Learner Driver Hub - FUN STUFF
KEEP YOUR MOMENTUM - by Dieter Fischer

 

(Please don't take this article too seriously).

Learning in a manual requires a certain amount of natural motion skills. Some learners who have never ridden a bicycle or whose parents never owned a car ought to first learn basic physics. A student lacking any feeling for a vehicle can be very frustrating. 

These clients often need 'spoon feeding', meaning everything has to be explained in plain language:

 

"You need reverse gear, if you are facing a brick wall and want to move."

"To change gears you need to take one hand off the steering wheel."

 "When I say brake, it does not mean stop dead instantly."

 "Yes, I know I said – straight ahead at the roundabout, but…"

 

(You get the idea.) We rolled slowly towards a T-junction with a slight incline. I instructed my client: "Keep your momentum!" 

The road seemed clear, but we could not yet see into the side road. I had expected the learner to ease off the brake and let the vehicle roll on, for a better view, under its own momentum. But the word momentum obviously meant nothing to my client. (We driving instructors first ought to get a degree as a physics teacher.) 

We stopped far too short of the T-junction and had to do hand-brake start. I tried to explain it with a picture: "You know, speed kills, but learners also kill speed!" I could read the blank look on their face. What has killing got to do with it?

So a little further along I said (more to myself in frustration): "At the T-junction back there we lost our momentum."

"Shall I do a U-Turn a pick it up?" I hear the pupil ask.

"No, no, no just keep going straight! I instructed. Going straight was always a good chance for a stressed driving instructor to clear the head. It had been a hard day teaching eight nervous students.  

I asked myself, why I can I put up with this for 22 years and still tell to my friends how I enjoy my job? To relieve my inner frustration and stress I find humour to be the best medicine.

I played with the phrase 'keep your momentum' by making up little sayings:

Keep your momentum - we suggest you have it framed.

Keep your momentum - in case you want a refund.

Keep your momentum - it’s an endangered species.

Keep your momentum - it may be an antique one day?

Keep your momentum - you seem to hang on to all other trash.

Keep your momentum - If you don’t, who will?

Keep your momentum - the auditor may come and inspect it?

Seven little smiles to get over the irritation. 

"Please stop at the kerb for a moment and I explain ‘keeping momentum’. It’s like a hill start without actually stopping, without the handbrake. Just think, while you are still rolling forward, you can’t roll backwards! Let’s try it."

We drive to a quite side road with a slight incline. I direct the student to almost stop in second gear. While we are still rolling, ("can you see, we are still moving, we are keeping up our momentum?") now select first gear, apply a little power and engage the clutch smoothly to drive off again. 

"Well done!" We have learned something, everyone’s happy again. I didn’t need a physics degree after all.

The front page headline in the newspaper next day, however, will sound mighty confusing: "Peace protesters keep up their momentum."

Pity everyone wants to learn automatic these days. Teaching manual can be so much fun, especially after we've successfully backed away from the brick wall.