BCCF = Bacon Cheddar Chipotle Fries. Driving across town to the del Taco drive-through to get Bacon Cheddar Chipotle Fries. Did it every Saturday morning and most Tuesday evenings (Tuesdays was Taco-Two-Fer night). Reminding myself that I have been driving a car an average of three to five hours a day, every day, in insane SoCalif traffic, for decades. I survived that, I can handle Glasgow. It's kind of a mantra.
I didn't make any major faults today. Several minors, mostly dealing with mini-roundabouts. I either dead-stopped when I could have gone on (out of paranoia) or didn't remember to signal left when driving straight across. I don't have a problem with that on big roundabouts, but it's counter-intuitive on the minis. No problem cognitively signaling right (then left) for a right exit, or left for a left exit, but signaling left halfway across to go straight just makes something in my mind go ~poink!~ as there is no turn at all involved. (Sigh. I'll get it memorized soon.)
Today we practiced parallel parking. It's easier here. You get two entire car lengths to get into the spot. Not a single car-length like when I took my very first driving test ever. And the car here is fripping tiny.
Check the road. Pull up parallel to the parked car. Back until back end of parked car is even with back door. Turn wheel one turn to the left. Back up slowly. When the back of the parked car is at the mirror turn wheel one turn back right. Back up slowly. When the front of the car is clear the parked car, one turn to the right. Back up slowly. Be swiveling your head around like the exorcist the entire time to make sure you don't run over the blind little old lady pushing the dog in the pram leading the toddlers.... Straighten wheel up. Put car in park, put parking break on.]So comfort levels checkoff today:
Big Roundabouts, lane and signaling - check
Speed reduction approaching roundabout - check
Use of mirrors while driving - check
Checking mirrors BEFORE signaling - ehhh, getting there. I automatically signal and THEN look before moving.
Not swiveling around to look when changing lanes, using mirrors instead - mostly check
Construction zones/closed lanes - check
Weird markings on the roads, no stopping on - check
Turning right into the left-hand lane - check
Turning left - check
Stopping or not at orange light - check
Hand-over-hand - wellllllll, at least I got him to say it's not a fault. So I can stop worrying about it for the test.
Not gripping the wheel so hard my knuckles turn white - maybe next time
Parallel parking - check (mostly - a couple more attempts and I'll have it down. Every car is different.)
Reversing two car lengths - check
Reversing into a parking bay - almost check (such an alien manoever!)
Getting on the motorway without doing a head-turn - check
Speed monitoring - check
Knowing the lights (fog/parking/low-beam) - check
Bus lanes, use of - check
School zones - check
Double-round-abouts - {hives} - check
Roundabouts with traffic signals - check
Roundabouts without traffic signals - check
Tom-tom - check
Going into the left hand lane at lights to go through the intersection rather than waiting behind people in the right-hand lane who are turning right where there were two lanes - uh, wellllll next time.
It's coming along. I've got eight more hours of practice before the test.