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Hey guys , today i had my first driving lesson and well didn't go very well .
As it was my first time ever in the driver seat of a car and a manual one none the less.
My driving instructor told me about the clutch , brake and gas pedals , how to change gears and whatnot .
But i took a lot of time to grasp it , i kept stalling the car and even taking off at 1st gear was difficult .

I was a nerve wreck , but my nerves where about to skyrocket ... After a little while of practicing on a quite street he decided to let me drive on the road .. with cars . I mean jesus i wasn't sure what to do ! He even started yelling a little like he was expecting me to know how to drive on roads , i could not keep the car steady as i do not know how much to turn the steering wheel . i Thought well i got to taste the roads we must be nearing the end for today and finally getting some breath .. but no ! He had to take me to a highway of some sort , i nearly shat my pants !

I don't know why i just wrote this but i needed to shed some pressure away as after coming back i haven't been thinking of anything other than that 1 measly hour . About what went wrong , about my nervousness on the road . Honestly i hope it gets better because with that much pressure i sure as hell can't accomplish anything .

I mean i have no prior experience on the road , i have no idea what to do in certain situations .
Did you guys experience that too or it's just me ?! i seriously need a confidence boost .
First time ever in the driver seat, and he makes you drive on a main road, and yells at you? Not good, and irresponsible! On top of that you sound like you have a predisposition to get nervous.
My dad taught me how to drive by making me sit on his lap while he operated the pedals (when I was a child and small enough to fit there!). Then I drove on empty roads for a while. By the time I was 16 I could drive, but was not allowed to drive around alone since I had no driving permit. I "stole" the car a couple of times with a friend who was about 14, if not less!
I guess I was lucky, but I never knew it.
Whether it's normal or not, if you're that uncomfortable then I wish you could change instructors. He's yelling at you and going too fast, and you're paying him.
Otherwise don't worry, most important in driving is to look well when you go out of a secondary road. So don't worry too much about stalling the car, you'll get it with time. Stay focused on the road and your position on the road, and watch out for other cars.
I'm confident you'll be ok, but since you're having a bad experience I'd say try to find another instructor.
Oh wait a sec ! HE WASN'T SUPPOSE TO TAKE ME ? I'm furious right now ... because i sensed i wasn't prepared !
I thought it was all part of the program . Well lets see tomorrow maybe he will take me to a racing arena !
Anyway thank you so much for replying you don't know how much it means to me .
But i got to say learning to drive ( and steal ) you're dads car must have been real helpful .
Side note: How old are you ?

Okay so , when i first sat in a driving seat i was 12 .. can you imagine ?
So i was driving an automatic .. i can't handle manual vehicles even now and I'm 14, so i was at Faraya (Lebanon) where it was very quiet, and i got very nervous because it was hit on me just like that. "Get in the car so i can teach you how to drive". I was like what ??

So yeah, you'll be nervous at first but like @rofl said, try changing the instructor, that's not a good way to teach you know .. Hopefully you should drive an automatic lol.

Tip: Just concentrate at your position, keep your eyes open and that's it.

Last year or the one before it i drove in Egypt, of course i had my god father next to me but it went better than the first time so nothing to worry about !
Congratulations.

Stay off the populated roads till you have some confidence! For your and others safety. And as every one said, always keep your eyes open and expect everyone to be crappy inconsiderate drivers, that way you will keep expecting the worse.
Oh and please get used to the turn signals from now
oh and please only overtake from the left of the vehicle you approach
oh and please stay away as possible from lady drivers fidgeting with their mobile phones (which is almost all)

Be Safe!
Boy I remember my first time driving in Beirut's highway. It was my worst experience ever, but with time one gets used to it.
NajaLB wroteSide note: How old are you ?

Okay so , when i first sat in a driving seat i was 12 .. can you imagine ?
So i was driving an automatic .. i can't handle manual vehicles even now and I'm 14, so i was at Faraya (Lebanon) where it was very quiet, and i got very nervous because it was hit on me just like that. "Get in the car so i can teach you how to drive". I was like what ??

So yeah, you'll be nervous at first but like @rofl said, try changing the instructor, that's not a good way to teach you know .. Hopefully you should drive an automatic lol.

Tip: Just concentrate at your position, keep your eyes open and that's it.

Last year or the one before it i drove in Egypt, of course i had my god father next to me but it went better than the first time so nothing to worry about !
I turned 18 back in feb.
I got to say manuals are a pain in the *** to drive, or at least initially , you have to remember a lot of stuff.
And i don't think i will drive an automatic just yet as the instructor told me they test on manuals .
I am sure it will feel more natural to me as time goes , but for now unfortunately i will continue to be nervous , especially when thrown like that on the road ! I mean i still don't know very well how much pressure i need to put on the brake or accelerator lol .
Rubz wroteCongratulations.

Stay off the populated roads till you have some confidence! For your and others safety. And as every one said, always keep your eyes open and expect everyone to be crappy inconsiderate drivers, that way you will keep expecting the worse.
Oh and please get used to the turn signals from now
oh and please only overtake from the left of the vehicle you approach
oh and please stay away as possible from lady drivers fidgeting with their mobile phones (which is almost all)

Be Safe!
Thanks for the tips !
But i am pretty sure overtaking is a little advanced for me now lol .
NuclearVision wroteGuys, that's exactly why there is taxis :D
But with a taxi you can't have as much freedom as you're own personal car , that's why i need to continue .
Lol @NuclearVision's comment

@OnLiNe : You'll catch up man , even if your test in on manuals , it's gonna be fine , and you'll memorize all that gas , brakes whatsoever stuff in matter of time lol.
NajaLB wroteLol @NuclearVision's comment

@OnLiNe : You'll catch up man , even if your test in on manuals , it's gonna be fine , and you'll memorize all that gas , brakes whatsoever stuff in matter of time lol.
Well i hope so lol .
First of all, most of Lebanese instructors sucks.

None of my family members know how to drive or ever owned a car, so I was obliged to go to a "مكتب تعليم " to learn.
I was older than you when I learned driving, and I had some problem with the " Instructor ". He start yelling because I could not put the fifth gear on highway, so I simply kicked his a$$. The next week I got the license like most of Lebanese do, and next year I brought a cheap car and start learning by myself.

PS: I am not telling you to have a fight with him..well but that's what I did.
PS#2: Driving in Lebanon is a pain in the a$$. I always use transportation services.
@scorz: What about your car ?

Fighting with the instructor isn't a solution. But having a serious but a bit loud conversation saying stop yelling ... wouldn't be a bad thing!
@NajaLb Yeah what about it?

Well sometimes I get angry so easy and that day, It just wasn't my day!
scorz wroteFirst of all, most of Lebanese instructors sucks.

None of my family members know how to drive or ever owned a car, so I was obliged to go to a "مكتب تعليم " to learn.
I was older than you when I learned driving, and I had some problem with the " Instructor ". He start yelling because I could not put the fifth gear on highway, so I simply kicked his a$$. The next week I got the license like most of Lebanese do, and next year I brought a cheap car and start learning by myself.

PS: I am not telling you to have a fight with him..well but that's what I did.
PS#2: Driving in Lebanon is a pain in the a$$. I always use transportation services.
Wow ! That must have felt amazing.
And you are right from what i have seen so far they really do suck .
@scroz: yeah i don't blame you.

And you said i use transportation .. because driving in lebanon sucks.

So what happens to your car ? Stays in the garage ?.
@Naja

Nope, I just drive it in my area if I want to transport some stuffs.
And I hate automobile repair shop. Not-so-sever problems I repair them.
Not all driving learning centers are bad, mine was actually good. He taught me 1st gear on the first day (only used that gear), 2nd gear on the second day (only used up to that gear), and 3rd gear on the third day. After which he started taking me to open roads, some of which were either crowded or narrow in Aramoun. On the last few days he taught me how to park, and drive backwards.

EDIT:

Adding few tips:
1- Don't worry about the gear change, the hardest part is the steering wheel.
2- Never head into a lane speeding without having visual. In other words, if you can't see a road, and you need to head into it, move slowly and carefully. Never take a decision based on assumptions.
3- Don't hesitate. If you feel you can't do it, don't do it.
first you have to be excited to drive, excitement and fear are close but the moral boost is much different.
Yea its wrong to be put on the street for the first time, as my instructor did it the 3rd time i drove. Noone tought me how to drive, so it was fresh to me, but i knew the basics but never had the chance to apply.

What i would do is this, go to a quit long streched road, or somewhere else, like parking space of a mall late 11-12. Remember the clutch thing? If you are on ur 1st gear and the car is parked, raise ur foot slowly and the car WILL move WITHOUT the need of the acceleration pedal. Hold that position and drive around, usually ur speed will be about like 10 so ur really slow. That way you will learn how to drive and know the degree of left and right. When your about to sop, dont forget to step on the clutch all the way back so the car wont jump and shut off.
Keep doing this, then start using the acceleration pedal, but stay on gear 1. Afetr some practice, go from gear 1 to 2 back and forth. ANd then all the way to gears 3-4-5 (if exists). You dont have to be speeding, you can be at gear 4 and doing 60.
Most important thing relax, relax relax. The people on the street will kill u with horns and whats not. Even if the car shuts of in the middle of the street, do not listen to other people. Brake and focus on starting the car, and doing all the clutch thing, its called "mizaneyye".