Discussion
I followed Chesterfield IAM in traffic the other day and none of the lights on their Caravan were working. That's hardly "Advanced Motoring", is it?
2 cars behind it was a flat capped white haired gentleman in a tweed jacket driving a Suzuki Vitara. He had an IAM sticker and was approx 6" from the boot of the car in front of him and taking some very odd road positions - as if he wasn't really paying attention.
So. IAM. Are they genuinely interested in driving, or is it just some form of smug club?
2 cars behind it was a flat capped white haired gentleman in a tweed jacket driving a Suzuki Vitara. He had an IAM sticker and was approx 6" from the boot of the car in front of him and taking some very odd road positions - as if he wasn't really paying attention.
So. IAM. Are they genuinely interested in driving, or is it just some form of smug club?
I enquired about doing an advanced drving test through AIM, and they came across as a bunch of conceited patronising twunts.
Needless to say I didnt follow up my enquiry!
And...
Some bloke slid into the back of my Range Rover at the weekend in the snow, he had an AIM badge on the front of his Rover, or it was until he hit my tow bar!
Ok, it wasnt a Rover but why let the truth get in the way of a good story!
Needless to say I didnt follow up my enquiry!
And...
Some bloke slid into the back of my Range Rover at the weekend in the snow, he had an AIM badge on the front of his Rover, or it was until he hit my tow bar!
Ok, it wasnt a Rover but why let the truth get in the way of a good story!
Edited by GTIR on Monday 9th February 17:08
Thudd said:
So. IAM. Are they genuinely interested in driving, or is it just some form of smug club?
Both.Like any club/charity/doodad run by volunteers you get a broad spectrum of people involved. Everyone from driving enthusiasts to timid little grannies who haven't driven in fifty years but now hubby's dead they've got to again and need some help. (They break your heart they do).
It's been around a long, long while so there are members of every age group - from senile old duffers who really did ought to give up driving to 19 year old lads keen to bring their insurance down - or at least not make it higher than it has to be!
If you're interested in finding out - go along to your local group and find out what IT is like. Believe me - they vary quite considerably.
The IAM is odd. It's a sort of cross between the "We like Driving Club" (the ultimate organisation of this sort of this is the HPC, not the IAM) and the "Saving Lives One Driver At A Time Charity".
I do quite a bit of "Observing" (tutoring) for my group as a volunteer. Most of my job is to help people who have had a prang, or are nervous, or are worried they have bad habits get to a standard that whilst higher then an L test is really quite achievable for anyone. One "lives" for the enthusiast who is along to polish their already good drive into an excellent one. They do exist - but are probably a minority.
HTH
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really. You know them all personally, do you? Gone along to any of their courses and checked out their levels of idiocy, perhaps?Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Or did you read something in a newspaper you didn't like the sound of?
Troll.
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Well, thanks for that!Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Personally, I joined because while I've always liked to think I'm a better than average driver (as do we all), I decided I should prove it via some kind of objective assessment.
As Don says, the IAM is a broad church and much of what some members do and say annoy me. Also, some of what the head office says. Overall, though, if all road users had to pass the IAM test instead of the DoT test, we'd all be a lot better off and would get from point A to point B rather quicker.
The IAM people ive been out with on observed drives have been quite informative.
Using the info they gave me i taught my wife to drive,she had one proper paid for driving lesson and then passed her test
One chap was a bit nerdy though and took great satisfaction that his nissan micra`s speedo was 100% accurate-he had returned it to nissan and had it calibrated and kept the tyre pressures within 0.5 psi
Using the info they gave me i taught my wife to drive,she had one proper paid for driving lesson and then passed her test
One chap was a bit nerdy though and took great satisfaction that his nissan micra`s speedo was 100% accurate-he had returned it to nissan and had it calibrated and kept the tyre pressures within 0.5 psi
Don said:
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really. You know them all personally, do you? Gone along to any of their courses and checked out their levels of idiocy, perhaps?Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Or did you read something in a newspaper you didn't like the sound of?
Troll.
Oh and Ive never been called a Troll before,
Thats fantastic.
Edited by nottyash on Monday 9th February 17:16
Edited by nottyash on Monday 9th February 17:21
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Well your alittle charmer arn't you?Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Some of the comments in here are clearly from people who have based their opionion on 1 or 2 people they have met and what they read in the daily rags.
I am 23 years old, owned cars from Ford Focus up to Alfa V6 and Rover 220 Turbos. I have attended numerous track days and take pleasure in driving and consider myself to be a fairly competant driver. I am also a member of the IAM to prove to myself I could do it. (Brought insurance down rather nicely aswell!). Once at my group though I have met alot of individuals ranging from 19 to 55. They are all very keen petrolheads and very nice fellas into the mix.
This ''AIM think they are the best''is a load of rubbish. IAM members arn't the best, but they are willing to learn and improve. Something alot of drivers should really do at times!
Some of the sterotypical comments certain people are coming out with are laughable and show them for the idiots they really are.
nottyash said:
OOOh,
Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Did I ever say I was a better driver than you? I said I was competent... But if you class yourself as less than competent thats your issue, not mine.Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Oh and just for the record I don't display any badges on my car.
R3v 1 said:
nottyash said:
OOOh,
Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Did I ever say I was a better driver than you? I said I was competent... But if you class yourself as less than competent thats your issue, not mine.Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Oh and just for the record I don't display any badges on my car.
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really, IAM, RoSAP Gold (twice), Winner of Surrey Police Driving competition (few years ago now), Ride Drive day where the instructor (actual instructor from the Met) commented he probably wouldn't have driven much different ...Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Yep, I think some of us can drive ...
I appreciate that the IAM isn't the hardest test around, but it's a reasonable standard that is considerably above the majority of the driving population.
Edited by mph999 on Monday 9th February 17:44
nottyash said:
R3v 1 said:
nottyash said:
OOOh,
Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Did I ever say I was a better driver than you? I said I was competent... But if you class yourself as less than competent thats your issue, not mine.Youve saved money on your car insurance and have a little badge to prove your a better driver than the rest of us.
Lovely!
Oh and just for the record I don't display any badges on my car.
mph999 said:
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really, IAM, RoSAP Gold (twice), Winner of Surrey Police Driving competition (few years ago now), Ride Drive day where the instructor (actual instructor from the Met) commented he probably wouldn't have driven much different ...Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Yep, I think some of us can drive ...
Does that mean I can swim?
mph999 said:
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really, IAM, RoSAP Gold (twice), Winner of Surrey Police Driving competition (few years ago now), Ride Drive day where the instructor (actual instructor from the Met) commented he probably wouldn't have driven much different ...Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Yep, I think some of us can drive ...
nottyash said:
mph999 said:
nottyash said:
They are all idiots who have a silly badge and think they can drive.
Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Really, IAM, RoSAP Gold (twice), Winner of Surrey Police Driving competition (few years ago now), Ride Drive day where the instructor (actual instructor from the Met) commented he probably wouldn't have driven much different ...Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to join?
Yep, I think some of us can drive ...
Does that mean I can swim?
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