Thought and patience goes a long way

Mick and Lisa meet up most weeks on a Tuesday and 'offload'.  They are driving instructors and realise that to maintain their respective marriages it is better to chew the cud together once a week rather than bore their partners with all their woes.

Mick has been working hard with a particular pupil for over a year, and this pupil has come up in conversations with Lisa before.  Lisa knows this pupil well despite having never met her before.

The thing is Lisa; I'm not sure she will ever be able to do the parallel park?

Why do you say that?  Lisa knows Mick well.  Often there can be holes in his thought processes where he jumps to conclusions that Lisa would not do.

Mick replies: Because I've been working with her on this for so long, I kid you not, we must have done over a hundred together, but she still makes errors like she's just had the subject introduced to her.

Lisa takes a sip of her drink thinking to herself how much she hates the reverse parallel park.  The thing is Mick, does it matter?

Mick looks at Lisa, he thought for a moment she was joking.

Well, er, yea, perhaps it just might if she gets it in her test?

And perhaps she won't get it in her test; Lisa looks him in the eye.

This is where I struggle in this job Lisa.  The DVSA in their infinite wisdom tells all of us how important it is to teach beyond the test, make sure our pupils are ready for life after passing the test.  The thing is...

Lisa has heard Mick talk like this many times; she interrupts him: Mick, listen, I know you like to fish, but what kind of fishing do you like?

Mick is grateful for the change of subject, and he immediately pictures himself relaxed fishing at his favourite spot:  I like fishing down by the river.

Not at sea? 

Oh God no, I couldn't do that, I hate boats, makes me feel sick.

Hmmm, do you ask this pupil how she feels when you mention about her doing a reverse parallel park?

Oh yeah, I know she suffers terribly with it.  I feel sorry for her Lisa.  She does feel sick.

Why's that Mick?

No idea.

And yet you still ask her to do it?

Well of course, how else is she going to learn to do it; she needs to practice it again and again.

Does she?

Well yea, she must be able to do everything that might come up once she has her licence, everything.

Do you think she will be doing many reverse parallel parks, Mick, once she passes her test?

Mick puts his drink down and looks at Lisa.

She's a good pal he thinks to himself.