Saturday 8 March 2014

Six month wobble

Well I've been driving solo for six months or so and the wobbles have kicked in. Some of the excitement has gone and the nerves are back. No one thing has caused it, I wonder how common it is amongst new drivers?

Part of it must be down to the fact that I live on quite a dangerous roundabout. The police have been out clearing crashed cars four times this year and there is a near miss at least once a day. I study on my bed overlooking the roundabout so I am acutely aware of it.

Some of it is also down to the terrible driving of others. The other day I was driving back from the station, taking the quieter scenic route. This is nominally a 60 but is a very narrow, incredibly potholed, tight cornered, surface water etc and only a mile or so inbetween 30mph villages. No one I know takes it faster than forty in good weather, some of the corners have no visibility at all and the potholes are obscene and often  obscured. I get a knob sitting behind me, practically sitting in my passenger seat. Flashing lights, gesticulating, beeping, sliding from side to side looking for a chance to overtake (no where at all on this road).

I did laugh a bit when he hit a pothole I had avoided but he hit, but it left me really shaken. There is no way that road is safe to take faster and I am not just talking as a new driver, I drive that road regularly and I have never seen anyone take it faster.

Lots of practice and gentle drives is helping the nerves and its passing thank goodness.

And for Steve 'the shit'Eggleton

Number of crashes:0
Damage to the car: 0
Driving offenses :0





Sunday 16 February 2014

Back (sorry)

I've had 96 page views in the last month- 96!

Hello! That was quite a surprise.

Because I have been a bit lazy with tags etc here is a synopsis:

I paid for a week long intensive driving course with Nippers school of motoring. I was reassured that they were competent in dealing with a nervous driver. I paid a lot of money to a charlatan called Steve Eggleton who was the most incompetent and unpleasant individual I have had the misfortune to come across. He was grossly unprepared, was aggressive to other drivers, had no resources and limited skills. Both he and the car were always dirty. His idea of instructing was to drive loops around. Colchester, talking constantly, offering very limited feedback and just taking my money.

I failed the test three times over six weeks with his poor management, failing each time on a very simple things he had failed to teach me.

I tried a different instructor and passed with her.

I complained about him to the driving school and got a very amateurish response that said basically it was all my fault and they would do nothing.

I complained about him to the DSA and got told that he had made up a pack of lies in response to my complaint and they believed him.

So I set up this blog and made sure that I shared my experiences whenever I could. So far I have dissuaded twelve people (that I definitely know of) away from Nippers. Now I have new contacts at the university I will make sure that lots ,more people know how shit my experience was.

You can read all of this in more detail on previous posts.

In the six months since I have passed I have had lots of fun and some scary moments learning to drive. I still don't understand why some useless fuckers don't use their indicators, am baffled by people who don't put their headlights on in poor weather and am seriously pissed off with aggressive drivers who use their cars to intimidate.

I have had no crashes, no near misses, no scratches to the car. I have driven in London in rush hour, have dealt with all sorts of surprises and bad weather and I still love the freedom of being able to drive.

I'm not angry about Steve and Nippers any more but I really think people need to know about crap instructors and schools, about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to learning to drive. These people are out there and they get away with it because people don't complain, they go on taking money for a terrible service.

Just complain and get theses useless instructors off the road.