Todays instalment of the intrepid adventures of Giblsa.
Got to the yard at about 0725, parked the car and needed to get hold of a snorkel and flippers to get to the office, it was raining very heavily and I thought this isn’t going to go too well today. You know when you get that feeling….well, I had it!
Get given the keys and told to go and get the wagon started, got it started and my new instructor (sorry I can’t remember your name) pulled the rigid out of the front and I pulled the artic out. Waited for him to return the keys of the rigid to the office and then off we go. It was better than yesterday apart from when we were pulling out of the site. For those that don’t know, Zenith do their training from the old HMS Daedalus site which is an old airfield, the South East coast guard helicopter flies from this site.
On the way out of the gate I went into rigid driving mode and nearly took out the security barriers and gate until the instructor said “look in this mirror” “oops” were the words that passed my lips! Got to the junction and nearly took out an audi A4 that was turning in to the road we were coming out of. I have no idea how but I just hadn’t seen him. I won’t tell you what I called myself for such a stupid and possibly dangerous mistake. Good job it wasn’t on my test, instant fail springs to mind!
Apart from that it went quite well, he decided to take me off the test route along some “tighter” routes as this would improve my concentration and ability on the road in the real world, when you’re not wrapped up in cotton wool and L plates. The traffic was horrendous because of the rain so he said we would have a short lesson as he didn’t want me just sat in traffic for 2 hours and only 1 hour driving, which is fair enough really.
The only time I had a bit of a problem was coming out of Botley towards Swanick(sp) (not wing mirror alley, the other road, past Silverdale scrappy) when you get to the end you have to turn right to get back to Fareham/M27 and the kerb on the nearside kicks out a little just before the junction so you have to hug the white line and basically nearly touch the bollard then swing it right a touch so you are ready to turn but can see what is coming from the left. Got round that ok but driving back down Newgate lane, by ■■■■ farm, I caught the kerb with my front nearside wheel and then again further along. I have no idea how or why I just did.
I have got a four hour lesson tomorrow and will be doing the reversing and coupling/uncoupling as we didn’t do it today because the instructor would have drowned in a matter of minutes out in the rain. I guess tomorrow is another day and all I can say is “Bring it on”
Below are some pictures of the instructor parking the wagon. They are not very clear as they were taken with my phone.
I feel a bit more confident now towards the test but I’m not getting to confident as that will just blow up in my face. We will have to see how the reversing and the coupling/uncoupling goes tomorrow.
At least it didn’t go to rat poop again today which I believe is a good sign, as long as I have another rat poop day I should be ok, please don’t let it happen on the test day.