24/05/2026
IN THE LIFE OF A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR…
If you don’t have a sense of humour scroll on , this humour has been earned 😉
HILL START BRIEFING…Today we are doing hill starts. Nice and easy.
Handbrake on.
First gear.
Set your gas.
Find your bite. Observations.
Release the handbrake and move away smoothly.
Unfortunately learners hear something completely different:
“Today your mission is to fight gravity, confuse your feet and place your trust in a car you suddenly no longer believe in.”
You start finding the bite point and I can see the bonnet rise slightly. Perfect. Very nice. Very controlled. I am sitting there feeling proud already. I am thinking to myself, “Look at this. We have got this.”
Then you release the handbrake whilst simultaneously removing all gas from the equation entirely.
Interesting decision.
Not one I would have made personally.
Then panic arrives uninvited.
You immediately lift the clutch another three miles because apparently the original bite point was no longer trustworthy.
Suddenly we are playing the game :
“Play Your Cards Right” 🤣
Higher…
Higher…
HIGHER…
No, Bruce Forsyth has not suddenly appeared on the dashboard.
We are talking about the clutch here, not trying to win a speedboat and a caravan.🤣
The car starts vibrating violently. The dashboard starts shaking. The mirrors start wobbling. The steering wheel feels like it is trying to escape. At this point the car is giving every warning sign possible short of opening the door and leaving.
I calmly say:
“A little lower.”
You lower it.
Lower.
Not a little lower.
You have now gone completely past the bite point and entered another dimension.
The car starts rolling.
Panic enters the chat.
You instantly lift the clutch again.
Now the car is vibrating and then it stalls.
You grip the brake and clutch together like two long lost friends that have finally reunited.
Silence.
Not normal silence.
That awkward silence where we both stare ahead pretending we do not know each other.
Meanwhile there is now a queue behind us.
One driver is staring into our car wondering if we are waiting for planning permission before moving off.
Another has probably started calculating pension contributions.
The learner panic breathing starts. You know the one. Tiny rapid breaths whilst staring at the traffic lights like they have personally betrayed your entire family.
I say:
“It’s okay. Start again.”
You restart the car and suddenly develop a strange fear of every pedal in existence. Now the clutch is moving like somebody trying to defuse a bomb.
Three millimetres up.
Pause.
Two millimetres.
Pause.
One millimetre.
Pause.
By the time we move away the driver behind has probably finished college, started a family and retired.
Then out of nowhere…
Perfect bite.
Perfect gas.
Perfect move off.
Smooth as silk.
Absolutely beautiful.
You turn and look at me and say:
“What’s that smell?”
“Oh nothing serious.
Just the clutch sending us its resignation letter.”
See you at the next hill 😂
Please share and tag your friends in 🙏🏾
✍️ Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation School of Motoring
