I had not booked a lesson for this week (I was not certain whether I was going to be in the country) so imagine my surprise when John turned up on my doorstep, dangling the car keys and looking expectantly at my bemused mother.
As it turns out, John has gotten so used to my regular Tuesday slot that he forgot to cancel my lesson. I laughed politely at his mistake and he chuckled less politely at my pink fluffy dressing gown and general morning disposition. He then left and I went to buy 'L' plates.
In my absence my mother had added me to her car insurance. Brave woman.
I had never driven her car before, not being insured, and my first attempt was somewhat traumatic for all parties concerned. To begin with there is no need to turn the key in the ignition, which is just strange to me. Then there's the seat that can't be adjusted, oh yes, and I forgot to take the handbrake off again!
Bad start, and I did not recover. Having narrowly missing the wall, I signalled left but did not move my hands quickly enough to turn, and emerging onto a busy road against the flow of traffic understandably caused my mum to panic.
With all the patience of well, a Brunton woman, mum screamed 'left left LEFT' until the word lost all meaning.
Needless to say I need to practice controlling this odd little vehicle before I am allowed back on the roads in it.
In contrast to Tuesday's excitement, today's lesson was a bit of a non-starter. I have never functioned particularly well at 9.30 am, I am definitely not a morning person. I can still make my breakfast, write articles and even learn shorthand, but before around 11am part of my brain lies dormant.
Unfortunately today 11am was precisely when my lesson ended.
The great triumph of the lesson was my hill start. This is because I did start. Every other attempt at a hill-start I have made has resulted in the car jerking forward and the engine spluttering as I stalled. Today, once I had waited what seemed like an eternity for a gap in the traffic, I had no trouble using the biting point to control the car, steering round the parked car in front of me and re-joining the road.
The lessons learnt this week then were: my mother should never become a driving instructor, am capable of a hill-start, and I have to learn to drive something other than the car I am learning in.
Mum and I are going to spent some quality time in a large deserted car park, in order for me to get used to driving a car without a key, where the seat doesn't move and the driver has sole control of the vehicle.
So if you see a silver Micra proudly baring slightly lopsided 'L' plates driving around Middlesbrough, spare a thought for my poor mother.
First published on http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/gazette-communities/ts5-acklam-and-linthorpe/ on 13/7/07
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