My driving lessons have already started, and to be honest with you, I really suck. To show how much I suck, allow me to quote a few examples on what a terrible driver I am. I should get medical insurance.

Eg 1)

I was driving by a parked car on my way back to the driving centre. Along the way, I drove at what I thought was a safe distance from tha car, looking carefully for open doors and other brainless pedestrians asking to be knocked down.

After I passed (note it was only after I passed that he mentioned it), my instuctor, who's really a nice guy, said I was too close.

"Why?"

"You nearly knocked his side-view mirror off."

Eg 2)

I had stopped on my way up to the top of the slope, the front of the car above the white line as was required. Now it was time to move on up to the crest, and I had to engage the first gear and inch up slowly.

I had pulled up the handbrake, which with my brake pedal depressed, prevented my beloved vehicle from rolling backwards and possibly into another car waiting to go up after me.

The tricky part was to find the elusive "biting point". It is the level of release of the clutch pedal which allows the vehicle to stay stationary on a slope when the break pedal is released. I also have to depress the accelerator pedal slightly, in order to move. I have always had trouble finding the "biting point". It's frustrating cos just a little too much or too little pressure can make you lose it. In addition to this, the engine has to rattle violently to indicate that the "biting point" has been reached, but not too much or for too long lest the engine stall. And your left leg aches cos of the constant and delicate amount of pressure you have to hold while you depress the accelerator pedal.

Haiz.

So, there I was releasing my left leg slowly until the engine rattled. Satisfied after looking at my trembling dashboard, I lifted my right leg from the brake pedal to depress the accelerator pedal.

Somehow, the stupid vehicle would not stay put despite the apparent "biting point". I found myself rolling slowly backwards, and in my great haste, I forgot the golden rule of not depressing the clutch pedal beyond the half-way point on a slope.

I panicked, depressed the clutch pedal fully, thereby breaking the connection between engine and wheels. Without a slow-moving engine to slow down thw turning of the wheels, or engine brake, my car slid faster.

I had the sense to depress the break pedal before things got worse. I stomped down on it for dear life.

By then, I was already near the bottom, and the instructor (a different one from the first guy and much more up-tight)was ranting about how I didn't listen to instructions.

A few days later, I tried it with a different vehicle, and this time I hadn't needed to release the clutch pedal so much until the "biting point" was reached. My guess is that the car I was in during this episode had a worn clutch which was not so sensitive.

Eg 3)

Parking. A necessity in a car owner's life.

Parking. One of the worst horrors in a learner driver's life.

I was being taught vertical and parallel parking. It's really difficult as you have to coordinate clutch control with very fast steering wheel turning. Once the angle is wrong, you car hits a pole or a kerb.

For a vertical parking lot there were 3 pairs of poles. At the front, middle, and back.

I hit the back one. It was cos the "backside" of my car had jutted out and hit it. As I reversed, the pole leaned onto the car body, and my amused and friendly instructor (another one) got out and righted it.

The 2nd time I hit another freaking pole was during parallel parking. My car had inched too much forward as I straightened it in the lot. There was a metallic clang, and in front of my horrified eyes, the pole fell forward.

The worst thing was when I reversed. The stand got caught under my bumper and the pole dragged along the ground, screeching all the way as if in protest of being tortured this way. I was so bloody embarrassed. I looked sheepishly at my instructor and said,"Umm... I think tts the pole..."

3 examples for now, but at the rate at which Im going, more to come. I hope and pray that I'll possess the sense and skill to perfect everything by June.