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

Just got finished with my first driving lesson. I think I like my instructor, though he's pretty nit-picky (but then, that's what I want/need).

We only did residential roads today (thank goodness, I've survived major London traffic once and am not sure I'd do it again!). I have acquired quite a few bad habits (using the clutch way too much, etc), and then the good habits I do have are backwards (looking left-right-left instead of right-left-right).

Sigh. Decent lesson overall, but man, I do not like driving in London.

I did the exact same things.  Once I understood WHY the clutch was a big deal (ECO-driving.. It's a big deal on the test.) and WHY I had to check my left mirror when I'm making a left turn at a T-junction (cyclists could be coming up beside you), I got it and remembered it. 

Nit-picky is good. Congrats on your first lesson! 

I did the exact same things.  Once I understood WHY the clutch was a big deal (ECO-driving.. It's a big deal on the test.) and WHY I had to check my left mirror when I'm making a left turn at a T-junction (cyclists could be coming up beside you), I got it and remembered it.

Yeah, mentally I get it (though with the clutch, if I want/happen to drive inefficiently, that's just going to cost me - I don't think my one car will make a huge difference on the environment, given that it burns fossil fuels and all). Physically, though, I keep putting in the clutch (basically on the off-chance I'll need to shift in response to whatever I've noticed), and I look left by default since that's what I'm used to.

Lesson #2 went well I actually had one instant where I went to use the clutch and stopped myself in time! Also practiced a reverse parking manoeuvre, which is much easier than the parallel parking I had to do for my driving test in MD.

So, cautiously optimistic over here.

Lesson #2 went well I actually had one instant where I went to use the clutch and stopped myself in time! Also practiced a reverse parking manoeuvre, which is much easier than the parallel parking I had to do for my driving test in MD.

So, cautiously optimistic over here.

Yeah, mentally I get it (though with the clutch, if I want/happen to drive inefficiently, that's just going to cost me - I don't think my one car will make a huge difference on the environment, given that it burns fossil fuels and all). Physically, though, I keep putting in the clutch (basically on the off-chance I'll need to shift in response to whatever I've noticed), and I look left by default since that's what I'm used to.

When I was first learning to drive (a lifetime ago!) my father insisted I learn how to drive his manual car along with my mother's automatic. The thing I remember him yelling at me constantly was "get your goddamned foot off the clutch!". I didn't really drive a manual again for years and years after that, but those words kicked in when I did start to drive one.

Basically, overusing your clutch will burn it out and give you an expensive repair bill. So...best not to use it unless you need to

Soon you'll find your left foot moving for the pedal when you see something that means you'd want to down or upshift.

When I was first learning to drive (a lifetime ago!) my father insisted I learn how to drive his manual car along with my mother's automatic. The thing I remember him yelling at me constantly was "get your goddamned foot off the clutch!". I didn't really drive a manual again for years and years after that, but those words kicked in when I did start to drive one.

Basically, overusing your clutch will burn it out and give you an expensive repair bill. So...best not to use it unless you need to

Soon you'll find your left foot moving for the pedal when you see something that means you'd want to down or upshift.

Sadly my parents never yelled at me like that! If they had, I wouldn't have developed the habit in the first place. Ah well, better late than never for fixing it.

My practical test is today so please send me good vibes!!  I've been driving here an hour to work each day since February and have taken 6 lessons so I'm trying to be confident about it (especially because I have to go to work tomorrow and have no other way to get there except driving).  My one-year just ended and the whole process took way longer than I planned for (oops).  I'm also over 7 months pregnant so hopefully I'll have a nice examiner.  Wish me luck guys!!

Good luck Tally!  Sending you positive vibes!

Thanks everyone - I passed!!!!  Only one minor even though I messed up my reverse around the corner pretty badly.  And now to relax with an imaginary glass of wine!

I've had two lessons now. One in early morning Saturday no-traffic and one in a heavily traffic area during rush hour. Overall, they've gone well - but today I embarrassingly clunked the wing mirror on a skip. Sigh.

I thought I was much more prepared for this than I have turned out to be, it seems. And lots of bad habits from driving for a lifetime that I need to break for the test.

Just had my first driving lesson and it went so much better than I expected!  I was really nervous with the whole stick shift concept, but my instructor explained what the clutch does and within 15 minutes of driving he asked "...are you sure you've never driven a manual transmission car before?"

He was really impressed with my ease, and I only stalled once for a silly reason as I was parking.  I tell you, no one is more surprised than me with how well i did. hopefully i'll do as well on hills

But wow...have I missed driving in general

Just had my first driving lesson and it went so much better than I expected!  I was really nervous with the whole stick shift concept, but my instructor explained what the clutch does and within 15 minutes of driving he asked "...are you sure you've never driven a manual transmission car before?"

He was really impressed with my ease, and I only stalled once for a silly reason as I was parking.  I tell you, no one is more surprised than me with how well i did. hopefully i'll do as well on hills

But wow...have I missed driving in general


Good for you and keep up the good work! When is your next lesson?

Good on you as I did not have a satisfactory lesson experience with my first instructor(am now looking for a different one with more experience teaching expats). We have a stick shift car as well; although it has been a few years since I needed to clutch. But stilll not up to the high standards of my now ex driving instructor. He got quite cross with me for, "coasting" through roundabouts.

Look, I've driven for more years than he had years breathing! I need an instructor who gets that. My needs are different than some 17yr old sitting behind the wheel for the first time who grew up riding around watching their parents drive on the left through roundabouts, pelican and zebra crossings their whole life.

Yes, I have more than a couple of "bad driving habits". I also have a very good driving record. The instructor zoomed in and focused on the flaws more than helping me develop my spatial awareness to keep the car centered in the lane while leaving enough space to avoid taking out the right hand mirror on cars parked halfway into that lane.  He even told me I shouldn't drive to an important meeting because when making a right hand turn, I drove into the right hand lane to set up the car to make the precision 45 deg angle turn he had insisted I keep practicing (no cars were injured in the making of these turns).

Anyway, we just relocated near Epsom and I'm finally settled in for the duration after a three week stateside trip. Time to get back in the saddle. Any recs for a driving school/instructor in this area?

are all driving tests in the U.K. done on manual transmissions? I noticed over there most cars are manual....

No. You can find schools that offer lessons in automatics. You should be aware though, that if you take your test in an automatic, your license will only be good for automatics.