What do you reckon it is? No, not golf.
Driving.
Ha ha ha. Ha. Ha...
(I warn you - my knowledge of golf begins and ends with that pun).
Watch out motorists and pedestrians of Britain, I am going to try to learn to drive. Eek. Quite, quite terrified, truth be told, and also rather poorer fiscally. I'm doing it a bit late (nice to know I can be old for certain things) mostly because I was too scared to try before, but I've realised that my dream of a rural idyll would be rather compromised by not being able to get to and from it. So, shall spend three weeks at a 'simulation centre', whatever that is (six hours in these three weeks, you understand, not the whole lot) and then hit the road... agh!
P.s. stories of how you and all around you nearly died whilst learning to drive not particularly welcome right now...
I was 35 before I learned to drive so don't worry about your age, I'm sure you be fine. Good luck with it all!
ReplyDeleteI learned to drive on the farm tractor in Ohio when I was 12. With my friend standing on the back, we turned over into the ditch. No one injured, but embarrassed and scared about punishments awaiting back home for being so stupid and foolhardy.
ReplyDeleteYou're much older than twelve and probably much more sensible. You'll pass with flying colors.
We didn't have such luxuries as simulation centres to practice in when I learnt to drive. Just a cardboard box... Actually, my first attempts at driving were laps of the Kwik Save car park on a Sunday. Of course, with everything open on a Sunday nowadays, you'd be hard pushed to find an empty car park, but if you can, they are recommended for learning the basics, with few obstacles, before venturing onto the roads.
ReplyDeleteI learned at 28 when my experiment at CERN was too far away from the main site to get to by walking/cycling. I needed a real reason to motivate me to learn to drive as living in the centre of large cities (Edinburgh then London) did not provide any incentive for car use.
ReplyDeleteMore negatively, and I'm sure you will have a good response, one problem with rural idylls is that they get spoilt by the ever increasing use of cars to get to them. Also increasing car use then gives even less incentive to provide good public transport outside of the urban regions.
Good luck. Peter
Having just taught my elder son to drive (passed first time, go him!) I'm very gung-ho about the whole process and want to tell you you'll be fine. Simulation first sounds way less scary than the bike-clogged streets of Oxford! Best of luck, Simon!
ReplyDeleteNo defence, except the sheer impracticality of living in the countryside without a car! At least I have no plans to have my rural idyll as a second home. A first home isn't looking likely until the very distant future...
ReplyDeleteI was fractionally younger than Peter the Flautist was when I learned, so you're a mere youth in comparison. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThis time next week, I will either have just passed or just failed my test. Don't worry too much about it, it seems hard at first but you start doing everything automatically very quickly. Kind of jealous about having a simulator to play on, though - I had to make do with putting the lives of the general public in terrible danger...
ReplyDeleteI had two months in which to learn when I was 23 and had my health visitor training lined up. Driving was a prerequisite but they were so desperate to get someone as young as 23 actually wanting to do a job where most women then were in their late 40's that they said I could start the course anyway even if I failed my test and they'd supply me with a moped to ride around Plymouth city centre.
ReplyDeleteI needed no greater incentive, had ten lessons with BSM and then the rest with my husband of less than a year, almost got divorced before our first anniversary but I did it. No pressure there then Simon!
You'll be fine, I'm sure you are exactly the right age. Driving with my sons when they were 17 is not something I would wish on anyone, seriously scarry. Keep the rural idyll in mind, I'm told men respond well to goal setting!! C.B.
ReplyDeleteyou're braver than I. I started but didn't finish. So go for it.
ReplyDeleteI was 45 before I learned to drive Simon so you will whizz through
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