Today's the day I drove a REAL car for the first time - not a go-kart or a dodgem car (which I am AWFUL at, might I add) or a little lego car at lego land, where 7 year olds get their licenses (I'm proud to say I had one).
This morning I was feeling quite nervous, as I had never driven a car before - obviously - so I literally had no clue ... which some might say is normal for me haha!
First of all my instructor asked me to just walk forward up my road and stop when I could read a certain number plate he had pointed it at - I took 2 or 3 steps forward and could read the number plate. My instructor was very impressed with this as it is further away that he could read it and also further than we have to be able to read it from, so I was quite pleased with myself.
We then got in the car and he drove to a car park, which he always starts the first lesson in, and went through the windscreen wipers, indicators, cockpit and safety checks and then explained to me exactly how to make the car move - helpful when driving!
He asked me to just turn the key to my right and in my head I was thinking 'what key, I see no key' and then I realised the middle of the steering wheel was blocking my view of the key - silly me! But I found it so that's the main thing!
Once I had found how to start the car I was asked to just press down on the accelerator a tiny bit just to feel the sensitivity. I had barely pressed on it and the car was already growling at me so I obviously retracted my foot quickly. The instructor asked me to try again but a little more gently, which I did, and this time it was much better... no growling.. woo!
After this he got me to find the biting point of the 1st gear, which was quite cool as the car had another bit of a growl at me and I could feel a slight pull on the car which felt a little weird. Anyway after all this stuff I got to take the hand brake off and start going - yay!!
Without using any gas I was turning round the car park easily and it was really fun and I got the hang of the steeling really quickly and then suddenly the car jolted forward a bit - I had no idea I had touched the gas at all because I couldn't feel my foot touch the pedal... it's that sensitive! It gave me a bit of a shock and had a giggle about it but it was good experience as I know to keep my foot well out the way when I don't need to use it.
He then talked me through stopping and I did this fine first time and then he got me to start again and once we had got to the same place we stopped last time he asked me to do the same as I had done before - I put my foot down on the clutch, eased on the break, put the handbrake on, put the car in neutral, let go of the pedals, we jolted and then the car stalled. How the hell did that happen? I failed to realise that I had accidentally knocked the car into gear again after putting it in neutral... oops! But my instructor said it was probably a good thing I did this as he would have to stall the car at one point anyway to show me and also it will remind me to make sure the car is definitely in neutral before letting go!
After this he got me to use some clutch control and then we went straight out onto the roads - eek! I was a little scared as I had to use the gas pedal as well as remember other things but I was fine, there were no mishaps here, where it was important so I was pleased. I feel I learnt quite a lot today and I am looking forward to my next lesson on Friday!
God help Kent... there's a blonde on the loose - I'm kidding, I'm going to be a great driver :) I have a good instructor so all is good!
Just to say I am in no way saying that blondes are worse drivers than anyone else, because they aren't, my mum is a great driver and I know many other blondes that are too, it is merely me mocking myself for sometimes being a tad ditzy - I mean I only worked out why a hand brake was called a hand brake this year sometimes... duh!
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