Oh well, I guess it was too much to hope for. David Cameron urged you to vote for change and (just) enough of you did. It may not have been entirely clear what this ‘change’ was, but he took a gamble that you wouldn’t ask that question. Unfortunately, the grass isn’t greener on the other side; it is an unnatural mix of blue and yellow.
I hope they prove me wrong. I hope the ConDems do succeed and make a good job of running the country; otherwise I shall be up (near) the front come the revolution.
The other week I mentioned Michael passing his test, first time, and how he was a model pupil. He was keen to take regular lessons, studied for his theory, started practicing in a family car and took extra lessons when he thought he needed to work on a particular aspect of his driving. As his test drew closer I made each lesson as hard as I could for him; giving him horrible reversing manoeuvres up steep hills, asking him to parallel park in awkward places and just trying to take his driving to the highest standard I could. He was determined to do whatever it took to pass his test and has recently asked me to take him for the Pass Plus course.
Unfortunately, there are some pupils who are not quite so dedicated. In fact, sometimes I wonder if they really want to drive at all? You get the ones who find endless reasons for cancelling their lessons. You get the odd one who never seem keen to learn, almost as though they are just passing time (as I’m sure my BSM colleague, Susan, will testify). You get the occasional one who finds various excuses for not taking their theory test, or even their driving test. And then you get the few who seem to take everything so lightly……
Last Winter I took on a new pupil who had learned to drive in his native country, and could drive quite well. However, his mirror work was non-existent and his general awareness was not good enough. After a couple of weeks he started cancelling lessons with short notice and finding excuses for not committing to dates and times he had previously assured me would be convenient for him. After Christmas I heard no more and I decided it was not worth my while encouraging him to book further lessons - if he wanted lessons he could contact me.
Today, five months later, I got a text from him. It said that his test was at 8.40am TOMORROW morning and could I take him?! Oh yeah…. I just sit around, keeping days free, just in case a pupil (I presumed I had lost) decides they need my services again.
Actually, if I was free tomorrow morning, I would take him, but I am 90 miles away, in Ullapool, and am not going to disrupt any of my other pupils’ lessons. So I sent him a text, politely explaining that I would not be able to help him. I then received another text asking if the DSA will provide a car for his test (No. They won’t). He has his own car, so it is not disastrous, but I’m just hoping he was able to get an extra rear-view mirror today, because I can’t think of anywhere he will be able to get one before his test tomorrow morning.
I obviously wish him well and will be hoping to hear that he has passed. But there is a little, tiny, tiny, microscopic part of me that thinks he does not deserve to pass because of his apparent lack of commitment to driving.
Driving is an important life skill - it can mean the difference between life and death - your licence has to be earned, it is not a right. I like to think I give my best efforts to all my pupils, but it is sometimes hard to treat pupils equally when some are doing everything they possibly can in order to get extra lessons and improve their driving, while others seem to be going through the motions, almost as though they expect their licence to be handed to them on a plate after they have had minimal number of lessons.
(Sighs) It’s May, but the snow has returned (to even quite low hills), I think I may be getting a cold, and now Fulham have just lost the Europa Cup Final……
I blame the Government.
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