BSM student with instructor entertaining encounter at red

[thefollen]

If in the Civic, if ultimately turning left I'd have potentially squeezed that one too. Depends how it looked from the driver's seat. As I cyclist I'd have definitely filtered that bus. Not suggesting the OP should have, simply a personal preference. Cars, motorbikes and other cyclists I'll happily wait behind, but much prefer to be in front of a bus. Difficult to see ahead, they slow for their stop forcing you to either wait or switch lanes, and nobody likes a facefull of bus fumes!

 

[CopperBrompton]

Surely the size of the car could be better illustrated with reverse parking

Reverse parking is much easier when you already have a good sense of the size of the car, and know where the corners are. If you teach this before you teach parallel parking, the learner will have a much easier time of it.

Presumably the instructor was telling the pupil what to do, and encouraged her to edge past a vulnerable road user (although I don't think it was dangerous just a bit pointless) and then squeeze past a bus to get to a red light. OK so it might give her a better indication of the size of the vehicle, but it hardly teaches her to read the road ahead and drive defensively.

I doubt that the instructor was advocating this as a general practice, rather saying "Here, we're waiting in traffic, so let's do something useful with the time - very slowly pass the traffic ahead, watching the right side of the vehicle, and I'll tell you how much space you have on the left."

 

[davefb]

Surely the size of the car could be better illustrated with reverse parking - especially into a car park space? Presumably the instructor was telling the pupil what to do, and encouraged her to edge past a vulnerable road user (although I don't think it was dangerous just a bit pointless) and then squeeze past a bus to get to a red light. OK so it might give her a better indication of the size of the vehicle, but it hardly teaches her to read the road ahead and drive defensively.

squeeze? theres *loads* of room past that bus. If I was in my car and saw someone wanting to turn left at those lights, I'd have moved over ( if hadn't already positioned my car so someone can get through).. Well I'd hope I would. On the bike, I'd certainly move over as well.. *especially* for a learner.

I don't understand why anyone would stay in the same position ?

 

[davefb]

If it was a test and there was room and you didn't move forward, you're showing you don't know how wide the vehicle is..

Not sure it would be a fail, but it wouldn't look good.

 

[Kookas]

Exactly, can't see the problem. If she was to close, move you bike a pace to the right. Not exactly heavy.

Half the people round here don't know the width of their cars and drive ten feet from cars parked up the side of the road. Teach them early and they will be better drivers later hopefully.

Wouldn't that get her into the habit of assuming cyclists must yield? I think it'd be a better idea to stand your ground, so they can learn how to actually respond to a cyclist. Letting a learner driver off for being a learner would most likely lead to them continuing with the learner behaviour, IMO.

 

[CopperBrompton]

No, if I was in a car in the same place I would have eased over to the right a bit to help her past. That doesn't teach her anything other than sometimes people are courteous.