A place to rant about things that wind you up ( keep it clean lol)

[Sparklepetal]

I also had lessons with one instructor and couldn't get on with driving. I thought it must be me and gave up for a few years. When I decided that I *had* to get on and learn I had a different instructor and realised that I was doing much better with him. I don't think it was even the teaching approach that changed, more just the vibe I was getting from them - the first one seemed nervous to be driven by me which obviously didn't help! Second one seemed to have no doubts that I would be a driver soon. Not a guarantee for you, but it could be worth trying if you feel like something needs to change.

 

[Sar]

I too had tons of lessons. We spent a good 6-9 months having relaxed sessions as I knew I would be having abdominal surgery and didn't want to book my theory until that was over so I could focus on driving without the added pain and worry. There are a couple of things to consider... 1. Would an intensive course help it gel? And 2. Do you feel you learn enough from your instructor?

I ask as I had 10 lessons with one instructor around 7 years before I learned properly. I would never have learnt with him, I just don't think his teaching style worked for me at all. I got really frustrated as he was constantly rearranging lessons and not having regular lessons didn't help! When I learnt and passed my test it was with a different instructor. She was firm but fair and really helped me. It was all the little things like she tries to make sure every student has to fill up her car during a lesson so they know how to use a petrol station

Good point made by @Lady Kelly would you consider going with another instructor?

I'm not sure an intensive course would work for me. I'm one of these that need time & to repeat things for it to 'sink in'. I can imagine I would just get frustrated but it's something to consider & I know someone who is looking for one so I may begin quizzing her.

I had been wondering if I just don't gel with my instructor. I've always found him ok but we don't talk much at all during lessons. It's usually him just telling me where to go/what to do & the odd bit of general chit chat. I don't know if we are meant to talk during lessons?

I don't drive, but my sister had just the one driving instructor and she did really well with him. A friend of ours went to the same guy after my sister got her R plates and he apparently completely destroyed any confidence she had in driving. No idea how accurate the statement actually was of course, but she ended up finding another instructor.

I also had lessons with one instructor and couldn't get on with driving. I thought it must be me and gave up for a few years. When I decided that I *had* to get on and learn I had a different instructor and realised that I was doing much better with him. I don't think it was even the teaching approach that changed, more just the vibe I was getting from them - the first one seemed nervous to be driven by me which obviously didn't help! Second one seemed to have no doubts that I would be a driver soon. Not a guarantee for you, but it could be worth trying if you feel like something needs to change.

The one I'm with came recommended when looking but then I know that we all gel with different people/ teaching styles.

I don't mind driving round repeating things until I can do it confidently because that will help me but I feel at the minute any confidence I did have is disappearing each lesson. I've brought the subject up with Mum & she said there is no shame in not getting on with this instructor.

I'm considering some options:
- have one more lesson, see how I feel & let this be the lesson that decides
- stop lessons for now. Get myself on some waiting lists (they all full) & try different instructor
- try learning in an automatic (the end result is the same right?)

 

[Siikibam]

I did think about mentioning automatic but didn’t want to in case it’s not what you want. Yes that is an option. I think I would first see about a different instructor. I had a nice instructor and we used to chat - even though he repeatedly got my name wrong You don’t have to be buddies but I think you should feel comfortable with them, if that makes sense?

I wouldn’t stop lessons. Perhaps a new instructor and ask to start back at the beginning again.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I did think about mentioning automatic but didn’t want to in case it’s not what you want. Yes that is an option. I think I would first see about a different instructor. I had a nice instructor and we used to chat - even though he repeatedly got my name wrong You don’t have to be buddies but I think you should feel comfortable with them, if that makes sense?

I wouldn’t stop lessons. Perhaps a new instructor and ask to start back at the beginning again.

I agree with this. I think it's best to learn to drive a manual if possible as it's much easier to get a manual car though I now drive an automatic because I was struggling with hip pain from my endometriosis on longer journeys using the clutch all the time.

I would have a look at a new instructor. Book 5-10 lessons with them and be brutally honest with the difficulties you are having and ask them to treat you as a brand new driver and maybe ask them to assess where you are at and what your weaknesses are. You might be pleasantly surprised by how well you are doing

 

[Rivervixen]

Neighbours blasting music through the walls, head is pounding from migraine

 

[Deleted member 145237]

People who indicate right to go round a roundabout (as they should do) but then turn off left without while still indicating right. This seemed to start about 3-4 years ago. Why?! Just why?!

 

[PigglePuggle]

A rant on my daughter's behalf... she thought she would qualify for 2 days free nursery soon for little Alfie who is 2... but apparently free nursery for 2 year olds is only for people who work less than 16 hours a week/earn less than £16000 per year before tax? How is that fair then if full time working single parents on a low income dont get free nursery but part-time or unemployed people do? Poor girl earns £16400 a year before tax which is hardly on the rich list is it, barely covers rent and household bills let alone childcare... she's lucky to have the Bank of Mum but most people don't... not much incentive for single mums to work rather than claim benefits is there! She has a job interview next week for a better paid job though so paws crossed...

 

[PigglePuggle]

And Dominic Cummings, does anyone else think he is just stirring dissent and trying to upset everyone just for the sake it and blatantly attention seeking? Shut up you baldy old fool, hardly in a position to be criticising anyone really... and also maybe the media should stop giving him a platform and report some nice happy news stories for us instead about rescue animals and disabled kids doing fund raising challenges and suchlike! I find Keir Starmer similarly annoying, no policies himself except disagree with everone else's...

 

[Lorcan]

And Dominic Cummings, does anyone else think he is just stirring dissent and trying to upset everyone just for the sake it and blatantly attention seeking? Shut up you baldy old fool, hardly in a position to be criticising anyone really... and also maybe the media should stop giving him a platform and report some nice happy news stories for us instead about rescue animals and disabled kids doing fund raising challenges and suchlike! I find Keir Starmer similarly annoying, no policies himself except disagree with everone else's...

I can't help with the rest of it, but - St Ives: 'Unluckiest' swan becomes a mum after raft rescue

 

[piggieminder]

And Dominic Cummings, does anyone else think he is just stirring dissent and trying to upset everyone just for the sake it and blatantly attention seeking? Shut up you baldy old fool, hardly in a position to be criticising anyone really... and also maybe the media should stop giving him a platform and report some nice happy news stories for us instead about rescue animals and disabled kids doing fund raising challenges and suchlike! I find Keir Starmer similarly annoying, no policies himself except disagree with everone else's...

He's just making himself look more stupid than he did before, a touch of soar grapes me thinks!

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

And Dominic Cummings, does anyone else think he is just stirring dissent and trying to upset everyone just for the sake it and blatantly attention seeking? Shut up you baldy old fool, hardly in a position to be criticising anyone really... and also maybe the media should stop giving him a platform and report some nice happy news stories for us instead about rescue animals and disabled kids doing fund raising challenges and suchlike! I find Keir Starmer similarly annoying, no policies himself except disagree with everone else's...

He's just out for revenge ... vile piece of work. And despite Bojo having stood by him when he broke the rules last year - why ever did he trust Cummings in the first place? He was probably responsible for most of Johnson's stupider ideas anyway. The Spitting Image Dominic Cummings was pretty spot on! I can't imagine any decent business giving him a job, he's probably after a tasty book deal -"Boris Johnson, My Part in his Downfall" or "The Ladybird Book of Pandemic Management" perhaps ...

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

A rant on my daughter's behalf... she thought she would qualify for 2 days free nursery soon for little Alfie who is 2... but apparently free nursery for 2 year olds is only for people who work less than 16 hours a week/earn less than £16000 per year before tax? How is that fair then if full time working single parents on a low income dont get free nursery but part-time or unemployed people do? Poor girl earns £16400 a year before tax which is hardly on the rich list is it, barely covers rent and household bills let alone childcare... she's lucky to have the Bank of Mum but most people don't... not much incentive for single mums to work rather than claim benefits is there! She has a job interview next week for a better paid job though so paws crossed...

Hope she gets the better job - but if she doesn't, perhaps she could ask her present employer to reduce her salary to £15999. But with a £500 end-of-year bonus to be added.

 

[Sar]

I did think about mentioning automatic but didn’t want to in case it’s not what you want. Yes that is an option. I think I would first see about a different instructor. I had a nice instructor and we used to chat - even though he repeatedly got my name wrong You don’t have to be buddies but I think you should feel comfortable with them, if that makes sense?

I wouldn’t stop lessons. Perhaps a new instructor and ask to start back at the beginning again.

I agree with this. I think it's best to learn to drive a manual if possible as it's much easier to get a manual car though I now drive an automatic because I was struggling with hip pain from my endometriosis on longer journeys using the clutch all the time.

I would have a look at a new instructor. Book 5-10 lessons with them and be brutally honest with the difficulties you are having and ask them to treat you as a brand new driver and maybe ask them to assess where you are at and what your weaknesses are. You might be pleasantly surprised by how well you are doing

I stopped my lessons, my instructor didn't seem too surprised. I have a list of hints & tips, things I have learnt during my lessons so hopefully I will be able to use them in the future. I will try manual again, with a different instructor & definitely like you say @Lady Kelly be honest from the start about my struggles this time. I'm just glad I'd not told everyone I was having lessons so I can just deal with it quietly & start again at a later date.

Thank you all for being my sounding board this week.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Another rant from me, I'm having quite a cross week!
Just received an email sent to "all staff" announcing that the pro-vice chancellor is retiring and requesting everyone contributes money for a gift! All staff... the porters, the cleaners, the office staff who all earn under £20k being invited to donate money for a chap earning over £80k retiring with a big fat pension... erm, I think not!

 

[Sar]

A rant on my daughter's behalf... she thought she would qualify for 2 days free nursery soon for little Alfie who is 2... but apparently free nursery for 2 year olds is only for people who work less than 16 hours a week/earn less than £16000 per year before tax? How is that fair then if full time working single parents on a low income dont get free nursery but part-time or unemployed people do? Poor girl earns £16400 a year before tax which is hardly on the rich list is it, barely covers rent and household bills let alone childcare... she's lucky to have the Bank of Mum but most people don't... not much incentive for single mums to work rather than claim benefits is there! She has a job interview next week for a better paid job though so paws crossed...

The 2 year old funding (so 15 hours) was introduced to bridge the gap between disadvantaged children and early education so they were on a similar level to their peers when they start school. That's why unemployed people/ those receiving certain benefits or top ups for part time workers qualify. Hope the interview goes ok for your daughter.

And Dominic Cummings, does anyone else think he is just stirring dissent and trying to upset everyone just for the sake it and blatantly attention seeking? Shut up you baldy old fool, hardly in a position to be criticising anyone really... and also maybe the media should stop giving him a platform and report some nice happy news stories for us instead about rescue animals and disabled kids doing fund raising challenges and suchlike! I find Keir Starmer similarly annoying, no policies himself except disagree with everone else's...

I also wish he'd shut up. I currently have the same feelings for Harry & Megan Markle. They quit the royal family wanting privacy & moved to America. Why are they constantly talking & whinging publicly?! Do they not know it doesn't fall under privacy?

 

[Lady Kelly]

I stopped my lessons, my instructor didn't seem too surprised. I have a list of hints & tips, things I have learnt during my lessons so hopefully I will be able to use them in the future. I will try manual again, with a different instructor & definitely like you say @Lady Kelly be honest from the start about my struggles this time. I'm just glad I'd not told everyone I was having lessons so I can just deal with it quietly & start again at a later date.

Thank you all for being my sounding board this week.

I did the same, I'm my own worst critic and put an unbelievable amount of pressure on myself over everything so I decided not to tell anyone about having lessons. Think I told my parents a few weeks before my test but otherwise only my hubby knew. I found I couldn't that use my perception of what others were thinking as a means to beat myself up. It was hard enough to do the test then and it's all changed since I passed in 2015

 

[Sar]

I did the same, I'm my own worst critic and put an unbelievable amount of pressure on myself over everything so I decided not to tell anyone about having lessons. Think I told my parents a few weeks before my test but otherwise only my hubby knew. I found I couldn't that use my perception of what others were thinking as a means to beat myself up. It was hard enough to do the test then and it's all changed since I passed in 2015

I think as well for me its the pressure of my age & that 99% of people I know already drive. 90% of these people had parents that took them for lessons, paid for lessons or bought first cars for them. I've had people tell me "if I can do it anyone can" "you won't crash, instructors have pedals too" and all manner of other unhelpful things.... I tried, it didn't work this time. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

I've just spent an hour fighting with my laptop, until it turned off & did updates. Are all Dell laptops this useless?!?

 

[Lorcan]

I think as well for me its the pressure of my age & that 99% of people I know already drive. 90% of these people had parents that took them for lessons, paid for lessons or bought first cars for them. I've had people tell me "if I can do it anyone can" "you won't crash, instructors have pedals too" and all manner of other unhelpful things.... I tried, it didn't work this time. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

I've just spent an hour fighting with my laptop, until it turned off & did updates. Are all Dell laptops this useless?!?

Re: the laptop, was it stuttering, being slow, things not working properly, that kind of thing? Because that's how my desktop lets me know I have updates waiting lol. I'll be cursing the damn thing out until I remember to check and I do it every single time.

 

[Sar]

@Lorcan yes it was. It seems like every time I turn the stupid thing on it needs a windows update or a norton scan. I wouldn't mind so much if I used it for hours every day but often I'm only on it for a couple of hours a week.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Another rant from me, I'm having quite a cross week!
Just received an email sent to "all staff" announcing that the pro-vice chancellor is retiring and requesting everyone contributes money for a gift! All staff... the porters, the cleaners, the office staff who all earn under £20k being invited to donate money for a chap earning over £80k retiring with a big fat pension... erm, I think not!

That is just typical! We always found that whenever there was a whip round for a leaver, the best paid people always carried no money at all or small change for a coffee

 

[Bill & Ted]

My rant for this week is the Council recycling team. Our normal fortnightly recycling team comes twice monthly on a Friday around 11.30 am. This morning at 7.15 am I was awoken to the sounds of a heavy vehicle trundling around the close. It was the recycling people! yes I know it’s a Bank Holiday and you all want to finish early but that’s no excuse to change your route. So now we will have to make a 6 mile trip to the tip to recycle and queue for 30 minites to get in and make sure our vehicles number plate corresponds on the correct day too. We won’t be here in a fortnights time as we are going up north for the weekend. if I had known you were coming early then I would have put it out the night before so the local cats, dogs and foxes can urinate all over the box and bags and you can come along and leave a little note to say I will be fined next time we see you’ve put your rubbish out before 6.00 am!

 

[Betsy]

My rant for this week is the Council recycling team. Our normal fortnightly recycling team comes twice monthly on a Friday around 11.30 am. This morning at 7.15 am I was awoken to the sounds of a heavy vehicle trundling around the close. It was the recycling people! yes I know it’s a Bank Holiday and you all want to finish early but that’s no excuse to change your route. So now we will have to make a 6 mile trip to the trip to recycle and queue for 30 minites to get in and make sure our vehicles number plate corresponds on the correct day too. We won’t be here in a fortnights time as we are going up north for the weekend. if I had known you were coming early then I would have put it out the night before so the local cats, dogs and foxes can urinate all over the box and bags and you can comes along and leave a little note to say I will be fined next time we see you’ve put your rubbish out before 6.00 am!

 

[Bill & Ted]

When you are in a rush in a shop queue and the person in front asks for a lucky dip for tonight, a number 7 a number 8 and a number 2 scratch card, then claims all of their 1 pound coins from the last 20 scratch cards, then asks for a pack 0f 20 L&b... then carries on to have a general chit chat with the shop keeper.

P. S is see my thread is still doing well

Yes I got one of those the other day and he even took his bloody mask down to amuse (I use that term loosely) the queue and the shop keeper of his new puppies toileting habits, delightful!

 

[Bill & Ted]

So irritating, local newsagents are the worst for it. I cant stand people who wear the mask just over their mouth with the nose poking out.

Yes it was in the newsagents that does irritate me, get some ear adjustment on those masks, it’s not a fashion to wear them under your nose, you idiot! how many people do this and are constantly touching and adjusting their masks, grim yuk

 

[xRoan]

Rant: double standards. I hate them, both when they apply to me and when they apply to other people. Any time they happen anywhere near me, I get rattled. Don't dish out what you can't take, and don't discriminate.

That is all.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Online grocery substitutions! Last week sainsbury's substituted a large loaf with a small loaf so we ran out of bread on Thursday... today after an intense 48 hours of toast withdrawal symptoms... I ordered 2 loaves but got no bread at all! My 2 granary loaves had both been substituted with... 3 pack assorted mixed peppers?! Which I already ordered... so I have 12 peppers and no bread. I wonder if Piggle has piggy mafia connections at the local warehouse? Because they also substituted my tomatoes with an extra cucumber...!

 

[Lorcan]

I wonder if Piggle has piggy mafia connections at the local warehouse? Because they also substituted my tomatoes with an extra cucumber...!

I feel so bad for laughing at this...

On the other hand, am I the only one who has done well over online groceries? Because I've never really had a bad substitution. heck I once ordered some expensive soda as a treat and because of the way the order had to be handled, I ordered two bottles, and instead got two "crates" (8 bottles) for, uh, 20p.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Online grocery substitutions! Last week sainsbury's substituted a large loaf with a small loaf so we ran out of bread on Thursday... today after an intense 48 hours of toast withdrawal symptoms... I ordered 2 loaves but got no bread at all! My 2 granary loaves had both been substituted with... 3 pack assorted mixed peppers?! Which I already ordered... so I have 12 peppers and no bread. I wonder if Piggle has piggy mafia connections at the local warehouse? Because they also substituted my tomatoes with an extra cucumber...!

Has Tallulla got anything to do with this there’s a lot of peppers and cucumber in your fridge now

 

[Lady Kelly]

I feel so bad for laughing at this...

On the other hand, am I the only one who has done well over online groceries? Because I've never really had a bad substitution. heck I once ordered some expensive soda as a treat and because of the way the order had to be handled, I ordered two bottles, and instead got two "crates" (8 bottles) for, uh, 20p.

Most of mine have gone smoothly, even when I have had substitutions they have generally been acceptable. I do however remember one Tesco delivery approx 7 years ago. I was trying to be gluten free under the idea that it would reduce my pain levels. I ordered a pack of gluten free sausages... My substitution was normal non gluten free sausages. Even the delivery driver looked at them puzzled and said "I guess you don't want your sub?". Definitely not as bizarre as getting peppers instead of bread but still an odd choice given most gluten free purchases are for allergy reasons

 

[DM270921]

looked up at the bedroom ceiling just now to find this -
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