Adventure.gs

Tackle one hazard at a time.... ties in with previous. No planning, no thought, no gumption! (Shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness! same Oxford dictionary as for flair!)
Again not looking far enough ahead!
Cross views… Time and again you can follow people and their head and neck might just as well be all glued together. On a recent test, approaching a ‘T’ junction with a main road, we’re going to turn left, the candidate didn’t look to the right until ten feet before the junction “Wow, that’s good isn’t it... a cross view like what we’re taught!” Then had to stop because of a van coming along the main road from our right, going the same way as we’re going to go. A cross view early, van seen, speed estimated, our speed adjusted, nothing behind it, we plan, plot and scheme and we get to the junction behind the van and turn left
to follow it.... no need to stop! We’ve now actually got more time to check the road surface, potholes, metal drain covers, gravel etc. It’s hardly rocket science is it!
‘Association of Michael Flatly Wannabe’s’ people still coming for test doing a foot tapping routine. It’s quite simple, it really is quite simple.

Roundabout junction A57 over M1, we’re going from Sheffield towards Worksop. Cars stopped at red light over motorway nearside and offside lane, with traffic exiting the south bound slip road, onto the island, they have a green light. Plenty of room, candidate quite rightly moves up between the cars. Our lights change, candidate snicks into gear, puts left foot down, right foot onto footrest and sets off. Cars either side have already gone. We’ve had a green light for a couple of seconds. IF the car(s) on our nearside had gone round the roundabout in front of us, as they could, and IF the cars on our right had gone straight on down the A57, as they could, we’d be in serious trouble. They’d be in trouble, but we’d be in serious trouble! RATHER we should see the slip road light change, go to amber, we can see them, get the gear, and making sure traffic on the slip road has stopped, especially the nearside which could be masked, but wasn’t, WOOOOOOSH gone! I’m not saying ‘jump’ the lights, but as soon as we get a hint of a glint of a shade of green we’ve gone! .... history!

If we’re setting off to ‘go go go’ into an open situation with no danger whatsoever, and we don’t have time to swop the feet over, fair enough in my book, get on with it! Just make sure that the right foot is on the peg within six inches of moving off. Most of the time of course, with cross views and a bit of application, we’ve got the time to get the gear (left foot already on the footrest) drop the left foot and put the right foot on the footrest. If we’re setting off in traffic then we want to move off with the foot covering the footbrake to regulate our slow speed. But we’ve got time of course because we can see traffic ahead setting off, can’t we? There is no need whatsoever to sit there at traffic lights or whatever with the right foot covering the footbrake! Fact. The police used to teach this many years ago... still being taught! “In case we’re going to get rammed in the rear!” (?) I was told. Well I never held with this theory. Cover the gearlever. If I’m going to get rammed in the rear then I’m going to get my gear and get out of there! Not brace myself for impact! When we’re stationary our biggest potential for harm comes from the rear.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5