Our Cars: Charlotte Cobbs
2 February 2012: New roads
There wasn’t any messing around today. Within about two minutes of getting into Vaughan’s car, I was on a 40-mph road, which merged into a dual carriageway shortly after.
Coming off and going straight ahead at several consecutive roundabouts led us along another 40-mph road. The difference with this one was the bends I had to be mindful of. I got through it and we ended up in a little town that I know but I couldn’t remember the last time I drove in it. Nevertheless, it didn’t affect me. A town’s a town.
As soon as we got into it, we were met by a red light at a pedestrian crossing. I stopped and waited. Vaughan wanted me to turn right there, anyway, so the red light gave me an opportunity to see how busy the town was, what was going on and where I was going next.
When the lights changed, I turned right, only to be met by another red light. We weren’t in a rush, though - we had an hour and a half’s lesson booked - so I wasn’t bothered. A few metres down the road I had to smile to myself as we were presented with yet another red light.
To top everything off, in between these red lights, I also had to deal with a cyclist who’d stopped half in the road, half on the pavement. Don’t ask me what he was doing. Whatever he was doing, he didn’t help the cause for me liking cyclists at all.
We finally got away from the town and drove along a residential road. It was quite nice seeing the sea on my left-hand side, out the corner of my eye - until a woman stepped out in to the road.
I wasn’t expecting it but I dealt with her and continued, only for a cyclist to come out of a junction in front of me, and there was a bend coming up. So, I crawled behind him until we’d cleared the bend and I could go round him.
Not long after, Vaughan asked me to pull over in a “safe, convenient and legal place”. I’d already spotted some parking bays just ahead of us so I looked in my rear-view mirror, indicated left and pulled over. We chatted about the drive so far for a while before I could “drive on” and we headed through the town onto a dual carriageway, heading back the way we came. But we weren’t finished yet.
Vaughan directed me to another little town. I was beginning know it like I know the roads of ‘the usual haunts’, we’d spent some much time doing maneuvers here over the last few weeks - and today was no exception: “Pull up just before that junction and reverse around the corner”.
As much as I don’t like this manoeuvre, I’ve done it so many times now that it doesn’t bother me like it used to. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was Vaughan’s intention and if it was, thank you, it was exactly what I needed.
I just got on with it and OK, “it wasn’t one of your best ones”, was my feedback from Vaughan, because I’d gone too wide, but at least I can get around the corner without bumping the curb now. That’s a big improvement! We drove through the rest of the town, heading home as the lesson was coming to an end.
« Earlier: Situational awareness Later: About town »
