British Expatriate Network

I've just started learning to drive here. From scratch. I never got it together in Blighty to do this so its about time. Must admit its alot easier than i'd expected it to be(even tho i'm learning to drive a stick shift) and things are a lot less hectic on the roads here than in the UK. We drove for nearly an hour today without seeing another car and only a couple passed us, but that was near a casino and they're always busy.
I could have learned to drive an automatic but figured that cos i'm British I would be expected to know how to do the clutch/shift/gas thing, and one does like to please. grin

Good on you, go for it, good luck and all that jazz -)

fantastic, and great on you for going the non-american route wink

Good luck with the driving. My kids both opted to learn stick shift too, and now prefer it. Beats me why, I'd rather drive automatic any day roll

Good luck with the driving. My kids both opted to learn stick shift too, and now prefer it. Beats me why, I'd rather drive automatic any day roll

Good luck with the driving.
I have to say the tests are a doddle in the northeast, so it should be easy peasy once you have the driving part down.

W hen you take the test remember to put a cd in the player the right way up and close the door before you start up and you will pass with flying colours .... good luck smile

You could probably pick one or any of these reasons:

looks cool to shift (I know of kids that shift automatics from 1st up to drive which is a bit silly)
better fuel economy (automatics seem to draw out shifts or shift up at the wrong moment)
smoother acceleration/braking

Good luck with learning to drive here Servelan. What are the instructors like? They seem to be hired by the high schools where I live and the kids go round with 2 or 3 learners taking turns in the car. Do they have a British School of Motoring equivalent?

Actually i'm waiting on a lesson from a guy who teaches high school kids - which is why i'm waiting. Mrs Servalans been teachiing me the basics and her Dad took me out and showed me the ropes of the whole getting started buisness.
Seems to be very laid back attitude to driving, there doesn't seem to be a minimum requirement for lessons with an instructor and I can drive as long as there's a liscenced adult with me in the car.
Don't fancy driving here in minneapolis, but back home in wisconsin its fine cos there's little or no traffic about. I love that we can drive for an hour, in the daytime, and not see another car. grin

It will be a whole new game when you go home. I couldn't get my head round switching to the right hand for the gear stick. In a British car it's all left side. Here it's left-right-left. Throws you right off!

Good luck with the test. One thing that threw me in my test was I was asked to operate the radio, like turn it on or adjust the volume. I had barely driven this car before and didn't know where the radio on/off was! I got away with that.

Good luck with your driving classes! You'll do fine.
I have another problem - driving in the UK for three weeks. Haven't driven over their since '83 so it should be interesting. ;-)

I'll be hiring an automatic when I return home for a holiday. Don't fancy that switcheroo when I am meant to be relaxing!

I didn't have any trouble with the stick, but I did have a tendency to go into the wrong lane, when taking a left, in the first few days there, and taking a right in the first few days back here.

I found driving in the US really easy. I drove around on my UK licence for about a year before I took the test here.

Good luck though. I am certain its more easy to drive in the US than it would be to learn in the UK.

After whacking my right hand three times into the door to change gears on a trip back to the UK I soon learnt the stick was on the left. It hurt.

My daughter will most likely learn a stick shift as all our cars are manual.

Never did take a US driving test so I don't know how they differ.