Where did you learn how to drive?

In a field, aged 13 with my Dad beside me. I managed to hit both of the two hay bales in the field. Then my first boyfriend taught me hill-starts in Killiney car park a few times, then we went interrailing and hired a car in Spain, where he got me to drive up an unpaved road with a 100ft drop on one side. They were pretty good lessons, come to think of it.

Got a honda 70 when I was 23 and living in the country, so that was my 1st provisional. Then I got my 2nd provisional and a ford fiesta and was legally allowed to drive it without a licensed driver beside me and without ever having driven on a public road before in my life. I drove home from buying the car in a garage an hour away.

I also drove myself into the nearest city (40 min drive) for my one and only driving lesson before I failed the test (not too badly, but not being aware of stopping distances and driving too close to parked cars!). Failed the test a second time as I was heavily pregnant and needing a wee very badly. Got flustered at a roundabout Passed with flying colours on third go (with 3 lessons)!

At 18, driving my Dad's car around a Superquinn car park at 10pm while he sat beside me inhaling cigarettes in one go and leaving imprints on the door handle from gripping so tight.

That was just to get the stop/start basics in. Then I did five or ten lessons with a local driving school.

That being said, I'll be getting lessons off a mate in the coming days hopefully and if anybody has any decent suggestions of location, in the South Dublin area, I'd like to hear them.

Aren't you required to do lessons with a registered instructor before you can get a licence these days?

Brittas Bay car park, back in the days before they put a barrier up so you cant use it in winter. A few years later had a few proper lessons, bought my first car and two of us (provisional drivers) set off for Kerry for the week. Had a ball.

Asmooh wrote: »

Official driving school in The Netherlands.. the way you should learn to drive the correct way if you ask me.

Passed Theory and Practical test the first time, and believe me those tests are soo much more difficult compare to here.

How far you have to go in the Netherlands to find somewhere for a decent hill start!

Charles Babbage wrote: »

On a TVO tractor.

Same here! Pulling up whin bushes.

Started on tractor about 8 or 9, by 12 I was able to move 12ton trucks round the yard and able to drive car on the road (much quieter back then) full liscence at 18, never took a lesson.

I started my 12yo daughter around the field in the jeep last summer and it went well.

I had no lessons and no pre-test, yet I passed the test first time! It was the Finglas test centre and I had a horrible Austin Metro at the time.

Such an arduous test. :rolleyes: My wife was so nervous she couldn't drive to or from the test centre, yet she also passed first time.

On the back roads early on Saturday mornings in my early teens. Not saying its right but sure everyone in the area learnt that way! The only vehicle you'd meet would be a farmer driving 5mph as he was looking at other peoples land. Provisional at 17. Passed test at 18 with no lessons.

I went to a job interview. All was going swimmingly, more or less told I was getting the job, it was a significant pay increase and lots of potential until the interviewer sez "Oh, I forgot, you need to be able to drive for the position - you have a car, don't you?"

"Yes. Yes I do", I lied firmly.

The by the following evening I'd booked my first lesson, got the car loan arranged at the bank, and had a friend of a friend lined up who knew someone with a banger to sell. By the time I'd worked my notice, I was driving.

Passed my test a month before the theory tests came in. You could drive on a provisional and not get pulled by the Guards those days, but I wanted my insurance to come down so I sat the test anyway.

KC161 wrote: »

On the grounds of a mental hospital when i was 14 in a 1994 toyota carina. Happy days

We still have a 94 carina, great car in fairness, trading it in for a 161 next week, going to miss it