1. The “Reverse” Disaster
Let’s start with a classic: the dreaded reverse parking. Everyone’s first experience with parallel parking can be nerve-wracking, but for one driver, it turned into a full-blown disaster.
One learner shared their experience with their driving instructor, who had been quite patient through the basic maneuvers. That was until it came time to parallel park. The student, trying to reverse into a parking spot, somehow confused the brake and gas pedals. Instead of gently reversing into the spot, the car surged forward, smashing into a traffic cone—followed by the curb, and finally, a very surprised pedestrian. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the pedestrian just walked away shaking their head in disbelief.
The driving instructor, with a deadpan face, turned to the learner and said, “Well, at least you didn’t hit any parked cars.” Needless to say, reverse parking took a lot more practice after that, but it made for one of the most memorable moments in the week intensive driving course!
2. The "Never-ending Lane Change" Incident
One driving student, during their week intensive driving course, was nervously trying to learn the intricacies of lane changes. With the instructor next to them, they merged into the right lane and had the perfect opportunity to change back into the left lane. However, panic set in when they started making the maneuver — but they didn’t stop.
The learner continued swerving between lanes for what felt like an eternity, completely forgetting the concept of lane positioning. Cars honked, the instructor was clutching the passenger seat with a white-knuckle grip, and the learner was shouting, “I don’t know what’s happening!” It was a good 20 minutes before they finally managed to calmly get back into their original lane. The instructor sighed and simply said, “Next time, just breathe, okay?”
Moral of the story: Remember to breathe and slow down! Lane changes are a lot easier when you’re not trying to make them at warp speed.
3. The Perils of Parking on a Hill
A learner had just completed their week intensive driving course and felt ready to conquer the world. Confidently, they parked their car on a slight incline, following the instructions of their driving instructor. They were told to leave the car in "first gear" to prevent it from rolling backwards.
All was going well until the instructor stepped out for just a moment to grab something from the back seat. The learner, who was feeling pretty confident, decided to shift the car into neutral without realizing the importance of leaving it in gear on an incline. When the learner let go of the brake, the car began to roll backwards — straight into a flower bed and then onto a nearby fence.
The instructor came running back to see the chaos. “I thought you were practicing parallel parking!” he exclaimed. The learner, red-faced, could only apologize as the flowers of the flower bed were mourned by all. A valuable lesson learned: always check your parking brake and gear when parking on an incline.
4. The Brake Panic Moment
For some, the fear of the brakes can lead to some interesting moments in driving school. One learner recalled being in a week intensive driving course when they felt something unusual while approaching a red light. Panicked and in a state of confusion, the learner slammed the brake pedal to the floor.
Unfortunately, the learner wasn’t aware that the car was already slowing down, and they ended up making the car come to a complete stop — right in the middle of an intersection! Cars behind them started honking furiously, the light turned green, and traffic was backed up. Meanwhile, the instructor remained calm, telling the learner, “Well, at least we didn’t hit anyone.” As they turned the corner, the learner swore never to panic at a red light again.
The lesson here? When in doubt, don’t overthink it — just tap the brakes and stop smoothly.
5. The "Accidental Parallel Parking" Champion
Sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned, and that’s where the fun happens. One learner shared their story of unintentionally perfectly parallel parking in a tight spot — but not in the way they had ever imagined.
It happened during a week intensive driving course when the learner was practicing parallel parking. They pulled into a space a little too early, knocking over a trash bin in the process. At first, the instructor was about to tell them to start over when, out of nowhere, the learner managed to turn the steering wheel the exact way they needed, which caused the car to perfectly align between the two parked cars. The only problem? They didn’t mean to do it.
As they both sat there in stunned silence, the instructor said, “I guess sometimes you don’t need to try too hard to parallel park… we might have just set a record.”
The learner, who was trying to avoid hitting the trash can, ended up making an expert parallel parking move in the most unexpected way. That day, they learned that confidence — even if accidental — goes a long way in driving.
6. The “Unplanned Off-Road Adventure”
One learner, who was attending a week intensive driving course, had a rough start when it came to off-road driving. While practicing in an empty parking lot, they mistakenly accelerated too fast when turning. Instead of completing the smooth U-turn they intended, the car shot off toward a curb, took a quick left, and found itself halfway up a small grassy hill, overlooking the parking lot.
With the instructor speechless for a moment, the learner felt their heart race as they realized their “off-road adventure” had just begun. The instructor turned and said, “Well, we weren’t planning to go off-roading today, but hey, at least we know the car can handle it!”
Moral of the story: Always maintain control of the vehicle, even in a controlled environment.
Conclusion
Learning to drive comes with its fair share of moments that are less than perfect, but these driving school horror stories are all part of the journey. If you’re enrolling in a week intensive driving course, be ready for the unexpected and remember that everyone, even experienced drivers, has made their fair share of mistakes along the way. The key is to stay calm, learn from those moments, and keep practicing. Who knows? You might just end up with your own unforgettable driving school story!
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