Irrational fears

[Comfreyfan]

I DID IT!!!!!

Well done you. I know what a big thing it can be to have to drive somewhere out of your comfort zone. I can still get anxious if I have to go somewhere different - especially for work for some reason. I do love the sat nav though, it's great to know that someone in the car knows where we are!

[HeyWayne]

Well done!

Interestingly both my sister and mum suffer similar confidence issues when driving. My sister passed her test a few years ago now, but hasn't driven since to my knowledge. She had an automatic car for a short while, but I don't think it made much difference. Mum thinks a commute to Hemel Hempstead is a trek. I've now been driving for more of my life than not, and got called a "hardened driver" just the other day by my passenger whilst driving in London. It's amazing how quickly it becomes second nature.

Well done you'll soon wonder what was stopping you.

Sat Navs have probably saved our marriage on a number of occasions - particularly when in Italy.

[Alison]

I'm one of those people who can't stand Sat Navs (think it's an instinctive dislike of being told what do do ) and much prefer to look at something like AA Route Planner and a proper map and plan my route that way. Think I have a map thing on my phone but have never investigated using it.

[zazen999]

You don't HAVE to have the sat nav turned onto voice Alison.

I love the sat nav mainly for eta on when I'm going to be home. You don't have to obey them either - I like to think the battery works better if it is continually changing the route when I ignore mine anyway.

The first vehicle I drove after passing my test was a transit van. And it was a works one at that. Being a girl, you had to learn how to drive like a bloke [esp when on building sites]. I'm happy in any vehicle - on any roads and in any conditions.

[janeyo]

I have changed my sat nav voice to the american default guy. I like to imagine he's called Brad and is talking to me - no wonder I get flaming lost! Sometimes he is a right grumpy git telling me over and over to do a u turn where it's safe and we have a little falling out....
LOL

Drives OH nuts that I have named the sat nav man!

Actually the only time we get lost is if we don't follow what Brad says!

[binley100]

We like to try and confuse our sat nav..........it's a lady with an Irish accent (sounds lovely ) ......and when she's telling us to turn around we shout no ....simple things eh

[Bramble_killer]

lol, what did people do before the advent of sat nav?

[Two_Sheds]

Before Sat Nav? I'd study the map then write out a list of main points, eg A12 till Ipswich, then turn right, or tape yourself and play it back in the car

The sat nav still gets us lost more often than I do: It irritates Himself so much that he's now taken the atlas out of the car and hidden it somewhere

[Glutton4...]

I love my Sat.Nag. but I always turn the voice off - like Alison, I don't like being told what to do! And I always tell the darn thing to shut up!

I did download John Cleese on to my old one (it broke), that used to really make me laugh!

[womble]

lol, what did people do before the advent of sat nav?

I don't have one

I used to drive over the whole country, every day and I take getting lost as just a part of life. You learn there are only so many ways you can go. I used to navigate through London sometimes by compass and just go in the right direction
But I still used to plan every trip well, before multimap I used to study the map and when MM came along it was a revelation. I'd study the route and particularly any difficult looking bits.

Plan well, have everything you could need with you. Just like when I'm going off on a walk by myself in the woods, I'll take first aid kit, leatherman, water, food, maps, GPS, mobile, I don't really need to, but it makes me feel better.

Clean your lights, wear your special pants, look on a satellite picture of where you have to park, every little thing that could help you. Then you will feel more relaxed about it I hope.


And well done for yesterday.

[Munch]

Just continuing the title of the thread...

I have a weird thing/fear/cringeworthy yukness about wet wood

Oh and stairs

[Hilary B]

We had a satnav for a while (given to us by relation who was upgrading), it had its uses, but we NEVER had the voice on, I watched the map and told OH when to turn. When it broke down we went back to multimap, which will find us the address we have to go to, and print maps in a range of scales, then I mapread and navigate.
Finding a precise address, a different house every day of the week, without multimap, would be a PITA, but the satnav only really made much difference if we got a second place we had to go to, and weren't told until we had left home. Doesn't happen often...

[buzzingtalk]

Beggars belief doesn't it but it does depend on where you take your test - did mine in Peterborough so didn't have to do a hill start as that would have meant going into the multi storey car park

haha, I didn't do hill starts either as I lived in London when I learnt with no hills about at all. I now live in Norwich which really is flat! But when I'm out in asia (like I will be in a week) there are hills a-pleanty, and ones with no barrier/kerb which always make me tense up a bit!

[buzzingtalk]

Also, managed to drive all the way to poland and back in RH drive car on wrong side of the road with a map (no satnav) without incident, and drove across portugal in left hand drive car (gears!!! strange) again without incident - I'm only 24 but they say the older you do something new, like driving abroad, the longer it takes for you to becom confident. Especially with driving as a lot of people are nervous about it - so the only cure is practice! Even if it means driving just to a shop and back where you know the route, just get comfortable and get your confidence up. The sad thing with driving is that if everyone was as cautious as people on here, the roads would be a lot safer but theres an awful lot of idiots (mainly the younger lot) who do not care for the road or its users

And this comes from someone who only learnt to drive a few years ago becuase I was terrified of cars (no one in my family drives), and I now drive the disabled around for a living as well as driving in europe and asia to festivals or on trips abroad...practice, practice, practice. Being relaxed is the most important thing!

[taff]

I drove to an auction a few weeks ago, went with friends, and they brought their sat nav to guide us in case we got lost. I was ready to trhow it out of the window after about 2 minutes.

and well done!!