Learning to drive can, well, drive you demented. The Daily Shift’s Aine Ryan wonders when she’ll master the roads…
Lessons will steer you in the right direction (geddit?!)
“No, no, you’re outside the line again. We’re not in America now.. No, no, now you’re almost in the ditch…” Driving lesson number… To be honest, I’ve lost count. I’ve always been extremely ambitious but I’ve never really been a quick learner. I passed my Theory Test back in April. Not the April that’s just gone by. Nor the previous April, but the April before that. April 2010. Fast forward two and a half years later and I still can’t drive. It’s not because I don’t want to learn how to drive or because I happen to have my own personal chauffeur. In fact, I had a clear goal in my head. I figured that I would have mastered the art of driving by the end of the summer before Fifth Year. As a result, I would pass my test the following summer and subsequently drive myself to school during my final year of Secondary School. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out that way…
I started getting driving lessons in the summer of 2010 (just as I had planned). However, I quickly became frustrated. Most learner drivers struggle changing the gears. I, however, couldn’t (and still can’t) drive in a straight line. I’m sure this is quite a common problem, I thought to myself. I shared this worry with family and friends, who all appeared slightly shocked and worried when I shared my dilemma. “Just relax and only steer the wheel gently,” they advised. I did as I was told but I still swerved around the road like a drunken lunatic. Each driving lesson turned into a dreadful chore. Every time I’d come across fellow motorists or pedestrians or cyclists or anybody else who happened to share the road with me, I would panic and therefore make a stupid mistake before arriving home in a foul mood.
What makes this sorry situation even more sorrowful is that lots of people I know (many of whom are younger than me) are passing their driving tests after their first attempt. Whilst I do feel genuinely happy for them, my heart sinks ever so slightly. Why can’t I be ready to pass my driving test? I know I’ll probably have to apply for it in the near future but because of college, plus the minor fact that I’m not insured to drive, I just don’t have the time to practice. On top of that, I know it may sound daft but next year will be 2013. 2013. Unlucky 13. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself to be very superstitious, I still feel somewhat uncomfortable about undertaking the daunting task of the driving test in 2013. On the other hand, should I fail my test on numerous occasions next year, I will be able to claim that fate worked against me.
Once a person passes their driving test and becomes a fully-qualified motorist, their journey doesn’t end there. Driving is a very complex skill which requires immense knowledge and concentration. You have to be fully alert at all times. When I sit in the passenger seat, I can’t help but admire the how the driver confidently changes gears and slides in and out of the various lanes. How do they know what to do and why does it just come so naturally to them and not to me? I am aware that throwing myself a pity party will not help me learn how to drive. I’m going to have to face my fears and keep taking lessons until I’m ready to take the test (whenever that may be, even if it does happen to be in 2013). And if I am lucky enough to tick that niggling duty off my to-do list, I will save my money and buy myself a nice little car and go spinning. Wish me luck!
