Newslink February 2021

Life as an ADI
Why did you become an ADI? In our popular Q&A feature (see pg 40), the first question we ask
participants is why they joined the ADI ranks. The reasons given so far have been fascinating
and varied. Here, to go into this question in more depth, Montrose-based ADI and Scotland
committee member Brian Thomson explains what brought him to this profession.
How did I get here?
(and what am I getting myself into)
That’s not a biological question but how
did I get to where I am now as a driving
instructor?
It’s a good question: I worked for 23
years prior to 2003 in a pharmaceutical
factory in Montrose, starting as a process
operator and finishing as a team support
manager with involvement in factory
projects. In 2003, however, things
changed. A buy-out by a Dutch company
fell through at the ‘eleventh hour’ and
due to a loss of work the opportunity of
early severance was offered to employees
of a certain age. I was one and took the
package available.
Once settled that I was going to leave
soon I wondered how I was going to stay
employed for the next 15 years or so.
While an experienced manager I had no
‘trade’ to fall back on, and the thought of
going back to working on a building site
or farm work (which never leaves you)
wasn’t really a lucrative option. My role
in factory projects was to check that any
improvements made would actually work
when the process guys started using it,
and it also involved having to write up
procedures and training packages which
had to be delivered to the operators, so I
had a feel for training and guidance.
When I saw an advertisement for driving
instructors I thought ‘I could give that a
go’.
I knew nothing about how the industry
worked but attended an interview that
basically asked if I had a full licence and
was of sound body and mind (tricky
questions there); those hurdles cleared
they signed me up, took my money and
linked me to a trainer in Aberdeen who
would have charged me 2/3 of the cost
coming to him direct (didn’t know that
bit).
I contacted Business Gateway to make
a business plan, assessed competitors in
the area and future possible business,
and thought I would get a car, stick some
Ls on and off I would go.
But first came the theory practice. This
was the start of ADIs and people training
to become instructors having to do the
theory and hazard perception, (if you
recall it caused quite a stir in the
industry at the time). I was still working
at the factory at this point and would be
reading my theory book at every break
time possible. One of my colleagues told
me that a good way to take information
in is to highlight anything you find new
or interesting because you read it (once),
think that was interesting, highlight it
(twice) and, of course, once you finish
highlighting, you read it again to ensure
you got it all (third). By the time I had
finished with that book it was about 97
per cent coloured in but it worked; I
booked a theory test in Aberdeen and
passed first time.
Now I had to contact the instructor for
‘‘
I didn’t know people got their
lefts and rights mixed up... and
I wasn’t prepared for the young
lady, while driving, covering
her face with both hands at the
sight of a dead rabbit in the
...
‘‘road
‘Part 2’. He was a good lad, half my age
but had knowledge and interest to get
things across and after a few drives
around the city we agreed that the Part 2
test should be booked. Again passed first
time with one fault, speed!, what can I
say?
So then along comes the Part 3. By
this time there are now three learners
and one instructor in the car so the
training days are getting longer (up to
about four hours) and we were supposed
to practice using the trained techniques
and move on to another subject the week
after. The other two guys in the car lived
reasonably close to each other so they
could buddy up and get the practice in
but I was 50 miles away so struggled to
find a pupil. In the end we decided to
offer four students free lessons every
week on the subjects I got from the
trainer. Two of the students were from
my village, one was the granddaughter of
an ex-workmate and the other was an
employee at a company my wife visited
in her work circle.
Now this was different. I thought most
people would always know the basics
(farming background coming out again). I
didn’t realise some people get left and
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NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021