Your first journey after passing your driving test

[Daisy]

This was prompted by a comment from Gem that she remembers feeling very brave the first time she drove on her own after passing her test. I'm sure she will tell us where she went/how far etc, but what about the rest of us?

If you drive, or learned at some point but don't now, can you remember your first solo trip?

[Grauntie Mag]

Can’t remember the very first trip but I do remember driving my little blue mini to work in the middle of Croydon as a very new driver. It was so busy and I was trying so hard not to panic…😬

[Daisy]

My first journey was very scary. I didn't have a car, so hadn't driven since I'd passed my test. I was going for a meal with a friend, but he had to pick his mother's car up from the garage. To make it to the restaurant in time he asked me if I'd drive the car back to his mother's - in a strange town, in the rush hour. I had no idea where she lived and I was so worried we'd get separated at lights or a junction. It was also a strange car! I all but sat on the bumper of his car!

Grauntie - I remember getting very lost in Croydon once!

[Gemini]

I don't have to look back too far as it was only 17 years ago, well nearer 18 as I passed in May.

I bought some celebratory cakes and drove to my mum and dad's to tell them the happy news. I chose that journey as it was only about 3 miles and a journey I had driven with (then) OH at my side many times.
As this was my 4th test I had told no one but my OH I was taking the test, as I couldn't face once again telling everyone I had failed. When I arrived at mum and dad's mum was looking behind me for my OH. When she realised I was alone she knew I had passed my test.

It is no exaggeration to say that apart for the births of my 3 children (I had no GC at this point) it was the happiest day of my life It means so much to suddenly be a driver at 50, and I still love that freedom.

My then OH passed his test when we were in our mid 30's, we had no car until then.
I can clearly remember the first time we and our 3 DDs went out in the car alone. We had never been in car as a family, just us. There had always been a driver. It was strange and wonderful all at the same time!

[Gemini]

Daisy, that sounds a challenging first drive!
My ex OH had to drive to Manchester for his first solo drive (which I still think was reckless - baptism of fire!)

[Oma]

Similar to Daisy , we went to pick FILs car up from the garage as he was at work and I had to drive our car home ,
B said to call in the garage and put petrol in ,
No way was I putting petrol in on my own on my first solo drive so I just followed him to in laws and we filled up with petrol on way home .

The roads were not as busy back in the early 80s , It felt so strange having no one in the car for quite a while I remember ,
once I was confident poor B couldn’t get me out

[Gemini]

Oma, I still feel like a novice putting petrol in after 17 years, I don't know why!!

[Lizzie48]

I passed when I was 17 years old, I can't remember my first drive alone, the roads in those days were not busy. When I passed for my motor bike license, I was very nervous the first time out on my own. DS2 phoned me the other day, he had passed his test for a trailer, he did think he had it but when moving house he got a hefty fine so decided he would go for it, the strange thing is, I have the trailer license then they changed all the rules etc before the boys took their tests.

[Daisy]

Lizzie - here you can tow a trailer, like our caravan, without a test if you passed before 1 January 1997. If you passed after that date you can only tow up to 750 kg, but I think those requirements have been lifted at the moment to free up more time for HGV tests. the rules seem to change by the day, don't they! Well done on getting your motorbike licence as well. I think you must have been a bit of a trailblazer in those days.

Gem - I hate putting petrol in my car, but mostly it's something OH does, and I let him! You did very well to persevere with lessons and I can imagine how delighted you were when you passed. I still love and value the freedom driving gives me, and also having my own car. When I met OH I drove his car, but it was years before I had one of my own, and it was a beaten up old A40 which had been hand painted to cover the rust!

My DS1 remember his first time on the motorways. He was going to have a motorway lesson, but a couple of days after he'd passed we had a family emergency and he had to drive up to Guilford via the M27. He never did get that lesson.

[Plantaholic]

I was about 26 when I passed my test, it was in an Armstrong Siddeley Saphire, I am sure I only passed first time because the tester was so impressed with the car. I had two children by then and my OH taught me to drive. We had a puncture in one of the tyres so were running on a spare. My first journey was to drive the car to get the tyre repaired. I loved driving that car.

[Daisy]

Plant - what an amazing car to learn on!

[Grauntie Mag]

Wow! Not sure I would be happy parking one of those, the bonnet goes on for ever! Fabulous car Plant.

[Gemini]

Plant my friend M passed her test when heavily pregnant with her 2nd baby
She always says he passed her to get out of the car before she gave birth

[Lizzie48]

Daisy, being allowed to tow a double wheel based trailer here is a complicated matter, which DS2 discovered, one of the friends helping him move is a police man and had never heard of all the rules, it depends on the weight of the engine, etc etc.

Yes, I was a speedy lady in my time!!!! It was DH's hobby really and I thought I would give it a try, it wasn't as easy as I expected but I did it. We toured the Yorkshire moors once, I went into a information place to ask for directions etc, I was all dressed in leathers and the lady replied " are you on the motorbike"? No love, just kinky!!!!

[Oma]

Lizzie that made me giggle 😂😂😂

My oldest sister learned and passes her test first time in a Rolls Royce ,
My uncle had a wedding car business and taught her in the only cars he had available at the time .