Rascal's Learning to Drive

[YnysMon]

I think we need a new emoji...tears of laughter anyone?

[addicted]

16 hours ago, Delilah said:

Suspenders? Personally, I find hold-ups a lot more user friendly..... 

Hold ups have  a nasty tendency to move south just when you least expect it. they're no substitute for suspenders!

 

 

Carole

[Guest]

1 hour ago, addicted said:

Hold ups have  a nasty tendency to move south just when you least expect it. they're no substitute for suspenders!

My God no-one wants that

Of all the fine places to live up North why would anyone want to move South with all those suvverners 

[BroadAmbition]

In the RN we used to call stocking tops where the legendary suspenders clipped on ‘The Laughter Line’ cos if you got that far without being rebuffed - you were laughing 

Griff

[NorfolkNog]

Griff, when your mate gets back from wherever he's been, we are all in dead trouble! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, NorfolkNog said:

Griff, when your mate gets back from wherever he's been, we are all in dead trouble! 

Maybe he has broken down somewhere with no phone signal 

[Guest]

20 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

In the RN we used to call stocking tops where the legendary suspenders clipped on ‘The Laughter Line’ cos if you got that far without being rebuffed - you were laughing 

You Navy boys wouldn't ever reject one another Charlie surely. 

[LondonRascal]

I have not been about treading these corridors for a bit, and come back to see the place has got a bit weird and naughty. Suspenders and Stockings eh? Whatever next - a bowl to put the boat keys in..

Anyway, I should have had a three hour lesson last week - but shortly before I was due to leave I had a text to say it was cancelled - sadly there were no other slots, and so this valuable 'top up' of experience was missed.

On Monday I had what should have been my second lesson, this lasting two hours. I got in the car at Norwich station and it felt suddenly very strange to be behind the wheel after a long period of not driving. Thankfully I had not lost the knack.  I was told usually people who have been away from driving for a period know the basics - but it is the small things that need brushing up on again, like mirror checks and blind spot checks prior to pulling away from the side of the road, but I was doing ok.

It was 3:30pm so I wanted to get out of the town and away from all the school traffic - country roads and duel carriageways I was concerned about, so we did a bit of both. Then it was parking - that went very well, and by half four it was decidedly dusk. Back out on the lanes - and back to the A47. This is where I learnt how at night in heavy traffic you need to be that bit more aware of things and on fast single carriage roads just how damn annoying it is when someone comes along and does not dip their main beam.

Back into Norwich and the rush hour traffic, people stepping out without looking, bicycles with no lights, impatient buses edging out - my Instructor was  telling me how much she dislikes this time of day and how stressful it all can be. To be honest, it was half as bad as North London on a Monday evening, I felt confident and happy.

We did some more parking in bays in car parks which were now lit by their lights - but my reference points helped me line up and in every time. I also had no issues with amber traffic lights!

So one more practice tomorrow from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and then Thursday is my test. She says if I do as I have been it will be a breeze, but I am still not counting my chickens - one kerb nudge, a hesitation too far at a Roundabout - a myriad of things could just crop up come the day.

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

I have not been about treading these corridors for a bit, and come back to see the place has got a bit weird and naughty. Suspenders and Stockings eh? Whatever next - a bowl to put the boat keys in..

Sorry about that Robin, it's that Mrs Hylander, Addicted and Mrs Nog. They are a terrible influence on people 

Good luck on Thursday 

[SwanR]

Keep believing in yourself Robin and all the best for Thursday. 

[YnysMon]

All the best for Thursday!

Just put yourself into this mode....

[FairTmiddlin]

Well the result is in

And the verdict IS

[Maxwellian]

Gone quiet or still celebrating?

[CambridgeCabby]

Think he is keeping us all in suspense , or should it be suspenders (alluding to the direction of recent posts )

[NorfolkNog]

Don't set them off again................

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Don't set them off again................

I hear he passed, went for a few beers to celebrate, tried to drive it home through the valley in the forest, got a hold ups by the fuzz for driving under the influence and they knickers him and given him a suspenders sentence

[BroadAmbition]

Yes he did indeed pass with just one minor.  He got the same examiner too but in Robins words he 'Nailed it'

At last! - Well chuffed for him.  Now just needs to do the 'Proper' test with a manual G/box then he really will be flying.  Then get him pillioned (Careful) on the Mighty Tiger and see how he fancies that

I look forward to him driving me around the back roads of Norfolk for a change searching out yards, chandlers boats, Pubs and the like

Griff

 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Yes he did indeed pass with just one minor.  He got the same examiner too but in Robins words he 'Nailed it'

At last! - Well chuffed for him.  Now just needs to do the 'Proper' test with a manual G/box then he really will be flying.  Then get him pillioned (Careful) on the Mighty Tiger and see how he fancies that

I look forward to him driving me around the back roads of Norfolk for a change searching out yards, chandlers boats, Pubs and the like

Griff

Congratulations Robin. 

Drive safely, for yourself and everyone else around you.

Give it a few months you'll be moaning like the rest of us about being stuck in ruddy traffic all the time. Then you'll see just one reason why intelligent folk (and me) ride motorbikes 

Enjoy

[SwanR]

Congratulations Robin! Great news. It's one test in life that makes such an immediate difference if you pass.

[KatieR]

Yay- well done LR, am really pleased for you! 

[YnysMon]

Well done Robin!

[JanetAnne]

Well done Robin. Excellent news.

 

My better half passed her test with one minor as well. This one....

 

The glove box door came open during the emergency stop showering the examiner in tampax (!) and then window winder handle came off when she wound the window down in the rain to see out at a junction so they finished the test with the downpour running across the rubber mats and her soaked down one side. At the end of the test the examiner told her she had passed!! 'Never' she exclaimed.

'You have passed madam' He repeated followed by 'I couldn't go through that again'!!  He gave her the paperwork and left. Not another word.

[Boaters]

Good news Robin  same examiner ,I can imagine your thoughts when he came out    I passed in a Morris Minor ,needed that window winder ,hand signals in those days,most drivers would wonder what I am on about ?  

[Siddy]

Well done LR now it's time to enjoy life at your pace and not the timetables. Also to Griff in getting a new driver.

Only car I've really wanted is a Morris Minor or even better the van/traveller type both have a sound of there own on the road. But not knowing the first thing about body work repairs or engines I'd need a garage that could look after that side of life.

[LondonRascal]

Sorry for the late response personally, been out this evening :)

So yes, I have passed - with one minor (lane position) where on one of the NDR Roundabouts I did not hug the left lane enough as I went around.

However,  it could have been worse...I arrived with ten minutes in hand to find a waiting room with just one other person waiting. Within ten minutes there were 7 of us and each person was called forward and taken out to their car - apart from me.  I was checking my phone and confirmation email - had I booked the wrong day..? No, it was the 15th at 3:29pm so where was my Examiner?

"Hello again buddy"

Announced the arrival of my Examiner - none other than the same chap as I had before - what are the chances! He asked to see my provisional license and for me to sign the test sheet, only I signed in the wrong place and this meant he had to go get a fresh sheet and fill the same out - great start Rob, frustrating him already. Once he was back, the form correctly signed it was time to go to the car - the only one in the car park and after the simple eye test and 'tell me' question was out of the way, it was in the car and underway - but no Sat Nav was put on the dash instead I was asked to follow signs for Cromer.

I duly got on with this task, and all felt okay - even if I had not practiced this much before as the Sat Nav element tends to feature in almost all tests now a lot of emphasis is placed on practicing following the directions it gives without being distracted. My Examiner then began the chatting just as he had the previous time, many questions asked but it seemed to make things go by faster so I was happy and a lot more confident talking and driving this time around.

He told me it was the end of this section (following signs) and I was pleased - so far his pen had not been used so I was confident I had mad no errors. He then threw me asking me to follow signs again - this time to Great Yarmouth.  This was harder as one of the signs was missing - you had a large one 1/4 a mile from a junction but when you arrived at the junction only a pole gave a hint of where the sign should be and where one must turn to go towards  Great Yarmouth. This section did not last long and we were in an area I had never been to before. Alien roads, so I was ultra aware - speed limits, forward planning, what was around me and so on.

We circled residential streets - clearly he was on the look out for a parallel parking manouver but there were no cars to try this with so he instead asked me to 'pull up on the right hand side of the road where safe'.  Ahh the new one, good straight road no cars and no people. Doddle. I indicate, pull over and stop. He then asks me to reverse two car lengths. I begin to, and a man comes out of his house with his dog and steps right out behind the car. I of course stop, but now my heart is pounding - did I see him soon enough? Did I stop quickly enough? He got to the other side of the road, re-check my blind spots, proceed again then secure the car before re-checking blind spots and indicating left to pull away and continue. I noticed he had his pen in hand and I thought the worse. You can't get an minor for this it is a serious (and fail).

We then drove back along some fast and narrow country roads with some nasty sharp bends and other cards heading almost in the middle of the road only to get over on their side as we approached. Lovely. We got back to the Test Centre, no hint from as to if I had done well or not - silence. He then said would I like my Instructor to hear the results, I agreed and she came out to the car.  He made some marks and tutted and and hmmed shuffled his papers and then said:

"Well Robin I can say you have passed with one minor"

Well I almost screamed lol - talk about drag out the suspense. I got the certificate, handed over my Provisional so he can send the same off so I get my full license in about 3 weeks. I was then driven back to the station by my Instructor - chat chat chat blimey we forgot until the last moment to take my pass photo and then I forgot to pay her for the pre-lesson and car hire. Since rectified with good old Internet banking.

Well, I should have got it the first time - despite the break in not driving and only having a couple of catch up lessons I had really no more to 'learn' as to pass the test, a great deal perhaps to now experience and learn but then being older going into this I am already at the stage of 'slow and steady' than 'hot hatch teen racer'. Tomorrow - or Saturday it is off to Cambs to collect the Barge and drive it back to Norfolk - Shiela will be my co-pilot to keep me company so we shall see how that goes..

 

Sure been a ride, but got their in the end :)