I am a late bloomer. I decided that I needed to learn to drive at 30+. I had heard many good things about Midwood Driving School. The lessons are private and you pay as you go. Most of the younger crowd passed their driving tests on the first try. I figured I would give it a go. I was very nervous driving, having not driven in over 15 years. My instructor, J., had given lessons to several people I know. I figured he would be a good instructor. He drove me to an area where there wasn't a lot of traffic and had me drive around. He seemed okay, a bit standoffish, but then got snarky when I wasn't making turns correctly. I took it in stride and kept going. As I was driving, he was texting and took 2 phone calls. I found it distracting, since this was my first lesson. He then brought me to a very busy intersection. I got very nervous and did not turn correctly. He got very annoyed with me. I tried to shake it off but once I got home, I was really upset. I decided that I would try another lesson to see how it goes.
Since my first impression of J. was not great, I was nervous getting into the car with him again. I was a wreck and he was patient at the start but that patience soon wavered. As soon as I made a mistake, he quickly had a negative attitude. It just threw me off and made me nervous. He also was texting and answering his cell phone. He was scheduling lessons with other students and making vacation plans. I could not believe I was paying money for a lesson and he was conducting personal business.
I do not feel that he really gave me enough instruction. J. would tell me when to turn and to hold the wheel but would get unpleasant when a mistake or misunderstanding took place. I did not feel that his personal business should be a part of my lesson, so much so that I knew where he would be vacationing in the fall. He was also unfriendly. I wasn't looking for a friend, just someone that would put me at ease, which he did not do.
The use of his cell phone during my lessons was definitely the clincher in deciding not to use him as an instructor. When I called to tell J. I would no longer be taking lessons from him, he asked why. I explained my discomfort and his cell phone usage. I could hear car horns and traffic so he was in the car, possibly with a student. Maybe it is just me, but using a cell phone while driving or acting as a driving instructor is not sending the right message and putting lives in jeopardy. read more