Va va voom

JUNE 25th 2011

As promised, I got my Clio back this morning. I had begun to get used to the Peugeot, but it did feel nice being back in my car – the clutch is much more forgiving and the steering has more ‘feel’.

When Matthew took his test last week the examiner looked at the Peugeot and asked me “Why have you gone and got yourself one of these?!” He obviously wasn’t impressed.

It wasn’t the first time examiners have turned their nose up at a car. When I was with BSM and had a Fiat 500, the examiners would often make disparaging comments about it. One time, at the start of a test, the examiner asked my pupil to pop the bonnet and tell him how he would check the oil level. As my pupil lifted the bonnet, the examiner looked into the engine and asked “Where’s the rubber band?”  The cheek!

Back in the saddle

JUNE 6th 2011.

What a palava. As previously reported, Saturday afternoon after the prang, I was straight on the phone to my insurers to report the claim and request a replacement car. Having a car is quite important for a driving instructor. I was told that it was now ‘out of office hours’ so she could record my claim, but no-one would be able to do anything until Tuesday morning (Monday was a bank holiday), despite me assuring her that I could not use my car (it was driveable, but no rear windscreen and the hatch was so buckled that it could not be shut).

Tuesday morning, at 9.00am on the dot, I am on the phone, trying to inject some urgency into my case. Shortly afterwards, a car lease company call me to say that will be providing a replacement car (great!), and that it will delivered Wednesday afternoon (not so great).

“Is that ok for you Mr. Rutter?”

“Well, I was hoping to have a car today. I have a pupil on test later in the week and she was hoping for a lesson tonight. Is it possible to deliver it today?”

“I don’t think so; you are ‘a long way up’.”

Very disappointed, I then had to contact all my pupils who had lessons scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday morning (including a new pupil) to tell them that we would have to rearrange their lessons.

So Wednesday morning I was back on the phone, I needed to know what time the car would be arriving so that I could plan my afternoon. I called the car lease company and spoke to the same woman I spoke to the previous day.

“Your car delivery has been cancelled.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you said Wednesday afternoon was not acceptable.”

“I said that I was hoping to have it earlier, but NOT CANCELLED!”

(Trying to keep calm) “Well, when can you get the car here?”

“I’ll see if I can find a driver. We may be able to get you a car Thursday night.”

“But my pupil’s test is on Friday and she really wants a lesson before then. Plus, I have already rescheduled other lessons for Wednesday evening and Thursday, because you told me I would have a car by then.”

“I will see if I can find a driver, but Thursday night would still be the earliest.”

Exasperated, I could only agree, but I got straight onto the GoInstruct, who I lease my Clio from. They were brilliant and told me to forget the other company and they would get a car to me immediately – well, as immediate as it is possible to be when delivering from Manchester to where I live (about 8 hours).

And so, late Wednesday night I was hugely relieved to see my replacement car being delivered to my door. It was a Peugeot 207 1.4 diesel, rather than another Clio, but any car was better than nothing.

It’s quite nice. Jane prefers its looks to the Clio and she may have a point. I like the colour – I am considering white for my next car – but, especially this time of year, the splattered bugs are more noticeable. A nice chassis and I prefer the firmer suspension. Only a slightly smaller engine, but it definitely feels less powerful when dealing with hills and overtaking.

Most of my pupils so far have had no trouble adjusting (the biting point is slightly higher), but my pupil taking her test on Friday was reluctant to do so in a car she had not driven before so booked a lesson (and the test) with another instructor who had a diesel Clio. Sadly, she did not pass, and I feel bad that she was deprived of the lessons and the car she wanted. You could argue that, if she is good enough to pass her test she should be able to do so in almost any car, and I would agree with that, but pupils on a test like to have as much reassurance and comfort as possible.

No news yet on when I might be getting my car back, or even if it can be repaired. Meanwhile I am enjoying the Peugeot, I still prefer the Clio, but I think it is easier to learn in than the Fiat 500 and certainly better than the Vauxhall Corsa.

I have since had no less than three letters of apology from the car lease company that decided to cancel my original replacement car. Not much consolation to my test pupil though.

“I don’t think so; you are ‘a long way up’.”

Very disappointed, I then had to contact all my pupils who had lessons scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday morning (including a new pupil) to tell them that we would have to rearrange their lessons.

So Wednesday morning I was back on the phone, I needed to know what time the car would be arriving so that I could plan my afternoon. I called the car lease company and spoke to the same woman I spoke to the previous day.

“Your car delivery has been cancelled.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you said Wednesday afternoon was not acceptable.”

“I said that I was hoping to have it earlier, but NOT CANCELLED!”

(Trying to keep calm) “Well, when can you get the car here?”

“I’ll see if I can find a driver. We may be able to get you a car Thursday night.”

“But my pupil’s test is on Friday and she really wants a lesson before then. Plus, I have already rescheduled other lessons for Wednesday evening and Thursday, because you told me I would have a car by then.”

“I will see if I can find a driver, but Thursday night would still be the earliest.”

Exasperated, I could only agree, but I got straight onto the GoInstruct, who I lease my Clio from. They were brilliant and told me to forget the other company and they would get a car to me immediately – well, as immediate as it is possible to be when delivering from Manchester to where I live (about 8 hours).

And so, late Wednesday night I was hugely relieved to see my replacement car being delivered to my door. It was a Peugeot 207 1.4 diesel, rather than another Clio, but any car was better than nothing.

Why choose Farle Driving School?

I am Martin Rutter, a fully-qualified Approved Driving Instructor. I trained with the British School Of Motoring and worked with them as an instructor for four years, but left them to set up my own driving school, ‘Farle’, in June 2010.

You will probably have seen me around Ullapool as I have been teaching pupils to become good, safe drivers there since Summer 2009. Before I started, the test pass rate in Ullapool was 50% - So, only 1 in 2 people were passing. My test pass rate is now 75% - so, 3 out of 4 of my tests are passes. 

I also teach in Inverness and beyond, and many of my Ullapool pupils have found it beneficial to take additional lessons in Inverness, either before their test, or as part of their Pass Plus course. I take pride in my high pass rate and hope to continue to improve that. My aim is to make you as good a driver as possible. Passing your driving test should be considered as the minimum standard required to be on the road. I hope to take my pupils beyond that standard. Having said that, I don’t believe in prolonging your lessons unnecessarily; if I think you are ready (or will be ready) to drive on your own I will encourage you to apply for your test.

At the moment I teach in a 1.5 tDci Renault Clio (there are various pictures around this site). I have previously taught in a Vauxhall Corsa, a Peugeot 207 and a Fiat 500, but after test-driving other cars, I am happy that the Clio is a great car to learn to drive in – good visibility, forgiving controls and a responsive engine. It is fitted with He-Man dual controls (clutch and brake)… just in case you need a bit of help in a hurry. If you have your own car, and would prefer to learn to drive in that, I am happy to give lessons in your own car if it has ‘L’-plates and is correctly insured, although I may suggest some lessons in my dual-controlled car first (especially if you are a relatively new driver). I will also advise you on the legal requirements if you wish to take your driving test in your own car.

My wife, Jane, and I have variable days off. This means that I am completely flexible in my lesson days and times. I have given lessons at 10.30pm before and, a few weeks ago, a pupil wanted a lesson at 6.00am before he went to work. To be honest, I would rather not make a habit of this, but I will always try to fit in with whatever days and times suit you best for your lessons.

How much does it cost? If you have an hour’s lesson, I will currently charge you £24.50 (£23 for students and employees of companies that have negotiated a discount with me). If you pre-pay for more than one lesson, it gets progressively cheaper (per hour). You may be able to find slightly cheaper lessons, but I am confident that I will get you through your test as quickly as possible, thus saving you money in the long term. You can contact me for exact details of cost, whether it is for a 30-minute lesson, 1 hour, 90 minutes, 2 hours, a block of 6 lessons or a block of 27.666 lessons. I will Find you a package to suit you (and your budget).

If you have already passsed your driving test, you may be interested in the Pass Plus course. I am qualified to teach Pass Plus and this involves going into depth on 6 different modules – Town driving, Rural driving, Night driving, Bad weather driving, Dual-carriageways and Motorways. I would especially advise Ullapool pupils to consider this course because it will cover many things which we cannot cover on your usual lessons. This 6-hour (minimum) course is assessed and there is no test at the end. You may take the whole course in one 6-hour day, or break it into smaller chunks. It usually costs £165, but I offer it to pupils (who have had at least 10 hours of lessons with me) for only £140. If you use your own car I will offer a further £10 discount. Additionally, living in the the Highlands, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £125 towards the cost of the course (I can provide information on this). So, it may only cost you £5 for 6 hours of further tuition AND many insurance companies offer significant discounts to those who have completed the Pass Plus course. Silly not to!

I also offer packages that include free theory test DVDs, free lessons or free tests. If you have a relative or friend that would like to learn to drive, I also offer fancy gold gift vouchers.

Some people do find the thought of learning to drive a bit daunting. I understand that and always try to make our lessons as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. If you want a friend, or relative, to accompany you on a lesson, then that’s fine too. I always try to push my pupils a bit further in every lesson, but it will always be at a pace that suits you. Finally, if you have any special requirements, then please call me (07577 718727) to discuss.