Karlslass hits the road

[prodigal gardener]

Thats a shocker

[Amo]

Ouch Tigs!!! ;D

Go for it KL!

[prodigal gardener]

Had a fairly successfull lesson this morning, still struggling with 5th & 7th gears and I failed miserably on my first attempt at a hill start in a wagon Sorry to the bloke waiting behind me bet I scared the doings out of him when I rolled back !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2nd go was much better tho ;D Got a bit panicky in Tickhill going past all the posh cars (thats where the money round here lives) but managed not to scrape any Yep quite happy with that this time. Roll on next friday......................... ;D

[Tig]

Well done KL, you will get better, and better and ;D

Hope the bloke behind you had his brown trousers on

x Tig

[Plocket]

I'm rolling up laughing about the bloke behind you KL - perhaps you shouldn't say "roll on" next Friday until you've mastered the hill start!!! ;D ;D ;D

Keep up the good work! I'm behind you 100%!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

[Weeterrier]

Hill starts are always a bu***r, learning in a car, never mind a lorry. As long as you are looking forward to the next lesson, you'll be great.

[Ruthie]

Sounds like you're still enjoying it KL!

[prodigal gardener]

I am loving it. Cant wait till its lesson time and I am practising talking through how I would do each manouver while I am in the car. Think I am freaking the people round me out - sat chatting to myself in the car.......bet I look like a right nutter ;D Apparently 5 & 7 are the difficult ones to find and all the drivers I have spoken too say they had trouble with the gears when they first started. Not just cos I am a girlie then! Been hearing some real horror stories about the test from the lads at work! Just what I need ;D One of them said on his first job out after passing his test it took him 40 minutes to back up to the loading bay! and when he told the bloke he had only just passed his test the bloke said Oh you should have said mate - go round the other side..........which he did and there was loads of room and he got it first time I am going to remember that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Amo]

My Oh is a car fanatic and is a superb driver. We have driven hundreds of thousands of miles in some fantastic cars and he still impresses me.

One thing that does stand out, however, is his courtesy. He will, even in a performance car, flash a lorry driver out. And he always smiles at the thank you double blink and I always make sure I wave a thank you as we pass again once the lorry has pulled back in, usually to a wave in his (or her!) mirror as we go by.

The few who remember polite road courtesy more than make up for the road hogs and sloggers who forget they are in a restricted vehicle.

Now don't you forget your manners when you pass KL!!! Especially if we're up your way!!

[prodigal gardener]

I do try when I am in the car, although some times I do wonder why I bloody bother! Its not lorry drivers who are ignorant so much as other women (much as I hate to admit it ) Most of the truckers are smiley and wavey, but some of the women round here are plain ignorant old bags (and some of them are young bags as well!)

[prodigal gardener]

Quick warning for anyone that may be in the Doncaster area tomorrow. My lesson is 12.30 - 14.30 and I will be leaving Doncaster on the A630 heading for Rotherham YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ;D ;D ;D

[Amo]

I'm staying down here!!

[prodigal gardener]

Cheeky Mare! I cant go very fast anyway - cant get it into 5th gear ;D

[farmersboy]

Me to ;D

[prodigal gardener]

Nice

[Weeterrier]

Have a great time at your lesson KL.

[Amo]

?I quite like 5th Gear.

Not as good as Top Gear though.

[prodigal gardener]

Amo ya crackers ;D Thanks WeeT, nice to see someone still cares Got hideous butterflies already

[Plocket]

You'll be fine KL - and if you are nervous it means that you are realistic about your challenge. Go for it girl!!!

[prodigal gardener]

Cheers Plocket. Will let you all know how I get on tomorrow.......bet you cant wait can ya ;D

[Auricula]

Good luck KL. I really admire what you are doing - I've driven an automatic for so long now that I doubt I could manage any gears - let alone 8 of them!!! It must be a fantastic feeling to know you're in charge of something so powerful ( the rig,not Karl!! ;D )

[Plocket]

May 15, 2008 18:16:40 GMT prodigal gardener said:

Cheers Plocket. Will let you all know how I get on tomorrow.......bet you cant wait can ya ;D

I'm thinking of you KL! ;D

[Missredhead]

Good Luck to the Queen of the Road ;D

[Tig]

Have a good one KL, hope you haven't got to do another hill start

x Tig

[prodigal gardener]

had a dreadful lesson today. Wish I had stayed at work! I just totally went to pieces and got the whole thing wrong. So instead of cruising around for 2 hours I was stressed and sweaty and fed up So we gave up after about an hour and went back to the yard, where I could practice my reversing not too bad for a first attempt only killed one cone I can remember this happening to me when I was learning to drive a car and I very nearly gave up. I have decided that I am going to give it 2 more lessons and if I dont start to improve I am going to knock it on the head. I cant keep throwing money away, if I am never going to be any good at it its pointless keep paying for lessons isn't it. Melv reckons that I will be fine, but I have to put today behind me and look forward I will try

[Weeterrier]

Please don't be disheartened KL, I think this always happens when we are learning something. We expect so much of ourselves, then there is a wee setback and our confidence plummets. I cannot imagine you are a quitter. What you are doing is HARD, it would be daft to think you wouldn't make mistakes. I bet that after another couple of lessons, you'll make a breakthrough. If you can reverse an HGV and only knock over one cone, I think you must be amazing
And I know it is a great deal of money, my husband went through it, but you aren't throwing it away, you're investing it in your future.

[prodigal gardener]

Thanks WeeT thats just what I needed to hear. I really want to do this, but I think, as you say I am expecting too much from myself too quickly. My confidence is rock bottom now, but at least I am aware of the problem. Will have to try and get a bit of extra practice in. Maybe one of the lads at work will let me have a go in our yard. It will be worth it when I am out on the road in my big rig

[Weeterrier]

It would be great if you could get a few shots at at the yard before your next lesson. Pity lorries are so expensive, you could have bought one to practice in. Maybe Karl could rig up a mock gearbox for you. ;D
From what I know of you, you'll be passing your test, I have no doubts.

[flowersfriend]

After the rain comes the rainbow.... Karlslass go for it, you will get there in the end.... and good on ya gal!

[Amo]

Oh Kl pull yourself together!! You are doing fantastically well!! Even you said you had trouble with driving a normal car, and now your do it all the time!!! You are so going to shine doing this!! And who are we to say? If Melv thinks you're doing fine, you must be. Hang in there, Girlydom is counting on you ;D