Scottish Elises

Bit the bullet last night and came up with what I've been talking about for a while now...

Took my 15yr old daughter Sophie out for a wee driving lesson in wife's brand new Skoda Citigo

I'd had her change gears for me for years now (with only looking out the window) and discussed ABC pedals and pull-push steering methods (using some of my old ADI techniques)

So took her to a private road not far from home and ran through all the major, then minor controls, got her setting the gas and working the clutch, all without engine running, then did same with engine on, and she did bloody brilliantly! Had her move off, steer round a few things, then come to a jerky stop, all without incident thanks to my constant verbal instruction. Only to be spoilt by her lifting her foot off the clutch whilst still in gear - she still gave me a huge high 5 through all the excitement tho

Half an hour more and she was starting and stopping very fluently, even moving off on mild inclines, and doing various steering manouvres without a single tyre/kerb interface

Obviously a natch like her dad but my dad did the same for me when I was young and it's a good thing in my book. I want her to be out on the road with me on her 17th birthday just honing skills to pass the test.

A very fun experience, and great father/daughter bonding - highly recommended

Steve.

My dad did that with me too, it was great.

I loved it as a kid - didn't think I'd enjoy it as much being the Dad

Did same with my daughter. She passed her test at 17 and then just after her 18th birthday had to let her drive my Exige reverse direction arounf KH. You have been warned.

She is now a first class petrol head with her own car loan and working for Arnold Clark.

M

That sounds like fun. New car ! brave man Gave my wee sis a few lessons around an industrial estate to teach the basics but space available was very limiting. I had private road and JCB when to roam around in when I was young happy daze. I'm at the "steering the car into the garage" stage with my kids .... but only 4 & 5 looking forward to progressing.

I think it's a very useful exercise. My dad started me in his Granada, up and down their drive way at the age of 11. At 14 my pal and I got a Mk1 Cavalier for £40, which we managed to get about 9 months of use out of on my pal's parents farm. After that it was another £40 super shed. It meant by the time we reached 17, having been studying the highway code, the driving test was a mere formaility, and was passed a few weeks later. The only damage the farmyard / field cars ever sustained was when my sister started practising. I have a picture of me doing donuts with my Granny sitting next to me

Similarly, it's something my Dad did with me in an industrial estate not far from the house when I was old enough to start learning. Definitely helped a lot - just getting used the physical actions of driving a car before you start learning the rules of the road.

I just hope when my sprog gets to the age to do it, it's still something we're allowed to do - either driving hasn't been taken off us, or the black boxes in our cars don't require eye scans of the driver to operate, or something equally Orwellian...

In the days when you could hire Kames cheaply and not be a club member, I hired the track for my brother the day before he turned 17.

When I were a lad.

Portknockie beachfront. Brown mini van my Mum used to drive picking up and delivering cleaning for Modern Method cleaners. 12 years old. Tattie sacks at my back so I could reach the pedals. Followed by an old ford consul round and round in circles in a park next door to Mary Ettles shop in Kennethmont. For a loon fae Boxy the country was a wonderful thing.

Ah the sweet smell of nostalga.

Where is Tut when you need him so come back with what it was like in the really old days.......Off thrashing an S2 round northern Europe.....

M

My mates and I used to take parents' cars out when they weren't looking and drive around the country lanes (away from any prying eyes or risk of getting caught).

Bloody foolish, and I'm not proud of it, but it did mean I only needed 3 driving lessons when I turned 17.

You're a dark horse Mr F

martins wrote:When I were a lad.

Portknockie beachfront. Brown mini van my Mum used to drive picking up and delivering cleaning for Modern Method cleaners. 12 years old. Tattie sacks at my back so I could reach the pedals. Followed by an old ford consul round and round in circles in a park next door to Mary Ettles shop in Kennethmont. For a loon fae Boxy the country was a wonderful thing.

Ah the sweet smell of nostalga.

Where is Tut when you need him so come back with what it was like in the really old days.......Off thrashing an S2 round northern Europe.....

M

I learned to drive in the fields at Kennethmont in my Grandads tractor, then afterwards he used to take me up to the Cabrach in his car and have me drive back to Aberdeen via Alford too. Happy days.

I can remember the Mrs Wilson from the shop/garage in Kennethmont (used to spend our summer holidays there) but we did not go to the shop down beside the distillery where Mary Ettles was. Her daughter Joan, used to be in the same class at school as my mum.

Steve.

Thought of this post when I saw this book advertised in last week's AutoSport.



If I had a 15 year old interested in driving, amongst other related things, they'd be getting a 2015 MSA license for Xmas.

Youngsters are making a big impact on Scottish sprinting this year.

No way mister!!!

That's got even greater potential than "daddy I want a horse" to haemorrhage my hard(!) earned