Driving Lessons

I hate it because sometimes the aisle between spaces is really tight and it's really difficult to park. But I don't like pulling in or backing in when it's like that. I'd rather parallel park...

Pretty well all the supermarkets and parking garages around here require vertical parking. If I can I like to drive forward into a space and beyond to the next space so that driving out is easy.  Otherwise I would rather reverse into a tight space than out of one. I also choose to park well away from entrances if the parking is easier.

Pretty well all the supermarkets and parking garages around here require vertical parking. If I can I like to drive forward into a space and beyond to the next space so that driving out is easy.  Otherwise I would rather reverse into a tight space than out of one. I also choose to park well away from entrances if the parking is easier.

When I need access to the trunk for groceries, I just pull in for a big shop at Sainsbury's. Only pull through if I'm there for a few things.

I don't see why you guys are such haters on backing into a space.  I  do it all the time as a preference because I have really poor depth perception.  It's super easy to line up the lines in your mirror and just go straight back. Plus, if you need a quick get away.....

It's just not something that I've ever done. [There was a kind of a general "that's the sign of a douchbag" thing about seeing cars backed into parking spaces in SoCal culture - like you'd usually only see expensive or souped-up (aka young/adolescent male drivers) cars parked in like that.]  Plus, in some areas I've lived, you get a ticket for that. My last employer's parking office made a small fortune from ticketing people backed into parking bays. (It puts their hot exhaust over the verge, I guess? Fire hazard?).

Spent some time at today's lesson  doing backing into parking bays. I agree that it's much safer when you want to be leaving, as you don't have to ooch out slowly backwards before you can see if the way is clear or not. But if you back into a bay, you can't roll your trolly up to the trunk to put your groceries in... Either way, I got into the spot ok (with much "nonono, don't do that!" from Dear Tommy ) Going in nose-first is a lot easier.  I still just don't have a sense of the dimensions of his car in "space" if that makes any sense. My own car I knew how it fit. But I still got in the bay all three times, so I guess I'll do ok on the drive test on that, if asked.

Well another thing to forget: crossing main roads if there are any cars visible on it. So there's a car coming down the road I wanted to cross. It was like 15 car lengths away and we were both in a 20mph zone. I was otherwise clear. Zipped across, plenty of time and room to spare - the other driver would not have even had to have thought about braking. Apparently that was an instant "fail".      I should have waited for the car to pass me before pulling out. I keep forgetting - "Drive Like An Old Lady".  (Arrrgh!!!)

It's so hard to unlearn things!

If I'd sat there in SoCal, with someone behind me waiting to go, and didn't cross while there was time, they'd have been laying on the horn like mad.  Or, more likely, driving around me.  But when in Rome....

And the mirror first then signal. I'm used to signaling intent and checking mirrors almost simultaneously, with the understanding that I'm not moving over if it's not clear. You are warning people what you want to do. Apparently that's bad and wrong. I need to check mirrors and then signal.

But if there is nobody on the road behind me or ahead of me I don't need to signal because there's nobody there to see the signal. (I was taught that you signal no matter what. I remember having a classmate in Uni who was a retired two-star general in the Army. He would signal even in the parking lot when there were no cars parked in it and no other car for a mile. After class, at 10:00pm. We used to tease him about it, but that's the way he learned. And me, as well!)

I was a little "off" today - stayed up too late watching Brexit stuff on TV, and then slept later than usual this morning. I'll have to be sure that I get up good and early on test day, eat a proteiny breakfast, and have some coffee. Six more lessons/practice sessions to get it right!    At least I am feeling comfortable in the car and on the "wrong" side of the road now!

Looking in the mirrors first, then signaling is so counterintuitive! That was tough to practice.

Not  signaling when there are no cars around, and not signaling when you are in a lane where you can only go one way, is another one. I dropped both as soon as I passed.

With all the pedestrians criss crossing and stepping off curbs (then looking) it seemed safer to me to at least let pedestrians know I was planning to turn. It’s amazing that more people don’t get mowed down in Glasgow daily!

Tommy is a tough instructor, Nan. I found that when I took the actual test, it was very straightforward and believe it or not, less stressful! It seemed to be on a much easier track than I’d been practicing on.

Tommy also knows many of the examiners well. We’d run into them during lessons. Tommy would wave or call out, then he’d say “ he’s an examiner” I think he plays poker with them! I made sure to drop his name when I first got in the car!




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Looking in the mirrors first, then signaling is so counterintuitive! That was tough to practice.

Not  signaling when there are no cars around, and not signaling when you are in a lane where you can only go one way, is another one. I dropped both as soon as I passed.

With all the pedestrians criss crossing and stepping off curbs (then looking) it seemed safer to me to at least let pedestrians know I was planning to turn. It’s amazing that more people don’t get mowed down in Glasgow daily!

Tommy is a tough instructor, Nan. I found that when I took the actual test, it was very straightforward and believe it or not, less stressful! It seemed to be on a much easier track than I’d been practicing on.

Tommy also knows many of the examiners well. We’d run into them during lessons. Tommy would wave or call out, then he’d say “ he’s an examiner” I think he plays poker with them! I made sure to drop his name when I first got in the car!

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Tommy is great!  In the spring I'm going to pay for the Daughter to take lessons from him. When there's no ice on the roads.    She didn't drive a lot at home, so she won't have as much to unlearn. And since she's the one who's going to be working for a living, and probably needing a car later on, she should be able to drive.

Signaling. Yeah, I've never had someone tell me to NOT signal when changing lanes before. But I think that I'll probably just keep doing it, as it's automatic. And that way if there's someone in a blindspot or something at least I can say "I signaled!".  That's one of those behaviors that's just automatic for me, and it doesn't hurt anything, and it wont' cause me to fail the test, so I'm not going to worry much about it.

The "Mirror/Signal/Move" is just really tough. I keep remembering the freeway. You signal to let people know you want to move over. Two out of three times it didn't help, but now and then someone would slow a bit and let you move over a lane.  But you never move unless it's clear! Ah, well. I have to do it to pass. So I'll just have to be really on top of things.

So, now while driving down the road I'm thinking "BCCF - MSM - BCCF" while paying attention to everything.  Someday, someone is going to find me in a fetal position, muttering "bccf, bccf, bccf".... 

My first instructor who was straight up crazy and had a beat up car with mushy brakes said “metal, signal, metal” it took me two lessons to figure out wt* he was saying!

I predict you’ll pass first time. I know Tommy had me well prepared, and I did! Much to my utter and complete surprise and disbelief!


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Someday, someone is going to find me in a fetal position, muttering "bccf, bccf, bccf".... 

This gave me a giggle. You shall get your BCCF! Don't go fetal on me! 😆

It's just not something that I've ever done. [There was a kind of a general "that's the sign of a douchbag" thing about seeing cars backed into parking spaces in SoCal culture - like you'd usually only see expensive or souped-up (aka young/adolescent male drivers) cars parked in like that.]  Plus, in some areas I've lived, you get a ticket for that. My last employer's parking office made a small fortune from ticketing people backed into parking bays. (It puts their hot exhaust over the verge, I guess? Fire hazard?).

Before I moved to the USA I used to work at a large office block located on a very large chemical site and the rule and signs in the parking lot was to reverse in, or drive through so you are always facing out. This is for in the case of an emergency evacuation so that when told to do so workers can leave the site as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Once while working in Louisiana we had a big chemical spill where an evacuation of all office staff was called (~300 folks). It sure was nice to be able to get into the car and drive out without having to reverse back watching out for others also reversing into the same area.

I guess like everything, you get comfortable with doing things the way you are taught and it becomes a habit no matter what the situation.

Before I moved to the USA I used to work at a large office block located on a very large chemical site and the rule and signs in the parking lot was to reverse in, or drive through so you are always facing out. This is for in the case of an emergency evacuation so that when told to do so workers can leave the site as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Once while working in Louisiana we had a big chemical spill where an evacuation of all office staff was called (~300 folks). It sure was nice to be able to get into the car and drive out without having to reverse back watching out for others also reversing into the same area.

I guess like everything, you get comfortable with doing things the way you are taught and it becomes a habit no matter what the situation.

I sort of knew you would be the guy who needed a quick exit.  It's always the quiet ones.

I sort of knew you would be the guy who needed a quick exit.  It's always the quiet ones.

 

Oof. Had my last manual lesson today. By the end I was so tired I couldn't shift properly Glad to be taking the test in my car! Lesson in my own car tomorrow.

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Good luck!
Another lesson with Tommy Automatic tomorrow, then one later in the week. Have to work on "all the knobs" now. This car has more buttons and levers than I've ever seen! 

Ok, silly question. I'm practicing the "show me tell me" stuff for the DL test.  Tire pressure. Do they not put the recommended pressure on the sidewalls of the tires anymore? (Or here?)  Everything keeps saying "refer to user guide."

Has anyone actually been asked to pop the hoodlatch and show the examiner you know how to check the oil or other fluids?

Thanks!

Ok, silly question. I'm practicing the "show me tell me" stuff for the DL test.  Tire pressure. Do they not put the recommended pressure on the sidewalls of the tires anymore? (Or here?)  Everything keeps saying "refer to user guide."

Our tire pressure is listed on a sticker inside the driver's side door frame. If you're standing outside the car with the driver's side door open, and you're facing the car so you're looking at the right side of the driver's seat, the sticker is on the door frame to your left.

Has anyone actually been asked to pop the hoodlatch and show the examiner you know how to check the oil or other fluids?

My test was 10 years ago, but the dude asked me to pop the hood and tell him how I'd check the windshield washer fluid level.