Christmas small talk

[martine]

So I expect some of you are like me...if I'm at a social event and the chat turns to hobbies I mention Advanced Driving. Often the immediate response is: 'what's advanced driving and why?'. I struggle to offer a 1 or 2 sentence explaination and either duck out or go into much too much detail with the risk of sounding like an AD geek and eyes glazing over

Anyone got a succinct 1 or 2 liner that doesn't sound glib?

[waremark]

I have the same problem. I try something along the lines of:

It's mostly about mental attitude, where you raise your level of concentration and observation, and you think more about every aspect of what you are doing, and particularly about what could go wrong, rather than travelling on autopilot which is what many experienced drivers do.

Look forward to seeing other contributions.

[ExadiNigel]

I think I'd want to include the word anticipation in there somewhere, preferably in the same sentence as 'other idiots' and what they may do.

[WhoseGeneration]

Just say," Keeps me and mine safe".
Any response, reply, "Let me show you".

[Octy_Ross]

Just say," Keeps me and mine safe".
Any response, reply, "Let me show you".

the 2nd one is tricky if you're on the outside of 15 pints though

[Fenland Flyer]

It makes driving more fun.

[Gareth]

So I expect some of you are like me...if I'm at a social event

Huh?

The 'social' events I attend are either related to driving or family occasions.

Often the immediate response is: 'what's advanced driving and why?'

It's a question I have trouble answering. More skillful might be a good answer, without having to go into the detail of all it entails.

As a thought experiment I start by asking about bad driving. Everyone can describe examples of bad driving even if they don't have a ready definition of what it is. The next step is to ask if good driving is simply the absence of bad driving, or could it be something more. Once a range of standards of driving is established, it's not so difficult to position 'advanced (road) driving' as something nearer one end of the scale.

I avoid most of this discussion by not claiming to do advanced driving. I say I drive as a hobby, and maybe I might say in passing that I passed an advanced driving test or two. But I try never to claim I am an advanced driver.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Same like Gareff -
"I like to go driving".
"Oh, I can't imagine doing that for fun"
"Well you tend to get out of it what you put in. If you concentrate, and try to do everything well, it makes it more enjoyable"
"Hmmm I suppose so. I sometimes think I don't drive very well any more - lots of bad habits"
"You could try advanced driving"
"What's that, then? Does it make your insurance cheaper?"

....

[7db]

"Oh I'm a good driver already".

Then why does your wife prefer riding with me?

[jont]

Then why does your wife prefer riding with me?

What's that got to do with their driving...?

[Horse]

It's why I've preferred the term 'Higher standard' with machine control, obs, planning etc all being done to a ___ ____ .