I cant imagine having a driving lesson where you dont talk. I think you should just change driving instuctors. Regardless of his motives you seem to have lost confidence in him. You'll never pass if that's the case.
my instructer did the same kinda thing. we did too much driving to and from the town where the test centre was (a straight A road) and not enough time doing manuevers. i went out loads in my own car with my dad and then when he thought i was ready for my test i went back to my instructor just to brush up on silly little things and he decided that i was nowhere near test standard. i told him what i thought of him, went on an intensive course in blackpool and passed 1st time after the equivilant of about 9 more lessons!
i suggest u ask him/her to focus the lesson on the things you need to practice and not on things your good at!! if he wont do it then get another instructor!!
unfortunately, the more lessons you have, the more money the instructor gets although it is in their best interest to get you a pass 1st time so they look good!!
good luck!!
I started taking driving lessons for my 17th birthday (1993).
After many lessons, and six months, I mainly struggled with parellel parking and reversing around corners - but, after six months, he put me in for my test - this was October '93.
Immediately, I lost confidence and my test was postponed - several times, as each time I lost confidence after my test was booked, but my driving was fine after each test was cancelled.
At the time - I was convinced that he was milking me for my £12 per lesson (I believe it costs more than that now?!) - but, looking back, he did the right thing, and I actually passed my test first time, in a dodgy K reg Fiesta!
Despite the fact I learned to drive 7 years ago, reading this thread initially made me think "thank God I'm not alone!" The first instructor I had sounded very similar to the one in lambing's anecdotes. To be honest I later discovered that quite a few people had previously had lessons with him and had changed instructors for the same reasons I had.
Suffice to say my first instructor had a strict policy of having the first few lessons "off the road" on one of these industrial estate type places. However, whilst that was a bit of a relief on my first lesson, the fact that I got to my third lesson and felt I had very little "on the road" experience was very concerning. I politely said something to the effect that I felt like I needed more "on the road" experience and the guy jumped right down my throat, "are you accusing me of ripping you off or something?" From that day on I felt particularly nervous and felt like I was wasting the guy's time. Luckily my Mum decided to take me out driving and so I just had 'lessons' with her for a while.
I eventually tried a different instructor and was so glad I'd made the change. My second instructor (Bob) was very candid about the rumours he had heard about other instructors in the area. I hadn't actually told Bob which instructor I had used previously at first and found it quite remarkable that Bob said on my first lesson, "well, just as well you didn't go with [Tony] because you'd have had 20 lessons worth of driving around some industrial estate." The instructor he was talking about was naturally the first guy I had gone with.
My best friend went with another instructor in the area and also believed he was getting nowhere fast. To be frank I do believe there are ones out there who will try and get as many lessons with you as possible, after all, it is "easy money" for them.
My advice to the OP and any other learner in similar situations is to definitely change instructor and if possible, stop paying for block bookings so you have the flexibility of changing again if necessary.
Ultimately you need to feel comfortable when learning to drive, after all you are spending a considerable amount of money for that one hour or 2 hours.
As for the OP being told to have more than 2 lessons a week with the instructor, I cannot help but think the guy os pulling a fast one.
I would suggest changing instructors..... unforunately there are some terrible ones out there. My first instructor was a complete sexist prat and made comments which made me feel like I was going to kill everyone. It knocked my confidence so much I jacked it in after 2 lessons and it took me 2 years to get the confidence up to have lessons again. My second instructor was okay, but very impatient as my first experiences had left me an incredibly nervous driver.... of course the more impatient he was the more nervous I got. I was all ready for calling it a day when a different instructor ended up standing in for him for a couple of weeks..... Well what a difference it made...he was kind, patient and sympathetic about my past experiences. I ended up changing over to him instead and made progress quite quickly. Of course it helped we immediately clicked with each other and he eventually became 'mr bees' lol . On my 4th and hopefully final instructor now as mr bees was allocated another patch when the driving school shuffled around all their instructors. lessons with #4 been more or less just brushing up on stuff ready for my test which is next month. When I first mentioned tests in passing I was told that it was up to me when I wanted to book a test and could do it any time.... and I would suggest that would go for everyone really.
My driving instructor was great 14 lessons and a few with my dad in a car park and onto the test and passed first time.
Funny thing though i was 6ft 3 and he was 6ft 7 in a little peugot 205
The same sort of thing happened with my daughter too. Everyone else who drove with her said how good a driver she was, but her then instructor was very negative, except about her breasts. He too kept on suggesting she needed more lessons a week. The crux came for her when he started talking about another of his students and how he was looking at her facebook page and what great breasts she had. The next lesson he was particularly harsh with her and she ended in tears telling him she just wanted to come home.
She found a new instructor who told her her driving was fine, she needed to just keep on driving for a few more months to get her confidence back. She loves her lessons now, and her test is booked.
I would suggest finding a new instructor. This one sounds as big an a**hole as my daughter's previous one.
Comments
Yep, that's just what I'd say too!
i suggest u ask him/her to focus the lesson on the things you need to practice and not on things your good at!! if he wont do it then get another instructor!!
unfortunately, the more lessons you have, the more money the instructor gets although it is in their best interest to get you a pass 1st time so they look good!!
good luck!!
I started taking driving lessons for my 17th birthday (1993).
After many lessons, and six months, I mainly struggled with parellel parking and reversing around corners - but, after six months, he put me in for my test - this was October '93.
Immediately, I lost confidence and my test was postponed - several times, as each time I lost confidence after my test was booked, but my driving was fine after each test was cancelled.
At the time - I was convinced that he was milking me for my £12 per lesson (I believe it costs more than that now?!) - but, looking back, he did the right thing, and I actually passed my test first time, in a dodgy K reg Fiesta!
Suffice to say my first instructor had a strict policy of having the first few lessons "off the road" on one of these industrial estate type places. However, whilst that was a bit of a relief on my first lesson, the fact that I got to my third lesson and felt I had very little "on the road" experience was very concerning. I politely said something to the effect that I felt like I needed more "on the road" experience and the guy jumped right down my throat, "are you accusing me of ripping you off or something?" From that day on I felt particularly nervous and felt like I was wasting the guy's time. Luckily my Mum decided to take me out driving and so I just had 'lessons' with her for a while.
I eventually tried a different instructor and was so glad I'd made the change. My second instructor (Bob) was very candid about the rumours he had heard about other instructors in the area. I hadn't actually told Bob which instructor I had used previously at first and found it quite remarkable that Bob said on my first lesson, "well, just as well you didn't go with [Tony] because you'd have had 20 lessons worth of driving around some industrial estate." The instructor he was talking about was naturally the first guy I had gone with.
My best friend went with another instructor in the area and also believed he was getting nowhere fast. To be frank I do believe there are ones out there who will try and get as many lessons with you as possible, after all, it is "easy money" for them.
My advice to the OP and any other learner in similar situations is to definitely change instructor and if possible, stop paying for block bookings so you have the flexibility of changing again if necessary.
Ultimately you need to feel comfortable when learning to drive, after all you are spending a considerable amount of money for that one hour or 2 hours.
As for the OP being told to have more than 2 lessons a week with the instructor, I cannot help but think the guy os pulling a fast one.
Funny thing though i was 6ft 3 and he was 6ft 7 in a little peugot 205
She found a new instructor who told her her driving was fine, she needed to just keep on driving for a few more months to get her confidence back. She loves her lessons now, and her test is booked.
I would suggest finding a new instructor. This one sounds as big an a**hole as my daughter's previous one.