Hi everyone,

I hope you dont mind me joining you here. 

After 10 years of nagging from my DH I very reluctantly agreed to having a driving lesson today and as I expected, it was a total disaster.  I feel physically sick and have only just stopped shaking.

I have never tried to drive before as I suspect I have problems with left and right and also judging distance, spatial awareness and the like, plus after an accident 10yrs ago on the M6 I am a very nervous passenger so being in the driving seat has never ever appealed to me.

However, I am finding it such a drain on my time having to cart 3 kids on buses 6 times a day just to get them to school that DH has insisted I have a couple of lessons before agreeing to accept I can't do it.

He found me a female instructor and got recommendations from other people she has taught and she was really nice.  I had the first 45mins just sitting in the drivers seat going through the controls etc but then she went on to making me drive off into the road while other cars were there, steer (which I was absolutely hopeless at - I mean if you imagine a chimp blindfolded driving a car that was about as bad as I was), pull in and stop.  I just couldnt get it whatsoever.  I did it about 20 times and ballsed it up big style each time.  Then she got me to turn right from a side road which would have been hilarious to watch if it wasnt me doing it.  To make it worse it was on my estate and I was constantly cringing in case one of my neighbours saw me.  After that she started saying that she could tell I was totally disheartened and lacking in confidence but that I would get it in time at which point I burst into tears. She said she would see me next week and would take me on a car park instead as I was too nervous and after telling her about being in an accident in the past she said it would be better to keep off the road for now. 

DH says everybody's 1st lesson is bad but I have never seen anybody as bad as I was today - I mean I was on the wrong side of the road and everything, going from kerb to kerb as I just cant get how to steer let alone all the other stuff with my feet and using the mirrors.

I really dont want to go back, partly because I am embarrassed at bursting into tears but also because I just think I am one of those people who cant drive.  She said she had only seen one person like that in 9 years but I suspect I will be the second. 

Has anybody else felt this bad?  I think a big problem is that I feel I HAVE to do this but I dont actually WANT to do it. 

Need a strong cuppa tea now to calm down.

Ally xxx

Hi Ally, and welcome to the board.

Frankly, I was very surprised when I read about your first lesson. I thought it would be standard practice for the DI to take you to a quiet place for the first few lessons, so you could get used to handling the car, without having to worry so much about other road users.

Your DH's views aside, is driving really what YOU want to do? There's really no point in getting yourself stressed out over something you don't want.

Maybe you could consider changing instructors. It seems to me that your DI has a bit of a "one size fits all" approach to lessons. Have a think about everything and have a nosy through the lesson journals on here. I can tell you that my driving journey has contained plenty of disastrous moments!

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

SaW