Observers - Any Funny Stories?

[EmmaP]

I am currently training to be an Observer and finding myself nodding off in the back on Sunday - despite having had a reasonably good night's sleep - I am now concerned that I might get too cosy in the front seat and fall asleep when Observing :yikes: :hehe:

So, I was wondering if any of you have had any funny experiences as Observers.

[softtop]

There was a time when the clutch cable snapped on the learners car and the chap driving couldn't drive it without the clutch. So it was either drive it home 15 miles or wait to be towed home by his father two hours later. The last 4 miles was in town traffic but I made it without stopping.

[EmmaP]

Oh well done! I have had a clutch cable snap and a bolt sheer off the clutch pedal and on both occassions I found it impossible to engage a gear.

[softtop]

you start it in gear and off you go!

[Don]

Associate: "How did you know it was going to skid?"
Me: "My arse told me."

[EmmaP]

softtop said:

you start it in gear and off you go!

I tried, but thought that I was going to pull the gear stick out

[EmmaP]

A past associate of the Trent Group did his training in a hearse. The Observer asked them if they were being accompanied on their drive out

[JonRB]

My dad tells the story of how he went for his IAM test in the early 80's and the Examiner asked if he could bring a Senior Observer along. My dad asked him if the Observer was going to sit on the Examiner's lap, in the glove box or perched on the engine cover. He then went on to explain that he was going to be taking the test in a Lotus Esprit.

When the Examiner actually got in the car he asked how to adjust the seat, and my father had to rather apologetically tell him that he didn't know as he had only taken delivery of the car a few days earlier.

Knowing my dad, the story has probably gained something in the telling, but never mind.

Edit: I reprised the gag myself on my first observed run. The Observer told me that my headrest was badly positioned and I apologised that I had only got the car the day before and hadn't adjusted it yet. It was a bit toungue-in-cheek though as the car was my current Corrado and I had owned a Corrado previously.

>> Edited by JonRB on Monday 31st October 15:33

[EmmaP]

That story reminds me of when Nick_Chim went out to observe me in my Corrado and we had to open the sun roof to accomodate him When it started to rain though we adjusted the seat to a practically-in-the-back-of-the-car-position and all was well