Have just been perusing the BSM Instructor forum while waiting for MOTD to start. After an initial burst of favourable posts re. the Fiat 500, the general mood seems to have returned to sulking and stamping of feet.
Much of the pouting and petulance is along the lines of 'How will my poor little pupils cope with the change from the Corsa/Astra?' This conveniently forgets that many pupils get practice between lessons in family or friends' cars which range from wee Renault Twingos to people carriers and 4x4 Pick-Up trucks. Get over it! I thought we are supposed to be Driving Instructors, instructing people in driving. If your pupils really can't cope with maybe slightly different controls, biting point and handling I think you should ask yourself if you are in the right profession.
As I have previously said, I think the Driving Test is so much tougher than it used to be. Driving is an important life skill; this skill could literally make the difference between life and death. So, quite rightly, the test should be tough. People are still killing themselves (and others) on the road so it is my job to try and make each pupil a safe, controlled driver. Similarly, it is the examiner's job to assess whether they are safe and in control; hence my surprise when, yesterday, the examiner passed Scott and then suggested he take more lessons!
Early this year I was at Inverness Test Centre, teaching a pupil how to reverse into a parking bay. It was a Saturday morning and there was one other car in the car park. As it was nearly 11.30am I was fully aware that, if there was anyone on a 10.44am test, they would soon be returning. As it happened, there was a test returning, so I got my pupil to secure the car and switch off the engine while the test was finishing. Once test had finished and the examiner had left the car my pupil did one more practice at the bay park and we drove off. Ten minutes later I got a call from BSM saying that Inverness Test Centre had called, complaining about me using the TC car park to practice whilst a test was being conducted. I was incensed at this! Firstly, we were completely stationary (in a bay) during the whole time the test was being completed. Also, if someone is at the level where they feel ready to take their test, they surely should be able to deal with two cars in a car park?!
Last year, the Senior Examiner at Inverness politely asked instructors not to use the TC car park for practicing whenever tests were being conducted. This is because, during the week, the car park is usually busy and bay park practice could cause delays. Fair enough. BUT.... if a test candidate gets all the way around a test route without commiting a serious fault then, at the end of the test, they are unable to deal with other cars in a car park, they are NOT GOOD ENOUGH to pass their test, surely?
So, to all those instructors who have to suffer the outrage of your pupil having to cope with a different car, it could be a lot worse, your pupils might have to cope with (gasp) PARKED CARS!!!
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What do you think of the pretty pictures. I'm not too sure about the white, but I think the black looks great.
This new car reminds me of your little FAB car you drove in 6th form!!
ReplyDeleteI know, that's what I thought too! They were (I had 2 of them a dark red one and a white one) Fiat 850.... a step up from the (old) Fiat 500. A few memories of those cars. I can't imagine driving side-by-side with other instructors, passing a bottle of vodka between the cars this time though
ReplyDeleteMartin, I would just point out that at our local TC the centre manager has had to put up signs asking instructors not to use the car park for practice. The problem is that if one does it, they all do it - and most ADIs (around here, anyway) are too damned stupid to work it out themselves.
ReplyDeleteOur TC can have anything up to 10 tests going out at the same time, and having ADIs cluttering up the car park and side roads can make safe exit (or bay park) almost impossible. Like I say, most ADIs are just too stupid to realise the effect they have. Even in a large retail park car park you will get idiots coming up and blocking you whilst THEY do their manoeuvre.
The real problem as I see it is that having some clown - possibly with an absolute beginner at the manoeuvre - messing around next to a candidate just going out on test is quite possibly going to result in a fail situation for that candidate that they didn't create themselves. I'd be furious if another ADI caused a situation that led to one of my pupils failing - and having four of them doing it (like I saw last week whilst one of mine was out on test - ADIs ignore the centre manager's requests - is quite capable of letting that happen.
If I were you, I'd rethink using the TC car park unless it is the only one around. It really isn't nice for pupils who are nervous enough already worrying about a loose cannon at the side of them.
It isn't hard to find a real car park with real cars and people parking for real. Wouldn't it make more sense to teach your pupils in that environment instead of forcing that environment on test candidates on the day of their test?
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