THIS IS MORE LIKE IT – PROFESSIONALISM
Driving Instructors: (You might want to get your act together)
Today my anger is directed at those that train our beloved four-wheelers (non commercial vehicles) out there. Driver trainers involved in training commercial truck drivers we will leave for another day. This yarn is based on my last visit to Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Island to be specific) and how things appeared on the provincial highways, at least on those that I travelled. By the way it is little different in most other provinces.
I was heading towards the Northside from Glace Bay when I spotted a car with a training school sign on top. For purposes of this blog, let’s call it Witless Driving School. There were four people in the car, as it’s customary these days in some parts for driving schools to give group lessons, with each trainee taking their turn at the wheel.
While I usually pass these training vehicles carefully and without much thought, this day, I couldn’t. One reason, because the car was simply going too fast, weaving in and out of the crowded lanes with reckless abandon. “The trainer had better set this kid straight in a hurry or they’re going to cause an accident,” I thought.
After another minute or so of following the car – with difficulty – I now noticed that the Witless car was lazily drifting onto the shoulder, about a foot past the edge of the pavement and verging into the breakdown lane, every 30 seconds or so. Good God, I thought, “the instructor really needs to wake his trainee up here and help straighten him/her out.”
After another couple of minutes watching the Witless car following FAR too closely to the person in front of them (I was taught that a car-length-and-a-half or more should be the minimum distance between cars and this kid was probably less than half a car-length at best), we both started making our way onto the ramp, which had a posted speed limit of 70 km/hr. Determined to get a look at this kid, I sped up a little; 80 km/hr…90 km/hr…100 km/hr. At 110 km/hr, I gave up once I realized they were actually gradually pulling away from me. What was this instructor thinking? You’ve got a brake yourself on the passenger side, buddy! Give it a tap!
With the ramp behind us, I finally get up beside the Witless car and what do I see? The instructor himself in the driver’s seat, barking instructions and occasionally taking BOTH hands off the wheel to gesture a point to his three helpless trainees!!
How are those trainees supposed to learn how to driver properly if the instructor himself can’t set a good example? And exactly what is the criteria to run a driving school these days? I found the whole thing baffling. I certainly wouldn’t want to share the road with three more Witless fools like the ones that instructor has likely produced.
One of the complaints I often hear from commercial truck drivers is that the government needs to make a point of better teaching non-commercial drivers how to handle themselves around big rigs, but if companies like Witless can’t even help trainees master the basics, I’m not sure how much hope there is for creating truck-conscious car drivers in the future.
(GO WITH “YOUNG DRIVERS “- GTF)
Cape Breton News 