--good luck!  I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!

Hehe... the Geordie accent definitely takes some getting used to! It just takes a bit of time. Once you have mastered the Geordie accent, you will have better luck understanding the rest of the accents a bit better.  I've been here just over a year now and it was only a few months ago that I could say I understood any local person I came across, even on the telephone (though they still struggle to understand me on the phone.)

Good luck on your test Mrs R.!!!! And good luck with your lessons, Mungo. I am sure you will do fine. I have decided to wait until next spring to start mine.

I was sure I had failed...because near the very start of the test, I was blocking a 'Keep Clear' bit (waiting in a line of traffic going back from an intersection), and (heart attack!) I nearly ran a red light toward the end of the test - stopping just in time.    Plus a myriad of what I assumed were other faults (hearing my DI nagging me in my head the whole time).  But somehow, miraculously...

I PASSED!!!!!!

 

Two bits of luck that came my way on the test:

1) The test route that DH took me out on - on Wednesday night - included this really bizarre freaky not-at-all-round 'roundabout' that really threw me & confused me on Wednesday night...so I spoke to my DI before the test this morning about it - getting it clear in my mind.  And freaky roundabout ended up being on my test so I was 100% prepared for it!  How coincidental is that?!

2) I had a really cute & nice examiner...who my DI said as soon as he saw that I had Rob (the examiner) that he thought I'd be okay. 

Only 6 minor faults - and those were for little silly things!  I did all the hard stuff (roundabouts, maneuvers, etc) perfectly fine!  Weird, huh?

So that's done & dusted!  Sheeesh!  I still cannot believe it really & I can't say that I feel all that much more comfortable about driving here, but hey - I'm legal now so I can go out and unleash havoc upon the streets of Britain now.

No more £££££££ for driving lessons!!!!!  Yay!   

That is fantastic!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Now that you can relax about driving and focus more on your instinct rather than being technically perfect, you'll probably start to feel much more comfortable.   (that's what I'm hoping for anyway!)

What a great start to the weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS MRS ROBINSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

And that's officially the biggest smiley party I've ever thrown!  
I bet you will have a fantastic time celebrating tonight! WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Thanks ladies!  I nearly cried when he told me I'd passed - I was so sure I had failed.  And I wanted to grab that cute examiner & kiss him! 

  YAY! Congratulations!  You're legal! That's AWESOME.

Congrats!

That sounds a lot like my test situation, actually (which was also on a Friday morning). Exept for the cute examiner part--mine was a grumpy old man. But I also thought that I also thought that I failed for something right at the beginning and the end, and got a test route which I had just gone over the day before with a tricky roundabout.

Now go celebrate, and enjoy driving as you like--not doing all the tricks for the test.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that passing the test here was one of the happiest days of my life!

Congratulations, Mrs. R.!!!! Have fun on the Leeds roundabouts!

Thanks again everyone! 

I'm not exaggerating when I say that passing the test here was one of the happiest days of my life!

Word!  For me, this is like the last thing on my 'moving to the UK' checklist (unless I've missed something) and the one thing that I had been putting off forever...

Fiancée visa - check (2004)
Marriage - check (2004)
FLR - check (2004)
House - check (2005)
Job - check (2005)
ILR - check (2006)
Citizenship - check (2008)
Drivers Licence - the scariest one! check (2009)

All done! 

Ok, what have I forgotten? 

CONGRATULATIONS MRS ROBINSON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kept checking this site all day (and evening) yesterday and never could find out how you did because it was down.  So, I've been thinking of you and praying for a great outcome.  So happy my prayers (and those of many others) were answered.  
 

Nancy