Top Tip for Audi drivers.

Anyone read Viz-Top-Tips? I have one I am thinking of sending in: 'Audi drivers - Stop people assuming you are a complete knobhead (a word now back in vogue thanks to Peter Kay/Liam Gallagher) by driving with consideration for other drivers.'
Heading west from Elgin, at 10.45 this morning, I noticed a black Audi approaching quickly from behind on the 60mph A96. I'm doing bang on 60. I just knew he was going to sit far too close behind me, when the oncoming traffic meant that he could not overtake. Coming into Alves, I brought my speed down to 40mph (the village speed limit) and he is getting frighteningly close. Coming out of Alves, I begin to increase my speed, watching him very carefully. An uphill, left-hand bend means that the view of the road ahead is limited to maybe 60 metres. He decides that is enough room to overtake, just as an oncoming car comes around the bend. He is still slightly behind me, so I cannot brake, so he has to brake hard and pull back in behind me. For the next 15 minutes he follows sheepishly at a more reasonable distance. There is a steady flow of traffic ahead, and I am keeping up with the flow, so I presumed he finally realised that overtaking would be futile. Then, just as I am approaching my turn, he takes another big risk to overtake and, of course, has to then brake to avoid the car ahead of me. I am glad to turn off, 30 seconds later, and not have to worry about this microbe (black Audi A3 estate, reg SW08GPF) any more.
I know it is a huge generalisation, but, where it once used to be BMW drivers, it now seems to be mainly Audi drivers that think they own the road. So, if you are an Audi driver - especially if you live within 100 miles of Inverness - do us all a favour and prove me wrong by driving with care, consideration and thought. Oh, and the odd indicator would be nice too.

Ring of confidence

I’m shocked and stunned. It was -6C when I set off at 8 this morning to pick Ruby up. Her test was scheduled for 9.37am but, with the weather as it is, I had strong doubts that it would actually go ahead. After all, as I have written before, Anna’s test, in early December, was cancelled when the temperature was +6C. However, here I am, in Elgin test centre, while Ruby’s test is actually going ahead. A good decision: Although it is bitterly cold, the roads are dry and clear of ice.


This is her 6th attempt and please, please, please, let it be her last. It’s not that I want rid of Ruby, far from it. It is just that she is such a capable driver, but goes to pieces on test. In the hour’s lesson just before her test, we were heading into Elgin, on the 40 mph Lossiemouth Road, when a car pulled out right in front of us from a T-junction on our right. I don’t know if we were in the other driver’s blind spot, or whether the other driver just wasn’t looking properly, because we were almost on the junction when she pulled out. Ruby dealt with it perfectly and reacted very quickly. The other driver’s face was one of absolute shock when she saw us. She stopped across the junction, mouthed “sorry” and drove on. I dread to think of the consequences had the roads been icy, or had Ruby not been so aware and quick-thinking. “How come she’s allowed on the road and I’m not?!” she asked. A fair question, but hopefully one that Ruby will answer herself in the next twenty minutes.

I often get junk email and tweets from certain companies promoting ‘Cure your Driving Test nerves with our hypnosis/meditation DVD’. I just delete them, but they have obviously spotted a need for this kind of product. Ruby gets more nervous with each test because she now thinks she is going to fail each time. I know she is capable of passing with barely any minor faults, so I have to convince her of this. I tell her that she knows she can drive, I know she can drive…. She just has to show the examiner just how good she is. And, if she makes a mistake, it doesn’t matter, she is just going to make the rest of the drive even better.
 
I am shocked and stunned again. Ruby returned to the test centre and I stood, at a discrete distance, waiting for the result. If the examiner looks over to me and opens the door, it is a bad sign because it usually means he wants me to be on the debrief as to where it went wrong. Also, if the examiner gets out of the car within a couple of minutes it is not good because it takes a while for the examiner to fill in the Pass Certificate. I couldn't see Ruby's face from where I stood, so it was difficult to tell, but the examiner had not looked over to me, so I was not required for a debrief. I waited and waited - it looked promising. Finally, several minutes later, the examiner got out of the car, smiled at me and went straight into the test centre. As I walked over to congratulate Ruby I could see tears in her eyes; they were not tears of happiness. I couldn't believe it. "What happened?"
 "I messed up." she replied. "It all went really well until, just in the last few minutes, I scuffed a curb."
"Did you bump it, or was it just a scuff?"
"Just a scuff. He told me 'it was a really nice drive' and that I should 'keep at it'."
I was not happy. I have known pupils actually mount the curb (including with this particular examiner) and still pass. Unfortunately, I wasn't there, so I will never know the exact circumstances, but it did seem harsh.
You have to hand it to Ruby, she picked herself up and, when we returned to her house, she asked me to wait while she found another £63 for her next test. "I told the examiner that I am paying his wages." She joked. I felt sick. Ruby is not exactly well-off but she just wants to pass her test, and that, unfortunately, will cost her.
Those companies I mentioned earlier can stick their Self-hypnosis DVDs. It is my job to make Ruby confident in her driving and I thought I had done that. Roll on the next test when Ruby can, hopefully, finally prove to the examiner that she is a far better driver than the idiot who pulled out in front of her.

Aural Test

Aaarrrggh! I can’t bear it any longer. I am in Inverness Test Centre while Kevin is out impressing the examiner (I hope). He is not the most confident of pupils, but, if he can get a grip on those nerves, he should sail through. However, it is not the angst of waiting to see how he gets on that is getting to me. It is not even the fact that the heating in this room is turned up far too high. No, what I am desperately trying to ignore is Jeremy Vine on the waiting room radio. He seems to be everywhere on radio and television at the moment, but I just cannot stand him. He actually has great personal taste in music, but there is just something about his manner and his tone that sets my teeth on edge. It could be worse… at least Kevin will be back before Steve “Copyright” Wright can send me screaming from the room.

One nice little feature about the Fiat 500 is the ability to discretely plug a USB stick into the hi-fi system. Ok, it is hardly cutting edge technology, but it does mean that I can conveniently download loads of music onto a tiny bit of plastic and do away with the ugly connecting leads I used to connect my MP3 player to the Corsa’s system. Even better, I have started downloading podcasts of radio shows I want to listen to, then I can enjoy the mix of chat/music at times that suit me, rather than being forced to listen to whoever is live at the time.

The next step is to find somewhere I can download audio books. When we moved to the Highlands, I still had a business in Cambridgeshire, so each Sunday night/Monday morning I would travel the 500 miles north to our house, then, on Thursdays, I would do the return journey back to our pub. Usually this was by train, but sometimes I would drive or fly. I never really minded the commute. On the train I would kill the time by watching DVDs or doing paperwork on my laptop, but the best way to make the drive seem shorter would be to listen to audio books. Now, as much as I love the 100-minute drive to/from Ullapool, it would be nice to make better use of that time as well as gawping at the scenery. I haven’t really investigated this yet, but if anyone can save me some time by pointing me in the direction of audio book downloads, I would be very grateful.

(Glancing at watch) Still no sign of Kevin - this is a good sign (so far) because he ‘just wants his test over with’ and I stressed to him the dangers of rushing. I actually had a pupil on test a few years ago who rushed round the whole route and rushed his manoeuvres. I was sitting in the back of the car, feeling quite uncomfortable. As we approached the Test Centre I checked my watch and saw that we had been out less than half an hour; “Blimey!” I thought, “that is the quickest test I have ever known.” Except it wasn’t…… the examiner instructed my pupil to drive past the test centre and we then did another loop, up onto the A9 and, ten minutes later, back to the test centre. My pupil would have passed but, during that extra loop, he changed lanes without checking his mirrors and the examiner gave him a serious fault.

Kevin is back…….. Looks like good news…….. I can see the examiner getting the blue pass certificate out.

It was good news. Kevin passed, first time, with seven minor faults. He works at a centre which is close to one of the test routes so, when I picked him up for the hour lesson before his test, I took him (approximately) round this route. It just so happened that this was the exact route the examiner then took him on, so he felt quite comfortable. His sister, Catriona, was the girl I mentioned the other day, who had passed after only 21 hours driving. Kevin didn’t quite beat that but, as I pointed out to him, those last few extra hours of lessons he chose to take gave him a little extra confidence - It may even have been the difference between a pass or fail.

Very well done Kevin. Good luck with your search for a car and I look forward to seeing you soon for your Pass Plus course.

Super Jed and other stories

Well, it was a bit frenetic at times, but I enjoyed Wednesday.

After a filling full Scottish breakfast, my first lesson was at 8am with Jayanne, who had not yet driven the Fiat. She very quickly adapted to the new car, as far as clutch/accelerator was concerned. She had been one of two Ullapool pupils who had stuck with their previous instructor’s methods for the reversing manoeuvres, i.e. with reliance on ‘reference points’. Of course, with a different car, these reference points would be different, but she coped ok with the change. My only concern, with her test a couple of hours later, was that there were traffic lights at the roadworks just after a bend on a steep section of the road to Ardfearn, and there were also roadworks right on the uphill junction opposite The Ceilidh Place. In addition, there were also two tour bus-loads of elderly tourists wandering absent-mindedly around the village, but Jayanne (and the others) would be used to that.

I dropped Jayanne off then picked up Eilidh, on the other side of the village, for a ten-minute lesson before her 9.37am test. The temperature had risen a few degrees, from -2C first thing, and it looked like it was going to be a glorious day. With no test centre to wait in, I took a stroll around the village, while I waited for Eilidh to return. Sadly, she did not pass. She picked up 2 serious faults: One for her observations on the left reverse, and the second for going too wide on the same manoeuvre. A bit of a surprise, from my point of view, as she had not had a problem with the manoeuvre before, and she certainly was not someone I expected to pick up a fault for observations. I wasn’t completely sure about her attitude afterwards; she didn’t mind failing because she didn’t really expect to pass first time (although I was concerned about her lack of recent lessons, I know she was definitely capable of passing). However, I would rather her have that attitude than be the opposite and put too much pressure on herself.

Next I had to dash to pick up Jed for a ten-minute lesson and his 10.44am test. I have had many pupils who have only had a few hours of lessons before passing their test, but they have all had previous instructors, or have had lots of practice with friends or family. My record for teaching someone from scratch, with no other practice, was Catriona three years ago, who passed after 21 hours of lessons. If Jed passed, he would smash that record, having only had 12 hours (and ten minutes) of lessons with me, and no other experience of driving a car. He passed with only four minor faults. I wish I could explain it. Some people can take 70 - 80 hours, Jed took 12. It just seemed that, whatever I taught him, he completely absorbed it and….. just did it. Thinking back, I can’t really think of anything I had to keep working on with Jed. Often, a new pupil concentrates so hard on mastering pedal control and looking ahead, that they would forget other things, especially mirrors. Not Jed; right from the second lesson, if I asked him to take the next turn on the right, for example, he would check rear mirror, right mirror, consider when to indicate, think about his position, bring his speed down progressively, change to the appropriate gear and look ahead and into the new road before turning with accuracy - textbook stuff. I’m glad I don’t have many pupils like Jed, otherwise I would have a very empty diary.

Jayanne had walked down to the Test Centre as Jed’s test was coming to an end. A quick ten minute ‘warm up’ then she was out on her test.

While that was going on, I walked back down to the harbour. I fancied some caffeine and I found a great-looking café that I will have to investigate further. So, armed with a big cup of cappucino, I sat on a bench overlooking Loch Broom and the snow-covered mountains, while enjoying a surprisingly warm sun for fifteen perfect peaceful minutes. Then I headed back to see how things were going.

Jayanne is a really thoughtful driver and, despite the change of car, I was quite confident about her test. So my heart sank when, after she had returned to the pottery car park, the examiner opened his door - almost always a bad sign. She picked up a serious fault during the left reverse; she was watching an approaching car and, instead of stopping while watching, the car bumped the curb. My pupils KNOW to deal with problems one at a time: If they see a vehicle/cyclist/pedestrian approaching (during a manoeuvre), they should STOP and assess what that person is doing. Alternatively, if they think they are getting out of position, they should also stop and check for vehicles/cyclists/pedestrians before correcting their position. With this method, I have not had a pupil pick up a serious fault for a left reverse in almost a year. Today I had two pupils fail for this manoeuvre. Strange.

One new pupil, one upcoming-test pupil and one no-show pupil (she did call later with profuse apologies - she had simply forgot) later, I set off on the sixty mile trip back to Inverness for my last two hours.

For various reasons, it has been a very busy and eventful week, and, for that, I awarded myself (and Jane) a generous dram of Talisker when I finally reached home. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself.

Work, rest and play (one out of three aint bad).

Back in November, I had a very eventful day in Ullapool. I had five pupils all taking their driving test - all first attempt - of which three passed. Tomorrow I have similar day.

Today has been a long day: First up was Ruby. You may be thinking ‘Ruby…. Ruby….. That rings a bell.’ Well, I have mentioned Ruby before, and her not entirely successful tests. She has another test next week and we’re hoping it will be 27th time lucky. I’m kidding, this will be her 5th attempt (I think). Each time I have put Ruby up for test I have had no hesitation in believing that she will pass. Unfortunately, she is her own worse enemy and, if nerves do not get the better of her, then it has been something silly that has caused her to fail. Today was only her second lesson since November and, although she is still a nice driver, the change to the petrol Fiat caused her a few problems: In a diesel, you can move the car at low speeds without any accelerator - which is ideal for the reversing manoeuvres - but, with a petrol engine, you have to be positive with the accelerator, even at low speeds, otherwise the engine will stall. By the last half hour of her lesson she was becoming more comfortable with the new car, so have decided to go ahead with next week’s test, rather than postpone it.

Next up was Mark, on his second attempt. You may remember me writing that Mark impressed the Senior Examiner on my Check Test, but failed his own test a few days later when he chose the wrong lane on a three-lane roundabout. Due to school lessons, he only had time to drive from his school to the Test Centre and get a quick look under the bonnet of the new car. While reversing into a bay at the car park, he rushed it and, although perfectly parked, I was not happy with his observations. “Slow it down.” I advised, “You’re not on a time limit. Sure, when it is appropriate, get the car going, but, apart from that, take your time and don’t rush.” By the time they take their test I should not have to give them any last-minute advice, but it is a bit like a football team-talk just before the match, the players obviously know how to play football, but you just want to ensure they are focussed. “Don’t forget,” I said (thinking about the reason for Mark failing the first attempt), “if you find yourself in the wrong lane on a roundabout, it may be safer to stay in that lane and let the examiner find a way of getting you back on the route.”…………Famous last words.
Mark asked the examiner if I could sit in the back on his test; I had not yet been in the back of the Fiat. Actually, it wasn’t that bad, especially considering as Mark and the examiner are quite tall. Ok, so it was more comfortable for me to sit at an angle, but, for 45 minutes it was no big deal.
The examiner asked Mark to pull forward and turn to the left or right, then reverse into one of the bays. He pulled out to the right and, barely stopping, he went straight into reverse and into a bay. I thought he had left it too late to turn, but, with the tighter turning circle, he just managed to get into the bay. ‘SLOW DOWN!’ I am silently imploring Mark. 'Just relax and take your time'. Unfortunately, Mark is not telepathic.
Ten minutes later we are on the A96 dual-carriageway, approaching Raigmore Interchange, a 60mph roundabout beneath the A9. The examiner asked Mark to ‘follow the road ahead, taking the second exit’. Easy, just approach and stay in the left lane all the way. I can see Mark thinking. He checks his right mirror, my brain is silently screaming ‘NO!’, he indicates right and moves into the right-hand lane (thankfully cancelling his signal). Half-way around the roundabout he realises his error, checks his left mirror, indicates left and returns to the correct lane. Fortunately, on that roundabout, there are arrows indicating that drivers can approach in the right-hand lane, so, with all his actions being safe, I thought ‘no harm done’.
The next twenty minutes make me very proud; he read the road well and I began to relax. Then we came to (the ‘infamous’) Inshes roundabout. This 6-exit roundabout has spiral lanes, rather than concentric. Once you know it, it works well, and, on the whole, most people use it correctly. Mark approaches the roundabout and the examiner asks him to ‘turn right, taking the 4th exit to Culloden’. No problem. Mark must have done this a dozen times at least. The roundabout is busy and Mark has to stop. He sees a gap and… he stalls. Rather than calmly secure the car, start the engine and look for another gap, he starts the car and accelerates briskly before his gap closes. To my alarm I can see that, by rushing, he is heading for the 2nd (central) lane instead of the 3rd (right) lane. This lane takes him to the 3rd exit (the A9). Mark then realises this, checks his right mirror (his right indicator is already on) and moves into the correct lane.
Now we are only three minutes from the test centre. I don’t know. My gut feeling is that he has blown it. I could argue that he checked his mirrors to make sure it was safe to change lanes, but I know that some examiners will argue that he may have caused confusion to other road users.
He pulled into a bay and came to a stop. The examiner turned round to me and said “What do you think?” In case you have any doubt, I am unable to influence the examiner. I can’t say “That was the BEST drive I have ever seen in my life.” Well…… I could, but it wouldn’t have any sway. I tried to divert the examiner’s attention from the obvious…..
“Well, I would have like to see him check his rear mirror a bit more (his mirror checks were fine), but I ………” I was about to say how well he dealt with some difficult situations but the examiner interrupted me, “What about those roundabouts?” The word ‘those’ implying that I will know exactly which roundabouts he is talking about. I knew I could defend his driving at the first roundabout, so I did.
“Yes,” (turning to Mark), “you approached in the right-hand lane, realised that you should have been in the left, and made good use of the mirrors to correct it. But…..” (turning back to me) “What about the last roundabout?”
“Stalling caused Mark to rush a little, but he did check his mirrors to make sure it was safe to change lanes.”
“Hmmm. You just need to slow it down a bit Mark. The first roundabout you got away with…….”
My heart sank and Mark’s face fell. The implication of those words were that he had not ‘got away’ with the last roundabout.
“…….but, if you had not been in such a rush after you stalled, you would have had time to get yourself together and think about which lane was the correct one. However……..” (The candle of hope flickered back to life.) “…….overall, it was a nice drive, so I am happy to give you a pass.”
Mark is a happy person by nature. So seeing his reaction to this news would have warmed the coldest of hearts.

The rest of the day was less eventful, but it was a long day and, by the time I had finished work and driven over to Ullapool (through intermittent snow flurries), it was almost midnight. The lady at the B&B kindly left the front door open for me and I now have just over seven hours before I start all over again. A big day tomorrow:
8.00am - Jayanne's lesson. She has not driven the Fiat yet, but will get just one hour before her test.
9.15am - Eilidh's test (9.37am). Eilidh had her test booked for the week before Christmas, but it was cancelled due to the snow. Last week she asked me when her new date would be. I gave her the DSA's number but she had trouble contacting them. Eventually, I took her details and, last Thursday, I found out that her test would be on the 10th.... Eek! She hadn't had a lesson since mid-December. She had one day to decide whether to postpone it, or roll the dice and go for it. We're going for it.
10.25am - Jed's test (10.44am). Jed sets a new record for me - teaching someone from scratch to taking their test after 12 hours of lessons (with no practice with friends or family). It will be an incredible achievement if he passes (and he is certainly capable of doing so).
11.35am - Jayanne's test (11.41am). Another of the Christmas cancellations. Jayanne is my biggest worry because she has yet to drive the Fiat. As I said, above, she will get one hour to get used to the car. Obviously I want all three to pass, but I especially want Jayanne to pass because she has been so beneficial to me by recommending me to several of her friends.
12.25pm - Connie's lesson.
1.30pm - Maggie's first lesson.
2.45pm - Michelle's lesson.
3.45pm - I have 75 minutes to drive 60 miles back to Inverness.
5.00pm - Karla's lesson.
6.15pm - Kevin's last lesson before his test on Friday.
8.15pm - Head home to see Jane for the first time in about 80 hours.

So, nine and a half hours of lessons/tests, with the 3 tests all being 1st attempts. I wonder if I could sit in the back of the car on the tests and have a sneaky nap. Sounds like a plan.

(Some more piccies of my increasingly popular car in Ullapool).

A funky little number.

The much anticipated Fiat 500s arrived in Inverness on Tuesday afternoon. First off the transporter was David's Punto (see photo) - he gets a Punto because he trains new instructors, so often has people sitting in the back. I stood with some of the other BSM instructors, deciding which colour we liked (we don't get a choice, our cars are already allocated). A little disappointed to see that there were no black 500s, as I think they are the most striking. There were 5 white, 3 light grey and 2 dark grey. I think the white might look quite cool in the summer, on long, sunny days, but with the roads being filthy at the moment, I was hoping for a dark grey. As it turned out, mine was the next car off and I got a.......... dark grey (Hooray). I was hoping for a 1.3 diesel, but, unfortunately, got allocated a 1.2 petrol. Hmmm...... I remember how puny the 1.2 petrol Corsa was. Oh well, with the mileage I do, it won't be too long before I can exchange for a diesel.

Hundreds of miles on the back of a transporter had left it covered in filth - not a good advert - so, first stop, the car wash (in preparation for the photo-shoot). One benefit was immediately apparent; it takes a lot less time to clean.

Two and a half days, and five hundred miles later, what do I think of it? How does it compare to the Corsa? What do my pupils think? Has it attracted any new customers? The short answers are: I like it; slightly better overall; mixed feelings; yes. But, as you were probably expecting, I will now bore you with the long answers:

I like it. I like its style, its handling and the fact that it has to be 'driven' - the Corsa was more forgiving and slightly easier to drive, but less fun. My wife, Jane, has been riding horses all her life and uses a technique called 'centred riding': She has developed this to such an extent that a turn of a shoulder, a light squeeze on a rein, even a deep breath will cause her horse to do exactly as she wants it to. I had developed a similar control with the Corsa; I knew exactly how it would react if my foot moved a millimeter and I had perfected gear changes so that they were completely unnoticeable. The Fiat is a different beast and, while I don't have the same level of understanding yet, I look forward to developing my control. It will be fun.

How does it measure up against the Corsa?
Appearance and styling: Not quite a 'love it/hate it' appearance, but it does divide opinions. Externally, I was not too keen, when I first saw a photo a few years ago. And, although I have softened to its looks, I was a bit concerned about some pictures I saw of some BSM Fiats in white - I didn't think the orange decals stood out and the wheels did nothing to reduce the 'toy car' look. On my car, however, I think the orange decals are quite effective and the alloy wheel give it a sporty look. Internally, I love it. Not entirely sure about the brown leather, but the dash, steering wheel and dash-mounted gearstick all look (and feel) good. The speedo area is a little bit busy, but I'm getting used to it. Marks out of ten (Corsa score in brackets): Externally: 7 (6). Internally: 8 (6).
Controls: The gearstick is great. Not quite as firm as the Corsa, but the lower dashboard position feels really comfortable and the action is good and quite precise. I found getting into 5th a bit 'notchy' at first, but I'm getting used to it. 1st and 3rd seem a little close, so there have been a few incorrect gear selections. The accelerator is light (perhaps slightly too light) and the brakes are good, although not quite as sharp as the Corsa's. The steering wheel feels good and steering is precise and positive. The shorter wheel base and sharper steering give pupils more confidence at junctions and manoeuvres. I would like to have had adjustable reach, as well as adjustable height. The indicators are, thankfully, of sound design. You can still have the 3-flash thing if you want, but my pupils haven't noticed it and we have not had any problems at all with the Fiat's indicators. The headlights are nothing special, but good enough if kept clean. What I do like, is that the light controls are all sensibly positioned, on the indicator stalks, rather than being buried down below your knees (as they were in the Corsa). Marks out of ten: 7.5 (5.5)
Performance and handling: It is not as gutless as I feared. In fact, it feels more nippy than the Corsa in low gears. It does tend to run out of puff at higher speeds though. Leaving Ullapool, in the Corsa, I could get up to 5th gear and stay in 5th gear almost all the way home (with the exception of 6 roundabouts and 2 junctions). Last night I left Ullapool and, ten miles later, I started the climb alongside Corrieshalloch Gorge, up to the Braemore junction. The Fiat soon started struggling and I quickly dropped to 4th gear. It still struggled and I had to drop to 3rd to climb the hill. Also, it doesn't feel quite so composed at higher speeds as the Corsa did. Around towns and village though, it is very responsive and a pleasure to drive. As I have said, the steering is better but, although not as much as a Mini, it is a bit more jittery on rough roads than the Corsa. Performance: 5 (6.5). Handling 8 (7).
Economy: Having a petrol engine, you have to use the accelerator more than in the diesel, especially at very low speeds. Also, the engine has to work harder to get up higher speeds, so you would definitely expect poorer economy than the 1.3 Corsa TDi. Very early to say, but not as bad as I thought it might be. When I has the 1.2 Corsa, I would get about 43 mpg. So far, I have averaged 48 mpg in the Fiat, which is really quite reasonable for a petrol engine. The gear ratios are more closely spaced which means I can encourage pupils to block change far more often than they could in the Corsa. Early days but, out of ten: 7 (9).
Comfort: A bit mixed. The seats feel firm, but comfortable. There is height adjustment, but it is not as effective as in the Corsa. Ashleigh, my last pupil today, cannot be much over five foot, and she did seem a little lost behind the wheel. Yesterday, I spent over thirteen hours in the car and still felt comfortable as I neared home. A similar time in the Corsa would usually have me adjusting the seat to stay comfortable. The seat belt fixing is not adjustable, so Helen, a new pupil yesterday, found that it rubbed her shoulder. The main area where it scores over the Corsa is that the controls and switchgear are in more sensible positions and, therefore, easier and safer to operate. Scores: 7 (5)
Miscellaneous: The Blue and Me Bluetooth system could be useful. I only set it up this afternoon but, supposedly, it will enable complete hands-free operation of my mobile, including reading out text messages. I have heard of some problems with the system, but it can only be a benefit. It's only a 3-door (the Corsa had 5 doors). For the most part, this is not a problem as there is only me, Jane and me, or a pupil and me in the car. However, it was handy being able to easily access the rear seats whenever I wanted, but, with the Fiat no longer having the big plastic orange roof hat, I have gained some space (I used to keep the roof hat in the boot whenever I drove).
Final scores: Fiat 500 - 49.5 (out of 70). Corsa - 45.

So what do my pupils think of it? A varied response. The biggest issues have been due to the change from diesel to petrol. The Corsa could quite happily move off and get up to about 5mph without any accelerator at all. This meant that manoeuvres, in particular, could be done without any accelerator, so the pupil would often keep their right foot over the brake. This has become such a habit with some of my pupils that they have found themselves stalling the Fiat because they are not applying the accelerator before bringing the clutch up. Two or three pupils have become frustrated by this and have asked if I can get the Corsa back. Almost all the pupils like the styling, the gears, the steering and, of course, the indicators. I liked Caroline's comment today: She has her test booked for next month and today was her first go in the Fiat. We talked about the car while she went through her cockpit drill, then she sat back and said "Right. How do I work it?" It will take some of my existing pupils a while to get used to the slightly different control, but the new pupils have taken to it like ducks to water.

BSM's new owners, in trying to sell the (idea of the) Fiat to instructors, claimed that the 'iconic car would appeal to leaners and bring an increase in pupil numbers'. Again, it is very early to say, but it seems that they may have been right. Certainly I have noticed more heads being turned (especially by other instructors). Also, I received two calls today from people wanting to book lessons with me. Both of them asked if it was me they saw teaching in Ullapool yesterday.
I still believe that BSM need to re-think the orange decals on the light grey and white Fiats - they just don't stand out - but my dark grey car has obviously caught the eye of some people.

It could be that, in two months time, I am complaining about faults and niggles and wishing I had my Corsa back. It could be that I may even lose pupils who do not adjust to the car. However, the early signs suggest that this will not be the case and that my pupils and I will increasingly like the car. Stay tuned to find out.

A very busy day tomorrow. I'm off at 6am to start work in Ullapool at 8. I have uploaded Anthology by The Ramones, and It's Blitz!  by Yeah Yeah Yeahs onto a USB stick that plugs neatly into the Fiat's music system. I almost can't sleep because I am so looking forward to the drive.

C'mon!

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye. Almost three years to the day since I picked up my first BSM Vauxhall Corsa (photo above), I am saying goodbye to my sixth, and last (photo below), one in a couple of hours time.

Apart from the first one - a 1.2 petrol, which was completely gutless - I have enjoyed them all. I think they are attractive, solid, little cars, which all my pupils seem to have enjoyed driving. Sometimes the firm spring on the gearstick provided a few problems for new learners, and the brakes are certainly responsive (which caused some exciting moments), but, apart from that, it has been a good car to teach in. There is one other major issue, which has been responsible for a disproportionate amount of problems: The indicators. In their wisdom, Vauxhall decided, a few years ago, to re-invent the indicator. They somehow thought it would be a good idea if a light click caused the indicators to flash 3 times, then cancel, and a firm click to keep the indicators on, until cancelled automatically or manually. Initially, this is not such a bad idea, but what causes the problems is that the indicators do not stay up/down, they return to the original position. The first problem is that some pupils only give them a ‘light’ click, despite repeated instructions to be positive with them, thus leading to the indicators to cancel after three flashes. Ok, this is a bit trivial and hasn’t caused any serious problems, but it is still annoying. The biggest problem is when the indicators do not cancel automatically and the pupil tries to cancel them by clicking the other direction (which works fine on ‘normal’ indicators). In a Vauxhall, however, it will then signal the opposite direction. This could be very confusing, and potentially dangerous. I can’t imagine I have had any pupils who, at some time, have not had this problem, even experienced drivers. It has even been directly responsible for one or two test failures. To be fair, I should say that it is possible to disable to 3-flash function (which I have certainly done for some pupils). Nevertheless, that still left the bigger, cancelling problem.
As much as I enjoy driving the Corsa, I always like getting into our Nissan, with its PROPER indicators.

The fuel economy has impressed me. The petrol was ok at approximately 44 mpg, but the diesels regularly returned 55 - 60 mpg. After 23,000 miles, my latest Corsa had an average mpg of 60.9, although it has dipped slightly to 60.5 since then. I still do not yet know whether I have been allocated a diesel Fiat, as requested, or petrol. Officially, the diesel Fiat has even better economy than the Corsa, but many BSM instructors are disputing this.

It is testament to the Corsa (and Astra) that, across the country, there have been many instructors who have left BSM, purely so that they could keep teaching in a Vauxhall.

I am looking forward to the Fiat, but, for anyone looking for a good, small car, I can definitely recommend the Corsa…. Just avoid the 1.2 petrol and have a little patience with those ****ing indicators.