Anyone else learning driving?

[sadelmo]

The tester will tell u when to turn.. They dun expect u to memorise all the routes no worry..

Parallel parking is quite easy.. parallel to the lot .. reverse and turn car about 45 degree then reverse straight line in( or if u find this quite hard u can look at the right side mirror and when u see the rear outer pole..turn the wheel and reverse straight) ... then when the outer front pole reach ard the left side mirror.. slowy turn the wheel clockwise to get the front of the car into the slot (turn slowly as not to knock the front of car to the front pole) while looking behind and judge the distance from the rear poles.. When the front of car in slot can straighten yr wheel and go froward and rearward to park nicely.

basically u use the side mirrors and turn yr head to check the rear poles.

 

[roomfulofstars]

Oh okay good to know they won't expect me to memorize the BBDC circuit maze. LOL.

I'm okay getting into the parallel parking lot. It's when I'm reversing at the third step closer into the lot - where I'm supposed to full lock to right then reverse that I knocked down the poles for the first time today even tho I checked. A bit worried lor. Coz it has never happened to me before.

Think I really need more practice at BBDC but no choice liao.

*fingers crossed*

 

[sunboi80]

the last time i went to BBDC, i heard that they will move the rear pole (in the middle) to a little further in front for smaller cars. For my case they din...either way, dun be over reliant on the 'markings' made by ur instructor. Learn to gauge the distance by urself, it will be helpful...

 

[sadelmo]

Femme.. U knock down the front pole right?? If yes means u are abit over confident and turn full lock the wheel to fast... try to turn the wheel slower to give ample distance for the front of yr car to go in the slot.

This is my experience.. when we have done so much parking.. and driving on the road etc.. sometime we tend to get over confident and did not slow down as it should and thus accident occurs... when driving or even working.. overconfident can ruin... respect the car u are driving.. it can bring u to yr destiny and it can also kill u or somebody else.

 

[roomfulofstars]

Eh, nope I knocked down the two back poles. I always go super slow when parking just so I will be careful.

Maybe they really did move the poles forward... hmmm...

 

[sgbabydoll]

Femme, did you get to do other stations in the circuit as well, such as the slope, directional change, S course, etc?

 

[roomfulofstars]

doll - yup, did them all. All okay leh. I only got 1 hour in the circuit today. The most did around 2 times of each. Some things did 3 times. Parallel did twice. The first time I knocked down the two back poles. So second time I was determined to be extra extra careful and vigilant but I overcompensated and didn't reverse enough so ended up crooked...

 

[sgbabydoll]

Not to worry, you just need more practice. Try to book more revision lessons and brush up on the parallel parking and weaker areas. Actually, even if you end up with a slanted car in the lot, still can adjust till it straightens. At most you lose some points.

 

[simpleman]

actually I don't know why they make parallel parking mandatory for driving test.

I know of a lot of people after passing driving test and cannot parallel park as in real life there is no pole to guide them.

 

[roomfulofstars]

sm - haha, yeah. A lot of licensed drivers seem very terrified of parallel parking.

 

[sunboi80]

Tat's why i say dun be over-reliant on the markings and poles cos in real life, there are no poles/markings to tell u when to full lock, when to return steering... gotta use ur gut feel and ur judgement liao...

 

[sgbabydoll]

I think the way they teach parking, vertical or parallel, is not practical, because in real life, you don't have four poles to guide you.

I can do parallel parking into a lot on my left in a breeze. But if the lot happens to be on my right, I realise that it will take me longer hehe

 

[simpleman]

Parallel is about judgement - don't have to learn by heart how when to turn, what angle etc etc..

Use the curb by the side and the parking line as well as the two cars (in front & behind) for reference.

Just need practice and good judgement.

I parallel park a lot so i can even squeeze into the tightest of lot - just need more adjustment for tighter lot.

To me left or right parallel parking makes no difference.

 

[cuclainne]

my husband is like you, sm .. he proudly claims he's the king of parallel parking, any tight spot still can go in .. sometimes i'm afraid to even look as he's trying to park .. hahahah .. occasionally i will offer to go out of the car to spot for him but he will say no need to .. i worry too much! hahahah ..

but when he reverse parking, sure will open the door .. i ask if they teach him to do it that way in driving school but he said he just wanted to be sure that he's parked correctly in the lot .. aiyoh, sometimes the car can go in, and out, in and out just because he wants it to be perfectly aligned .. even if it's just by a few mm i think .. argh!

 

[simpleman]

cuclainne,

ha ha.. it is true.. if you stand outside and guide.. more distraction.

Like I can reverse like inches from the car behind.. if you are outside you would have stopped me when I was a foot away..

 

[cuclainne]

hahahaha .. that is so true .. i will stop him and then when he comes out to check after parking, he will tell me - so much space left!!! aiyah ..

 

[roomfulofstars]

Aiyoh today I practised my parallel (not in BBDC)... and as usual it was okay leh.

I had a hard time convincing my instructor (coz he wasn't the one who brought me into BBDC) that I banged the poles down and found the lot too small there. He said the lot is the same size. This is so odd.

I only hope the kancheong spider instructor who brings me into BBDC for practice again on my test date will let me practise more parallel there. Something is just different lah.

Another gripe: the car I use for test won't be the same car I use currently. The test car's steering wheel like not enough tension, kinda loose. I know school students use diff cars all the time lah, but I thot an advantage of pte student is we can use cars we're familiar with mah.

Just a random rant, heheh.

 

[sunboi80]

how come ur instructor always change? farnie le... i only have 1 instructor throughout... u are taking pte right?

how come diff cars also? i use the same car too.. my instructor not so rich to afford 2 cars haha

 

[sgbabydoll]

Femme, as long as both cars are of the same make it should be OK.

 

[sunboi80]

hmm... not really same car but due to wear and tear the brakes,clutch and the steering will have a different "feel"...
might need sometime to get use to it...

 

[roomfulofstars]

sunboi - I have one main one who's very good, but his car is not registered to go into BBDC. So for BBDC circuit, another guy takes me in. Both are Honda City cars, but the steering wheel feels very different. My instructor's wheel has better tension, like you can feel the power steering better. The other guy's wheel is so loose I tend to oversteer coz I find it a bit hard to gauge.

Yah like u said, the "feel" is different. But I will only have one hour with the test car - which is before the actual test itself. *gulps*

 

[sgbabydoll]

In school we never got the same car for practice and test because test cars are strictly for use in tests. But they are of the same make. There will be slight difference since they are two different cars but if you feel great difference, it is just "mental road block". Have more confidence, Femme!

 

[simpleman]

should be ok lah.. those cars used for driving/testing quite similar..

not as if they are testing you in porshe..

 

[sunboi80]

actually we gotta put ourselves like beginner here, only drive 1 car before now wan to change car...wat's more it's a driving test, of cos will be afraid... i can understand ur anxiety, even my dad who have been driving for 30 yrs, put him in a pickup at the start he also will engine stall for a few times... cos the level of the clutch/brake is different...
Anyway u gotta 'famaliarise' urself with the level of the clutch and brakes in the new car lor, tat's my only advice to u. Steering can gauge from the view outside, the other 2 are harder.. u gotta give ur instructor a "smooth" ride to impress him... so jerking is a definitely no-no...

Anyway i think u will be alright la, many ppl have been thru it before u. Just have some confidence and display wat u have learnt to the tester... u will be fine...

 

[simpleman]

that is why the most important thing is to be steady and be confident. And lookout for safety. Then everything will fall into place.

femme seems to be worrying too much about too many little things - one day circuit, one day parallel parking, one day different car, the next day probably waking up on the wrong side of bed on the test date.

Just be cool lah.

 

[roomfulofstars]

I'm not a robot so of coz I have worries lah, but I'm not worried to the point it takes over my life and I think about it day in day out. Just some question marks here and there. I am not nervous at all when I'm actually driving - or even in the circuit. Just don't want to ya ya and take things for granted or get marks deducted for silly things I could have found out before the test.

Anyway thanks to those who offered their advice and best wishes!

 

[ohoh]

Doll, who did u fixed in SSDC?

 

[sgbabydoll]

Winwin, 5784.

 

[ohoh]

Thanks Doll.
Never gotten him before.
I am learning at SSDC, having my test on 26th Aug!

 

[vingirl]

Hi All,

I'm currently taking private driving. Test date 5th Dec SSDC.

The 1st time I drive my instructor's car, I was like so clumsy. Not able to do a simple U-turn at the empty carpark. Anyone got advice? TIA.

 

[sgbabydoll]

Vingirl, you should check with your instructor since this is what you are paying him for, right? Don't be so hard on yourself, being first time behind the wheel you are of course clumsy.

 

[vingirl]

Yah, I will definitely check with him. Anyway, his name is Tan Swee Kwang. Anyone under him before?

 

[blackpoisonousbtutterfly]

i learnt driving abt 2 yrs ago and stopped later on due to dun like the instructor.

im going on a driving lesson with a new instructor today and was not told of anithing except for the charges for each lesson. however today he sms me to confirm the lesson and told me a $50 registration fee is needed. may i know why?

 

[poket]

Hi,

I learnt from pte instructor and school instructor before. If i did not remember wrongly the pte registration fee is $30 and school is more ex.

I remember last time the pte instructor show me a card with his photo in it and stated registration fees is $30 before i paid him.

You may ask him to show you the prove before you pay him. If possible and he agreed, dun paid the registration fee in the first lesson as u do not know whether this instructor teaching method suit u or not.

 

[two_piece]

I think it's a norm for pte instructor to collect the so called "registration fee". It's somehow just an excuse for them to get more $ lah... but everyone is doing that, and centers are also doing that (and reg fee is even more), what to do... I told myself, as long as he's gd and can teach me well, reg fee is worth it.

 

[sunboi80]

i dun rem i did pay for any "registration fee"
mabbe it's hidden in the lesson fee already haha

 

[roomfulofstars]

I paid registration fee as well. Can't rem whether it was $30 or $50.

 

[otelle]

Hey i am learning driving soon. Now taking final theory test. Can i just check if you actually took up the package with the driving centre or are you taking practical lessons from pte instructors. Any good instructors you like to recommend. Thanks v much.

 

[annedrew]

Anybody can recommend an auto private instructor at SSDC? Tried Mr Tan but he is fully booked.

Thanks

 

[roomfulofstars]

Anyone knows of any reliable rental companies that rent Honda Fit/ Jazz, City or Civic Manual to P-platers. A lot of the ones I found are all Auto only leh.

 

[strawberry_love]

coming sat is my 1st practical

 

[smileguy]

njoy ur lesson lyn2

 

[strawberry_love]

thanks smile!

 

[bigman]

Private is cheaper than school very much, but private instructor teaching not systematic like school, but as it's difficult to get bookings for circuit practices, private is always driving on the road.. where it matters most. It's not a big disadvantage if u have generally ok reflexes - u shud be able to handle the circuit stations very well.

 

[sylvaz]

femme, you took your practical already?

 

[orientalfrost]

I'm taking private.. yah.. their lessons are more mixed and match.. whenever they feel that you can learn harder stuff they'll teach u..

i haven't learnt my parking yet tho.. i always get a scolding frm my instructor.. makes me panic n drive even worse...haha

paused my lessons for awhile cuz i dun have enough money to continue now...

 

[smileguy]

natty how much for pte now ah? 30 plus?

 

[roomfulofstars]

sylvaz - yep, passed liao!

 

[sylvaz]

femme, wow that's great!!! congrats!!! when you pass? first attempt? my practical test is 14th Jan 09! at ssdc. so gan jiong.

so far my parking is ok, the problems I am having is one-hand steering (turning and changing gear at the same time), half-clutch technique (tend to rev the accelerator until very high) and U-turn (cannot turn nicely into the lane, tend to turn too much end up crossing over to the right lane)

starting my first circuit lesson next monday. very worried cuz I will be under my current instructor's partner starting from next monday onwards until my test date. heard that his partner is quite strict.

 

[royal]

Any1 has good pte instructor at BBDC to recommend?
Thanks.
[email protected]