Life in the UK, is the grass really greener?

[Michael Parnham]

Ah, Rayna ... I can empathise with the way you feel about driving, as my dad tried to teach me to no avail when I was in my early twenties many moons ago. Indeed, I'm the ONLY adult male member of my entire family I can think of, who still hasn't "mastered that [to me] elusive art".

Now back then, it didn't really bother me all that much because I'd always been a keen cyclist ... ... relying on my bike to get me from 'A' to 'B' or 'wherever I wanted to go'.

Sadly, my late first wife, Iris (like her mother before her) developed rheumatoid arthritis (NOT Arthuritis, I hasten to add!) But she'd long harboured the notion to drive and - aided by a combination of sheer willpower and perseverance - finally passed her test at the age of 34 in 1973. Whereas, me ... well ... ... I never even got to the stage of sitting a test in the first place.

Oh I did consider starting again from scratch - using a fast track method - after being widowed. But by then I was 51 ... "too old at that age", according to my mum - who promptly dismissed the very idea by saying I should have listened to my dad all those years previously, instead of trying to "run before I could walk" so to speak.

But, of course, you're still young, Rayna ... time is on your side. Speaking from personal experience, though (and no offence to Keith!) sometimes - rather than being taught by our nearest and dearest - it's a wise move to engage the services of an impartial outsider.

Here's wishing you the best of luck with your efforts ... whatever your next move in that respect.

You should really use a professional instructer, because if you depend on relatives or friends you more than likely end up arguing!

[Arthur Little]

You should really use a professional instructer, because if you depend on relatives or friends you more than likely end up arguing!

Precisely, Michael ... 's exactly what happened with my dad and I!

I later took a few lessons from a qualified instructor ( instructress, actually; the great-aunt of one of my friends) renowned locally among her former pupils for the high pass rate she churned-out. Alas - by my own admission, I was a rather impatient learner (as indicated in the fourth paragraph of my previous post) and, being fearful of my "ineptness" buggering up the poor woman's clutch, eventually decided to quit ... on the [mutual] assumption I'd never become a motorist.

End of story!

[Rosie1958]

You should really use a professional instructer, because if you depend on relatives or friends you more than likely end up arguing!

I agree due to my own experiences ........ my dad taught me when I was 17, we used to argue like cat and dog during a lesson and I used to pull over, get out of the driver's seat and sit in the back! I then decided to find an unrelated driving instructor, it only took 4 lessons to overcome the bad habits I picked up and I then passed my test

On a happy note, my Filipina sister-in-law passed her driving test here in the UK last week, she is over-joyed and I am thrilled for her! She is now saving to buy a second hand car