Learner drivers

[Ki3r]

My sister is currently learning to drive, she has had a few (10/15 I think) with an instructor, and she's been put on my step dads insurance to get some practice.

Today was the first time she went in my step dads car, and I was amazed at how impatient other road users are. She wasn't driving slowly, most the time doing the speed limit (only time that I noticed she wasn't was down a small duel carriageway), and junctions I felt she was pretty good at pulling away, yet people were beeping their horns/flashing their lights within seconds if she didn't go when they wanted.

Has anyone else found this?

Have to say, I was a bit worried about getting in the car (I wasn't supervising), but thought she got on well. She gets frustrated when people start beeping their horns though (to be fair, so do I).

I know its a crap rant, so fk tt st.

[davepoth]

Saved it at the end there, 6/10.

I think some people see a learner and automatically think "Oh for fk's sake! I'm going to be fking stuck behind this fking tt wker of a fking learner and I'm going to be fking late for my fking fake tan session. fk.", even when the learner is driving at a good speed.

I always try and give a learner a bit more space if I can; the big "L" plates are there to warn you to do so, not to get right up their chuff.

[Willy Nilly]

It is a shame that there is not a means of finding out what these idiots are learning to do, then stand there throwing abuse at them while they are doing it.

Putting them under pressure just makes them more nervous.

[Slink]

If I was in my dads car doing a bit of learning, an someone came up beside me an started beeping anflashing at me when at a junction I would just sit there for an extra 20-30 seconds just to piss them off even more.

no need to do that atall to a learner

[anonymous-user]

Put 'L' plates on any vehicle and people take the absolute piss, regardless of how it's being driven.

[AJordan]

Its just a fact of life, that little 'L' is like a red rag to a bull with certain demographics, they just have to force their way past or get right up your arse, regardless of the speed you're doing

Whilst no one likes being stuck behind a learner doing 20 in an NSL, a few drivers I've encountered take this to extremes...

[Fantuzzi]

Found this when I was learning not too long ago, I regular was told to slow sown by my instructor, so by now means was I ever slow as a learner. Yet I often, to my amusement, would get overtaken by people only for them to slow down to say 45-50 in a NSL, for me to re overtake them and go 60, my instructor found it funny too.

Only ever had one beep, when I didnt pull out of a junction like Lewis Hamilton on a Sunday...

[Tom55]

makes me tempted to whack on some L plates and go for a drive around just to see how people react, making sure I have some one next to me to look 'authentic'

[ambuletz]

people are just all too impatient these days. They want to be constantly going down a road at the speed limit, or be accelerating away from a green light within half a second etc..
If I see a learner driver up ahead ill try and get into a different lane to overtake.
The only thing that kind of annoys me sometimes is if I make it very clear by my road postitioning that I want to overtake them, but they don't pay attention to it and move over slightly to the left. However.

if its only 1 lane and there is no opportunity of an overtake due to heavy traffic I just sit back and relax abit, give the learner some space and see how they drive. There's no point stressing over something you can't do much about. The same goes for any other slow moving traffic, like a cyclist infrot of you in a narrow road.

[Papa Hotel]

I hate seeing people behave like cocks towards learners. Everyone was inexperienced and nervous once, even learners who have some notion what they're doing are having to drive in a very clinical way, cut them some slack.

[silverfoxcc]

I dont care how long i sit behind a learner, i was there once and know what its like.
In fact got out once at a set of lights after 3/4 kangaroo attempts and just told him... take your time mate... got a big thanks from the instructor.

another time was behind another one and the tool behind kept leaning on his horn, let them know it wasn't me and got behind the idiot later. as soon as the lights went green i hit the horn, and followed him for a mile or two, giving him the same treatment each time. He was really getting wound up but didnt get out to take it up, i think 4 v 1 might have convinced him it wasn't worth it. All this a looooong time ago, but i still practice the first bit, self righteous bit has now subsided

[Riley Blue]

I live on a test route so drivers under instruction or on test are a regular sight, every day of the week. I always give them extra time and space, often getting a wave of thanks from the instructor.

[AmitG]

Papa Hotel said:

I hate seeing people behave like cocks towards learners. Everyone was inexperienced and nervous once, even learners who have some notion what they're doing are having to drive in a very clinical way, cut them some slack.

Absolutely. We were all learners once. The thing is, for some drivers, it doesn't really matter what the learner is doing. They see the L plates as an opportunity to engage in a bit of light bullying.

It's quite prevalent in my area (SE London).

[Triumph Man]

I make sure I give them a little extra room, after all you don't know if it's their 1st lesson or their 21st.

[mikey77]

AmitG said:

Absolutely. We were all learners once. The thing is, for some drivers, it doesn't really matter what the learner is doing. They see the L plates as an opportunity to engage in a bit of light bullying.

It's quite prevalent in my area (SE London).

Sad barstewards. We were all learners once.
Mind you, my instructor used to call me Stirling Moss. And that was with a Triumph 1300.

[Horse Pop]

It's so stupid too.

If you're behind a learner or someone else driving a bit slowly you're not going to make them go faster by tailgating them.

[fatboy69]

I was down in Devon a few weeks ago & got stuck behind a learner heading towards Slapton. It was frustrating however we all had to learn to drive at some stage so just had to out up with it.

For 8 or 9 miles at 25mph along winding, narrow roads.... Grrrrrrrrr.

Anyway knowing that once I got onto the road that runs along the Leys at Slapton I would be able to get passed safely I decided to chill out & enjoy the rear end view of a Corsa!

Unfortunately their was an utter Mong in an X5 further back in the queue who didn't want to wait so he was ducking & weaving in & out of the queue as he tried to barge his way ahead of everyone else.

He got behind me & was tailgating me all the time whilst flashing his lights.

He couldn't however get past until the start of the road over the Leys - he was on the other side of the road as we dropped down the hill to the Leys such was his stupidity.

Somewhat did this utter tool do? Sped along the road & then turned off left into the first seafront car park at the Leys!!!

So all he managed to achieve was to make himself look like a dick. Which he was as he wasnt actually going anywhere - I guess he just wanted a better car parking space than anyone else!!

Knob.

[George7]

Funnily enough, I found that the people around my area (North Essex) were quite polite when I was learning to drive. I very rarely got honked or flashed at. You always get the odd ahole, but such is life.