Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:WhoseGeneration wrote:Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Most groups would hope to have a tutor allocated to you within, say, 6 weeks.
Enjoy!
What?, that long, almost makes me want to become an observer again, although I'm not sure I could cope with the current regime.
Seriously, if the AD organisations can't provide tutors or observers within a much shorter timescale they should be questioning theirselves as to why.
Summed up in one word "volunteer". Advanced driving is not a business. In our group we would normally have a tutor allocated almost as soon as the associate joins, but that doesn't necessarily mean drives would start straight away.
Not sure what is meant by "not sure if I could cope with the current regime" - what part of the current regime makes you less interested? Are you symptomatic of a greater exodus?
Probably just me and my particular viewpoint. I was very happy observing for the IAM group I was originally in and had a 100% accepted for membership rate. I was a patient observer helping some who took many months to achieve the required standard.
That group had a lot of support from the local Constabulary which included Sunday morning taster drives with Police drivers in marked cars with observers then going out with the participants in their own cars and we got folks from that experience signing up and then to observed drives very quickly.
I then moved location and contacted a local group but my experience wasn't positive so I just, basically, lapsed.
Being told by the observer assigned to check me out, "we would consider that mechanically unsympathetic" after a double declutch change to 3rd gear at 60 mph, in my Astra GTE 16v didn't help.
If there's one thing I am in road cars, it's mechanically sympathetic, getting very long life from such as clutches, brakes and tyres.
My wife remained a member long after me and I perceived a shift in the magazine, again perhaps just me but somehow the emphasis seemed to move from enjoying cars and driving to rigid behaviour.
Thing is, as here shows, the AD organisations are not making any significant inroads into increasing membership, the Government isn't interested and the motoring press isn't.
Why?