learning to drive....

• Ponders

  12 Feb 06, 19:35

  just want to be irritating.. is it 18 or 21 to learn driving? haahaha
  
  Anyway to be serious, i want to know if any of the driving schools offer 2-3 lessons just to teach standard transmission?
  
  what happened is my friend just returned to singapore and found out his family car is a manual transmission.
  
  so he wants to learn to drive manual.
  
  so the driving schools here offer like "pay as you use" scheme for such cases?
• ditzy

  12 Feb 06, 20:18

  Yes, private ones offer refresher courses.
• sinicker

  12 Feb 06, 20:19

  so he has a solely auto car license?
• ditzy

  12 Feb 06, 20:21

  If he holds a foreign auto licence, he cannot convert it to a manual licence in singapore. Yes, he has to go the other way.
• Ponders

  12 Feb 06, 23:54

  he already hold the singapore license class 3 (not 3a)
  
  just that he dunno how to drive manual now.
  
  need to just learn few times.
• ditzy

  12 Feb 06, 23:55

  Then take refresher course lor. Or find a private estate and follow his dad for a drive around.
• Ponders

  13 Feb 06, 00:14

  hmm... what are all the names to call Manual transmission (you tell americans this they won't understand)
  
  so far i know..
  
  Standard
  
  Stick shift
  
  5 Speed
  
  Manual
  
  
• jumpmanz

  13 Feb 06, 00:55

  Originally posted by Ponders:

  hmm... what are all the names to call Manual transmission (you tell americans this they won't understand)
  
  so far i know..
  
  Standard
  
  Stick shift
  
  5 Speed
  
  Manual
  
  

  this car has no automatic transmission.
• wbucket

  13 Feb 06, 09:10

  Originally posted by ditzy:

  Then take refresher course lor. Or find a private estate and follow his dad for a drive around.

  Second method better, don't need to waste the money. I believe driving is like cycling. Once learned, will remember all the way. Just need to practice a bit to get back the feel.
• ditzy

  13 Feb 06, 09:31

  The last time I tried method 2 I cut lanes all the way. Luckily its not singapore and at night when the road was empty and no one was around to catch my horrendous driving.
• sinicker

  13 Feb 06, 11:27

  it took me 2 practical lessons to be cordial with the clutch and everything.
• wbucket

  13 Feb 06, 17:03

  Originally posted by sinicker:

  it took me 2 practical lessons to be cordial with the clutch and everything.

  And that is after how long of non-driving of a manual car?
• sinicker

  13 Feb 06, 17:15

  Originally posted by wbucket:

  And that is after how long of non-driving of a manual car?

  oh, i'm taking my driving lessons now. that 2 lessons were my first at cdc. that aside, i also drove for 5mins ard my sch carpark using a friend's car in sept last yr.
• Ponders

  13 Feb 06, 17:19

  The thing with my friend is that dad say, " don't use my car to learn, i still treasure the transmission". haha.
  
  For me, i rarely drive manual, in fact the last time i drove was .. 2002... hmm my friends' WRX and Prelude. I sucked at it. haha.
  
  
• sinicker

  13 Feb 06, 17:28

  bo bian. waste $ refresher course.
• Ponders

  13 Feb 06, 23:48

  what's the cost my friend's looking at?
  
  like how much for a session an a session is how long?
• sinicker

  14 Feb 06, 00:07

  frm the CDC website.
  
  

  The Refresher Course is aimed at drivers who have not driven for a good number of years, and want to refresh their driving skills for better road safety. Obtaining a driving licence is only the beginning of a long-term experience in motoring. There are still so much to learn on the behaviour and attitudes of other road users and the correct principles of driving. The Motorcar Refresher Course is specially designed to improve the participants driving skills, confidence and making them to become 'A Safe Driver'.
  
  Course Outline
  
  * Pre-drive procedures
  * Circuit training
  * Identifying costly mistakes on the road
  * Expressway driving
  * Handling slopes
  * Parking techniques (reverse & parallel) including multi-storey car parks
  * Basic route planning and City driving
  
  Enrolment fee $21.00 (recent school graduates)
  $31.50 (public learners)
  
  Off-Peak Peak
  Auto $73.50 $84.00
  Manual $58.80 $67.20

  so maybe he wud need a few practical sessions. so it's really, really way cheaper to study on their own.
  
  maybe someone would like to state how private instructors operate on refresher courses?
• ditzy

  14 Feb 06, 00:08

  Firstly, they ask you what you really want to touch on.
• sinicker

  14 Feb 06, 00:08

  Originally posted by ditzy:

  Firstly, they ask you what you really want to touch on.

  gear stick....
• wbucket

  14 Feb 06, 08:36

  Originally posted by Ponders:

  what's the cost my friend's looking at?
  
  like how much for a session an a session is how long?

  You can try to get some private instructors. Ranges from S$20-S$40 per hour, forgot.
  
  Anyway, I got my license and waited 4 years before I drove again. All it takes is a couple of test-driving to get the feel back. After I gotten my car, 2 weeks in Singapore traffic, you can shift gears like no-body's business already.
• hegu

  14 Feb 06, 11:47

  I hope the TP test would be the last time I drive a manual car, really hate the clutch and gear