Driving Lessons: Day 1

[afuna]

Started driving lessons today, took two hours (of ten).

It's surprisingly not as scary as I thought it would be. Having three pedals (clutch, brake, gas) was confusing, as was trying to remember when to switch to first gear, and when to simply stop while in second, but the car handled smoothly (except when I mishandled it), and I didn't hit anything.

The hardest part for me to get used to is that I need to ease off on the clutch to make the car go. It seems counter-intuitive to raise your foot to go. Most computer games just have you step on the gas...

The beginning was definitely the scariest, as well as driving on any part of the road where there are people. Or cars. Or animals. Or random stationary items.

Can turn on the ignition, start, stop, slow down, speed up, change gears (from 1 to 2 and back again), reverse, and park. I'm also slowly learning how to deal with the machine dying on me because I didn't use the clutch properly.

Hit a top speed of 30km/h! I am a daredevil >:-)

One thing I need to do now is to be more aware of the road around me. I made do because the instructor guided me through every action, but I'll need to learn to think about these things on my own. I also need a better grasp of how things line up/how far items are when viewed from the driver's seat. I hope that comes with experience.

Comments

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Well done, learning is scary but fun, sounds like you're doing pretty good :)

Most computer games are based on automatic cars.. though I think some of the more realistic rally car ones give you a full set of gears and a clutch but I always crash on the first corner just needing to move the "wheel" so I've never risked the more complicated bits. I can actually drive manual in the real world, at least :)

[pauamma]

W00t!

[lady-angelina.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... when I took Behind-the-Wheel (which is the hands-on portion of driver's education, as opposed to the classroom portion of it), we were just trained on automatic transmission cars. I'm surprised that they didn't have you guys start on automatic, because it is soooooo much easier to deal with than having the extra pedal for the clutch.

But it sounds like you're off to a great start, though. :D If you can handle manual transmission this early on, that bodes well!

And yeah, being aware of a million different little things all at once is, IMHO, the trickiest part of driving. ^^;; In fact, that's ultimately why I failed at it, but then again, I can't multi-task. ^^;;;;; If you can multi-task and pay attention to all those little things (and be able to prioritize them), you should be fine. =)

[scaryjeff.livejournal.com]

I remember hating the clutch when I was first learning to drive, I just wanted to use an automatic instead, because it would've been easier. However, after driving for a few years in a manual, I have to say that I prefer it, having a clutch and changing gear yourself gives you much more control. I've only driven automatics abroad though.. so maybe I'd feel differently if I was driving one all the time. Like anything, the more you do it, the better at it you get.. I still stall my car occasionally now, and I've been driving for years!

Sounds like you're making really good progress though. I remember my first lesson... I nearly drove into my house because I pressed the gas rather than the brake.. oops. I was very very scared too, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop and I'd hit someone or something.

[habeo.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're doing great!

Don't worry about distance-measuring - you'll learn that when you get to parking. =)

[phamster.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about thinking about everything. Whilst there's always a lot to remember, but eventually clutch control, changing gear, remembering which gear your in by touching the stick and not looking at it, listening to the engine to know when to change up/down all comes as second nature, and you can then concentrate on sensible things like not hitting stuff unhindered by having to remember how to work the car.

People say it's like learning to ride a bike, and I never believed them until after I passed my test. Once you know how to handle a car, you just remember. You'll always get a bit rusty if you don't do it for a while, but you'll always be capable of driving. It's all the traffic rules that you have to remember :-)

The other thing I remember is that speed is relative. 30km/h probably felt pretty fast, if it's your first time driving. Similarly, now I find that if you do a good stretch up a motorway (70 mph in this country) when you have to go back to the 30 mph speed limits in all the small places it seems dreadfully slow. But when I've not driven in ages, it's seems scarily fast again.

So all in all, don't worry. Learning to drive, especially in the beginning is definitely the scaryist, cause you have to consciously remember everything, but eventually most of it will be second nature.

[juin.livejournal.com]

I've been driving for close to four years, but you couldn't pay me to drive in the Phils. Not even with, like, big bucketfuls of your love. ♥

[iruka11.livejournal.com]

The hardest part for me to get used to is that I need to ease off on the clutch to make the car go. It seems counter-intuitive to raise your foot to go. Most computer games just have you step on the gas...

yeah... hirap din ako dyan... either kulang ung release or sobra... either way, namamatay ung makina ~_~

good luck!!! i hope you're not going to be like me who can't drive on my own yet >.<;;

[pne.livejournal.com]

Whilst there's always a lot to remember, but eventually clutch control, changing gear, remembering which gear your in by touching the stick and not looking at it, listening to the engine to know when to change up/down all comes as second nature, and you can then concentrate on sensible things like not hitting stuff unhindered by having to remember how to work the car.

What he said.

And I also think it's a good idea to learn stick shift since then you can drive both.

[anchan218.livejournal.com]

Learning to drive manual can be pretty tough. Especially the trying to get the car moving ok part. ^_^;; Good luck!

[atomic-clay.livejournal.com]

Hardcore. Good luck!

[afuna]

*nods*

I really hope I can get my hands and feet coordinated soon. That's the first step, I guess. It would be really scary if I suddenly forgot how to stop in the middle of the road.

[connie]

I only know how to drive automatic, so much of what you describe sounds utterly confusing to me also, even though I've had my license for over four years. :-) But yes, it will become easier to keep track of a lot of things at once with more experience, because some of them will become automatic.

[afuna]

Which leads me to wonder just how much my driving in video games will be affected by my "experience" in actual driving. *grin*

[afuna]

I'm not sure we have a classroom portion. The teacher just put me behind the wheel and gave directions. There are lectures, but they're not mandatory.

The driving school I'm attending offers courses for both automatic and manual cars. It was my choice to do manual, as it's easier to learn automatic once you learn manual, whereas the opposite is not true *grin*

It is scary being on the road. For some reason, I have the ability to ignore oncoming cars which... is not good ^_^;;;;

[afuna]

I hate first gear. There's so much more going on in first gear than in second, and I'm worried that I'll do things in the wrong order. At the same time, I love first gear because with all the things that you need to pay attention to, there's just a greater feeling of control *grin* (Even though I don't depress the clutch enough, so I end up stalling the car once every five minutes or so. Ahem.)

(They should call it "learning to stop" instead of "learning to drive" ;) One thing that really scares me is that braking is so much more complicated than accelerating. Which, well, seems counterproductive if you need to stop really really quickly for whatever reason.)

[afuna]

Haha. I hope so! I've parked several times, but each time I had to be coached through it step-by-step by my instructor.

[afuna]

That is a lot to keep in mind, and yet, and yet. I think I am beginning to get used to some of it. Not all, by any means, and for some reason my gear changing became worse the third session, instead of better, but it's slowly coming to me.

That reminds me, by the way, that I need to learn how to ride a bike as well! ;-)

Thank you for this comment! It's a great comfort to me!

[afuna]

HEEEE. That is not comforting. In fact, it is downright scary considering that I have to DRIVE HERE!!!!!

♥

[afuna]

Yes. Usually sa akin, sobra ang release, especially when I'd already half-released the clutch, and then forget, so I try to half-release again and end up releasing it fully.

*hugs Cla* I thought you knew how to drive na? That was my impression from the first part of your comment :(

[afuna]

Hahah! Thank you!

[afuna]

Hahha, don't I know it. I counted, and on average, the car stalls ten times per hour. The only thing I've gotten better at is making the car start faster after it stallS!

[afuna]

I wonder how hard it will be to adjust from manual to automatic. I suspect I may just miss the clutch, much as it gives me such pain now...

[iruka11.livejournal.com]

marunong na ko... but i don't drive to work or to anywhere... XD grabe naman kasi ang layo ng makati... and the traffic in marcos highway... @_@ crazy

[connie]

Easier than adjusting from automatic to manual, I bet. :-p

[afuna]

OH. Yeah, true. I've only dared drive near my home, which isn't that busy, and I have someone beside me guiding me at all times *G*

[afuna]

*grin* Which is precisely why I'm starting with manual, instead of automatic.

[iruka11.livejournal.com]

haha sa village lang din ako nagddrive ngayon... kaka drive ko lang once last week... before that, it's been months XD

kelangan ko rin ng guide ^^;;;

[afuna]

Hehe. Man, you're just like my sister ;P

[iruka11.livejournal.com]

lol XD

[phamster.livejournal.com]

I was always told that the main thing to do, is to put your left foot somewhere you can't use it. Apparently the most common problem when moving from manual to automatic, is that you tend to floor the brake pedal, cause your left foot isn't used to being gentle.

And, I'm led to believe that flooring the brake pedal has a negative reaction on your forward motion and karma with your follow road users.

[afuna]

Hm, wait, is the left foot used for the brake pedal when driving automatic then? I thought the left foot wouldn't do anything?

[connie]

Everyone in my family drives automatic, but it does cross my mind now and then that I should learn to drive manual at some point. It just seems like a nice skill to have, if there ever were some emergency situation and only a manual was around.

[connie]

Yes, you're supposed to do everything with your right foot, although I suppose there are probably some people out there who use one foot for each. The point is that if you only use one foot, you can't step on both pedals at the same time. :-)

[afuna]

...not that I'm ever going to be crazy enough to test, but what happens when you step on both pedals at the same time? :)

[afuna]

*grin* It feels pretty awesome to be driving manual -- at least, as long as it's not stalling beneath you.

[connie]

Are you implying that I was crazy enough to test? ;-)

I believe it's supposed to be bad for the brakes because you would be dragging it along as you drove... and also maybe bad for the transmission because it would have to exert additional force to overcome the brake being applied.

(Seriously, I am so not a car person! :-D)

[afuna]

*grin* Not at all! But I was wondering whether the people who'd told you not to do it also told you why ;)

[phamster.livejournal.com]

You're completely correct. The point is that having driven manual first, some people attempt to use both feet. With apparently dire consequences (hence the putting the foot somewhere you can't use it).

[afuna]

Oh! Thanks for the warning. I'll definitely keep that in mind for when I make the switch ;-p

[anchan218.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I stalled so many times when I was learning, too. ;_; Keep at it!

[afuna]

*fist of determination*
*G*