Learner Driver Hub - FUN STUFF
RETIRED INSTRUCTOR'S TALES - by Dieter Fischer

 

Insect lover causes rear end collision, almost.

The late R.D. was the senior instructor of the State’s Automobile Association, one of the longest serving in Adelaide. Here are two of his favourite stories:

He was instructing an Italian lady in an ancient, big Holden. She was too short to see above the steering wheel, but had to look through it to watch the road. Watching the road she did. 

During one lesson she just stopped dead all of a sudden in the middle of the road for no apparent reason.

"Why did you stop?" "R.D. asked, relieved to not have been hit from behind.

"You no see?"

"No," said Ron," feeling a bit silly, because it is normally the learner who does not see.

"See caterpillar?"

Indeed, there was a caterpillar slowly making its way across busy Glynburn Road in Adelaide’s Eastern suburbs.

If the Italian lady checked her rear-view mirror before the sudden stop has never been established. 

 - - - - - - -

 

No practice since last lesson.

Instructing in a learner’s own vehicle is always a bit of a risk. Ron was not that experienced when he took one lady for a refresher lesson in her late husband’s car. He should have known better, but still finished the lesson in the lady’s steep driveway. 

After a routine driving lesson she turned into her driveway at a reasonable speed, but gathered momentum rather rapidly. Within seconds the closed garage door at the end of the driveway was upon them.  Ron did instinctively, what every instructor would do - raised his right foot and hit the ... not the brake pedal, there was none, the carpet.

At the last moment he grabbed the handbrake and pulled as tight as he could. The garage door was spared, only just!

At the start of the next lesson Ron queried how the lady’s driving practice went during the week.

"I could not practice at all, "she said.

"Oh, you were not well?" Ron queried.

"No, its not that," she explained, "I had no one to release the handbrake for me."