Is my driving instructor taking the piss?

WittyKitty1

I started my lessons recently with an instructor and I'm starting to think that they are just taking the piss with my lessons.

Firstly, there are no L plates on the car or any kind of driving school logo's to inform other road users that I am having a lesson.

Secondly, 2 lessons in a row they have failed to turn up for the lesson- 1st time, I woke them up (sounded hungover)- second time- they said they simply forgot.

Thirdly, the actual lessons themselves are literally driving around in circles of a housing estate.

I'm new to the whole driving world but I can't help but think this isn't the way driving lessons should be conducted.

I did find them on the RSA site so I just assumed they were the real deal..

Can someone tell me what I should be doing around my 4/5 lesson ?

Tearwave

Fairly sure some law is being broke with the L-plates. Have you prepaid for future lessons? If not, choose someone else. I was driving 100km/h on dual carriage ways by 5th lesson if that's any indication.

thehomeofDob

Drop em like it's hott!

Missing two out of three lessons is a piss take, and although "driving around in circles" isn't a whole lot of information to go on, I would still drop them for missing lessons. Where about are you living? I can recommend an instructor in the D15/Finglas area that has helped myself and two friends pass first time, and he's excellent craic!

WittyKitty1

Tearwave wrote: »

Have you prepaid for future lessons? If not, choose someone else.

Yeah, I did!

WittyKitty1

thehomeofDob wrote: »

Drop em like it's hott!

Missing two out of three lessons is a piss take, and although "driving around in circles" isn't a whole lot of information to go on, I would still drop them for missing lessons. Where about are you living? I can recommend an instructor in the D15/Finglas area that has helped myself and two friends pass first time, and he's excellent craic!

When i say driving around in circles I literally mean, it's a housing estate square block that i've been driving around and around for the hour of my lesson.

johnmcdnl

Find a new instructor OP - lessons are expensive enough as it is so you should at least try to get someone who takes the job seriously.
Not having an L plate up is an offence and if you were to be stopped (open to correction as it's isn't your car) you could easily be fined for driving with no L plates. It's bad enough taking that chance in your own car if you want to risk it but to be made drive around in a lesson with no L plates is a joke.

And that's before the not showing up starts - I'd be finding someone to report the instructor too OP. It's hard enough to get a licence without having chancers like this being instructors.

The_Nipper_One

Tearwave wrote: »

I was driving 100km/h on dual carriage ways by 5th lesson if that's any indication.

I was doing that on the first lesson. I think every instructor has their own way.

To the OP, yea, it sounds like you should look into getting another instructor.

The guy you're with now has given you your log book and all that yes?

Alanstrainor

Is your instructor in this list:

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Finding-an-instructor/Find-an-instructor/

If not report them, and get your money back.

WittyKitty1

Yeah- I found them on it. Obviously just slacking on the job!

WittyKitty1

The_Nipper_One wrote: »

.

The guy you're with now has given you your log book and all that yes?

No- I haven't recieved a log book from them yet. They keep meaning to get me one but haven't yet..:rolleyes:

The_Nipper_One

WittyKitty1 wrote: »

No- I haven't recieved a log book from them yet. They keep meaning to get me one but haven't yet..:rolleyes:

Man, they sound really bad...

Even if they are on the list on the rsa site, maybe consider reporting them anyway?

Faith+1

I'd report them to the RSA OP. Firstly they are required by law to give you your Log Book on the first lesson and secondly their vehicle has to display L-plates front and back.

Personally I'd demand my money back and if they refuse threaten them with legal action.

WittyKitty1

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll let you know what happens.

magic_murph

Where are you doing lessons - I have the number for a great guy that helped me pass - he does lessons around the Rathgar area

J_R

Hi,

Has your instructor an ID card with his name, photo and ADI number on display in the car ?. His name and phone number should be on the RSA website. You did say

I did find them on the RSA site

. Individual driving instructors are registered not driving schools.

Having decals, logos on the car with the driving school name and phone number is very effective advertising therefore with him having none is very suspect. More important, it is a €1,000 maximum fine not to display "L" plates. And staying in an estate, to me appears that he is attempting to keep a low profile.

At the start of a lesson your instructor should lay out the objectives and at the end should give you a summary of what you achieved, (or didn't) advise on what you should practice before the next lesson and write a brief note of above in your logbook. Sounds like you are just aimlessly driving around. Irrespective whither he is registered or not, that is very poor instructing.

He should upload your lessons taken to the RSA. You can check here :- My EDT

See:- Reporting an Instructor. Ensure you get the reg number of his car.

If he is not registered request a full refund and report him to the revenue and the rsa. If he is RSA registered, request a refund on the remaining lessons.

WittyKitty1

J_R wrote: »

Hi,
Individual driving instructors are registered not driving schools.

It is an individual, i just used the word 'them' as not to distinguish between male or female incase it went against any thread rules.

And no, there is no ID card in the car.

I'm really starting to think now that I should be reporting this person. Thank you for the links, i'm going to look at them now.

ProudDUB

Sounds very unprofessional set up OP. I'd dump him and go else where. However, make sure that you have your log book first. Also make sure that the lessons have been registered as being done by your instructor on the RSA website. Not only was he supposed to give you your log book at the first lesson, he should have set up a profile account for you on the RSA website. After each lesson is complete, he is supposed to entered the lesson as being done on your profile. You won't be allowed sit your driving test until all 12 EDI lessons are logged as being done on the RSA website. This is something that you can check up on yourself using the account number from your log book.

Tell your instructor that you want this to be done before you pay for any more lessons. Hopefully, that will motivate to do what he should have been doing anyway without any prompting from you. Then get rid of him and move on to someone else. Don't get rid of him before he does all this, as he may drag his feet about doing it at all if you are no longer a paying customer of his.

Re driving in a housing estate, most test centers are located in the suburbs, and in or close to housing estates. As that is where your tester will have you drive on the day of your test, most instructors prefer to take their students to the same area that the test will be done in. So having you drive around a housing estate is not that unusual. But if its the same set of streets over and over it is, as there will generally be more than one housing estate in a test area. Your instructor should be taking you around all possible areas that the tester may take you on test day, not just limiting you to the same few roads over and over.

WittyKitty1

I've another lesson tomorrow so I'm going to ask for my log book. since my first lesson I have been told i'll get the log book next lesson, next lesson,next lesson.. I wasn't told about the online account either.. So i'll ask about that tomorrow too.

In terms of the housing estate driving, it is literally a square block full of left hand turns- on my first lesson i was shown how to turn on the car and start it etc but since then I don't know what excately the lessons have been about as each time i've had a lesson it has been the same thing over and over just driving around this square with left hand turns constantly not having anything explained and a few times the instructor will then swap places with me and they will drive around the block for 3 or 4 times to show me how it's done I suppose..

I'll post here tomorrow and let you all know what has happens.

Thank you all for the advice!

im invisible

any chance you're just, really bad, and they wouldn't feel safe bringing you out on proper roads yet?

WittyKitty1

im invisible wrote: »

any chance you're just, really bad, and they wouldn't feel safe bringing you out on proper roads yet?

To be honest, this was my first thought!:p

But i've not cut out once, i'm not nervous behind the wheel or have done anything that would make me a bit of a danger on the main road.

The reason i post here is not because i'm eager to get out onto the road but because of the lack of professionalism the instructor has shown and to be honest, I myself am a bit eager to move on, tomorrow is my 5th lesson and so far all the lessons have been the same as the first even though i've gotten the hang of stopping and starting etc.

I don't want to appear cocky in my ability because I am fully aware that i'm a complete beginner.. but at the same time i'm trying to be realistic, the price of the lessons isn't cheap and i don't see how the instructor can justify 5 lessons of the same thing...

iamyourending

im invisible wrote: »

any chance you're just, really bad, and they wouldn't feel safe bringing you out on proper roads yet?

Regardless of how bad a driver you are, they should still have provided a log book, and the car should be properly kitted out to meet the RSA Instructor regulations. If I were you, I'd change my instructor fast. I had a pretty awful guy for a few lessons too, and I had paid in advance and just asked for a refund and went to someone else. You'll regret staying with this person in the long run if you fail your test.

Babooshka

WittyKitty1 wrote: »

I don't want to appear cocky in my ability because I am fully aware that i'm a complete beginner.. but at the same time i'm trying to be realistic, the price of the lessons isn't cheap and i don't see how the instructor can justify 5 lessons of the same thing...

Doesn't sound right, he should be giving you feedback at the end of each lesson telling you your progress and/or righting any mistakes you're making, a good instructor also has notes, hand outs, offers their ID, gives you their instructor number, puts you at ease, asks you if you understand, how you feel about the lesson, etc etc etc. He is not doing any of this and missed lessons with you without notice = he is not a good instructor, pity you paid upfront but I would definitely not take this kind of service from any instructor.

LDC ADI 34490

WittyKitty1 wrote: »

Yeah, I did!

Hi WittyKitty1,

Get a refund. Mention you are very unhappy with standard of lessons and that you'll report them to the RSA.

You can report ADI to the RSA through this link http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Finding-an-instructor/Report-an-Instructor/

This "ADI" should not behave as they have been. "L" plates are always to be displayed on a Learner vehicle, its law. Obviously not showing up for lessons is highly unprofessional.